The Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS) held the first meeting of its new Health, Safety, Operations & Plant Focus Group on Tuesday 19 May. The launch meeting brought together representatives from across the FPS membership to introduce the new group structure, agree the initial direction of travel and begin shaping focused task group activity across safety, operations and plant-related issues.
Key Updates and Actions:
Launch of the New FPS Health, Safety, Operations & Plant Focus Group: The meeting marked the formal launch of the new FPS Health, Safety, Operations & Plant Focus Group. The refreshed structure was introduced, explaining that the previous format of four large in-person meetings each year was not delivering the level of focus or strategic progress required. The new approach is intended to be more targeted, practical and outcome-led, while reducing the time burden on members and encouraging wider participation across the FPS membership.
New Task Group Structure: The group will now operate through three focused task groups covering Safety, Operations and Plant. Each task group will have a core long-term objective, supported by shorter-term priorities and specific workstreams. Julia Nicholson will lead the Plant group, Scott Hearn will lead the Safety group, and Colin Kemshead will lead the Operations group. The leadership team will meet every six to eight weeks to support governance, maintain progress and ensure activity remains aligned with agreed objectives.
Plant Group Priorities: The Plant task group will initially focus on the rig bearing pressure spreadsheet and training courses. Members were also invited to suggest additional areas of focus, including plant-related challenges, training needs, apprenticeships and service technician development. The aim is to ensure that the group’s activity reflects practical issues being experienced by members and supports useful outputs for the wider sector.
Safety Group Priorities: The Safety task group will prioritise stored energy risks, particularly in relation to concrete blowout, blockages and associated safety considerations. The group is seeking volunteers with relevant technical expertise to support the development of training and guidance. This work is expected to link with wider industry discussions and technical research, including future updates on stored energy and potential presentations from subject matter experts.
Operations Group Priorities: The Operations task group will continue work on transport order challenges, including inconsistencies in police escorts and charges. Ongoing discussions with the Department for Transport and MPs were noted, along with plans to address training issues in collaboration with CITA. The group will also invite further input from members on operational issues that would benefit from collective industry attention.
Member Involvement and Volunteer Recruitment: A key theme of the launch meeting was the importance of active member involvement. Each task group is seeking around four to five volunteers who can help drive work forward. The group is particularly keen to involve a mix of experienced professionals and newer entrants to the industry, including graduate engineers and others seeking CPD opportunities. Members can contribute to specific objectives according to their own expertise, interests and availability, rather than being required to support every workstream.
Guidance Rather Than Prescriptive Procedures: The meeting clarified the role of FPS outputs in relation to company procedures. FPS guidance will be developed as best practice guidance for members to adapt within their own organisations, rather than as prescriptive procedures. This distinction will be important in ensuring that FPS supports improvement and consistency across the sector, while recognising that each company remains responsible for its own internal systems, risk assessments and procedures.
Handling Outstanding and New Issues: The group discussed how existing and unresolved issues from previous meetings should be managed within the new structure. It was agreed that while some issues will be carried forward, the group must avoid overloading the agenda. Instead, the focus will be on a manageable number of long-term and short-term objectives, selected according to member input, available resource and the potential to achieve meaningful progress.
Technical Information and Future Presentations: The meeting considered how technical findings and specialist research should be reviewed and shared with members. It was agreed that information such as the Swansea University work on stored energy should be reviewed by the FPS Executive Committee before being presented more widely. Future in-person sessions may include presentations from subject matter experts, including those involved in the stored energy research and concrete blowout work.
Permit Processes for Pressurised Systems: The group also discussed permit processes for pressurised systems, with members noting that approaches vary between organisations. Members were encouraged to share examples of good practice, including permit processes for blowout procedures, to support collective learning and promote practical improvement across the sector.
Next Steps: The chairs will define the scope, deliverables and timescales for each of the three task groups and communicate these to members. Kathy Gilson will update the wider group on the final short-term objectives selected by each task group and invite further suggestions for support. Members are encouraged to volunteer for task group activity and submit ideas for future workstreams.