Accounting concept featuring a close up of a woman's hands using a calculator next to a file of invoices

In the construction industry, cash flow is king. Yet one persistent and unfair practice continues to drain liquidity from subcontractors and smaller firms – retentions.

The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) has long campaigned to eliminate or at least reform retentions, and now the Government has launched a major consultation on both late payments and retentions. This is a crucial moment in which the sector can have its say and potentially influence legislative changes. For more information, take a look at this week’s blog.

Construction worker on site lifting a heavy bag of materials

When you think about construction hazards, you might picture scaffolding, power tools, or heavy machinery. Yet one of the most common (and often underestimated) risks is manual handling.

Every day, workers lift, carry, push and pull a variety of loads – from heavy materials to awkward tools. Done incorrectly, these tasks can lead to painful injuries that affect not just working life, but long-term health too. Keep reading for a reminder of the key DOs and DON’Ts around manual handling on site.

Image of a construction site with lots of cranes

Over the summer months, we used this blog to explore some of the most popular construction careers – from bricklaying and roofing to carpentry, plumbing, painting and decorating. These are quite different roles in terms of skills and daily tasks, but they share one common requirement: if you want to work on a construction site, you’ll almost certainly need a CSCS card.

So, what exactly is a CSCS card, why is it so important and how do you go about getting one? Read on to find out everything you need to know.

Image of several buildings showing the roofing with solar panels

In construction, quality isn’t a luxury – it’s the foundation of safety, trust and long-term value. Few areas demonstrate this more clearly than roofing. According to Local Authority Building Control, roofing is the second most common source of construction defects in the UK, accounting for 15% of all issues reported in 2024.

Defects in roofing can compromise livelihoods, put residents at risk, damage building integrity and erode public confidence. In today’s climate of tighter regulation and heightened scrutiny, quality in roofing matters more than ever. Read this week’s blog to find out more and download our new Impact Report on Quality in Roofing.

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