From tower cranes shifting steel beams to hoists raising materials up tall façades, lifting equipment is central to modern construction. But along with that power comes huge responsibility. When lifting operations go wrong, the consequences can be catastrophic – collapse, dropped loads, people getting struck or even fatally injured.
In this week’s blog, we’ll cover why mechanical lifting demands rigorous planning and control and share some practical DO’s and DON’Ts based on HSE guidance.
The UK Government has just announced several late-stage amendments to its Planning and Infrastructure Bill – designed to stop unnecessary refusals, cut repeated legal challenges and get Britain building both housing and infrastructure faster.
The changes include new powers for ministers, protections for developments under judicial review and a streamlined role for Natural England. Find out what this could mean for the construction industry in our latest blog.
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.
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.