Calling on the world’s built environment to focus on delivering sustainable buildings for everyone, everywhere, World Green Building Week is the largest campaign of its kind.
So, although the official campaign, which is organised annually by the World Green Building Council, was officially last week (20th – 24th September), perhaps something this important deserves our attention every week! Read on for all the detail.
Did you know that, in the UK, even under our usually cloudy skies, up to 80% of dangerous UV rays can still get through. And, because of their heightened exposure to the sun, five outdoor workers a day in Britain get skin cancer and 60 people lose their life every year as a direct result. We hate to spoil the mood on this lovely, warm September day but, with the sun shining down on our outdoor workforce, it’s a good time to remind everyone of the dangers of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays and it’s relation to what’s sometimes called the ‘invisible killer’. Find out what you can do to minimise the risk in today’s blog.
For any company to be successful, good leadership is essential. This is true across many different industries and the main issue for construction businesses is achieving this at all the various leadership levels across their organisation. Among other things, we need great leaders in the office to provide direction on the business strategy, principles and procedures; we need great leaders on board at the very beginning of every project to engage with clients and oversee safety, costs and budgeting; and we need great leaders on the ground at each site to manage schedules, monitor progress and motivate the team. With so much riding on it, we’re taking a moment this week to reflect on what good leadership in construction actually looks like.
While strict health and safety measures have certainly reduced the number of injuries and fatalities in construction, the industry is still one of the most hazardous in the UK. Last year, construction workers suffered 61,000 non-fatal injuries and 40 people died as a result of workplace injury in our sector. What’s most frustrating is that the vast majority of on-site injuries are completely preventable. Today, we’re taking a look at four of the most common causes of accidents and offering some basic tips on what you can do to reduce the risks.