Today (20th June) is World Refugee Day, a moment when people are invited to not only consider the plight and dismal conditions faced by millions of refugees around the world, but also to celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home countries to escape disaster, conflict or persecution.
Offering the tagline ‘Hope away from Home. A world where refugees are always included’, this year’s theme made us wonder what the inclusion of refugees has meant for the UK in general and how it might work within industries like construction. Read this week’s blog to find out more.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), almost one in five deaths in the construction industry involves roof work, the most common causes being falls from roof edges or through fragile surfaces.
The saddest thing about this statistic is that a great many of these accidents could have been avoided through the implementation of proper safety measures – using the correct equipment and ensuring workers receive adequate information, instruction, training and supervision. Take a moment to read this week’s blog for some key safety tips.
As more than 400 tax workers join other professions in the recent wave of UK strike action, construction workers have reported serious issues in their attempts to communicate with the HMRC construction Industry Scheme (CIS).
Although online verification doesn’t appear to have been affected, callers to the CIS helpline have faced long delays with some reporting being cut off during their attempts to speak to someone. Find out more in this week’s blog.
While some of the mobile apps we download end up doing little but take up space on our phones or tablets, others are revolutionising the way we live and work.
Right now, there are a great many mobile apps that are proving particularly useful for those working in the construction industry – supporting people by making every-day tasks simpler, improving efficiency in working practices and raising professional standards higher than ever before. In this week’s blog, we’ve got a rundown of just some of the apps available.
Over the past few months, we’ve witnessed a race in the launch of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that has been trained to interact with humans in a conversational way.
Natural language models like Open AI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard can produce pieces of creative writing, translate copy, summarise lengthy texts, access vast amounts of data to answer queries and have a human-like conversation. Whilst experimenting with these technologies can be both useful and fun, this has got us wondering whether AI might soon be taking on other creative work such as designing a building (or perhaps it is already)? Take a look at what we found out in this week’s blog.
At least two online media outlets have just published articles about Sheriff Construction, recognising our company as one of the leading installers and suppliers of flat-roofing systems and brickwork services in the UK.
Both the UK Herald and London Journal picked up the story of our 17 years in the industry and recent success, noting the national recognition our company has gained for delivering exceptional work on commercial and residential projects and for our pursuit of innovation. Read the full story in this week’s blog.
Whilst modern techniques, tools and innovations have brought some changes to the way on-site construction workers perform their duties, they still generally have to carry out physically demanding tasks in sometimes harsh conditions.
Day after day, year after year, you might think that surely such labour takes its toll, so how is it the case that, even as the workforce ages, a great many construction workers remain physically able to handle the strain? The answer it appears is because they have ‘physical wisdom’. Find out what this means in this week’s blog.
When working as part of a team, it is almost inevitable that, at some point, you’ll experience a situation involving conflict – a difference of opinion, a misunderstanding or possibly an outright argument with a colleague.
This is often because, although you may be working towards a shared goal, most teams are made up of people from diverse backgrounds with different personalities, perspectives and opinions. However, conflict doesn’t have to be seen as wholly negative as, if it’s handled well, it can actually be an opportunity for healthy debate, personal growth and support innovation. See if you can achieve this by following our six conflict resolution tips.
Twelve members of Sheriff’s top team have just returned from a five day trip to Dubai, a reward from the company for all their hard work and loyalty over recent years!
Including Company Directors, Contract Managers, Site Managers and Foremen, the team were treated to a stayover in a five star hotel plus an itinerary of site seeing trips and meals out.
Find out more about what they got up to in this week’s blog.
In a single year, the UK generates 67.8 million tonnes of non-hazardous Construction and Demolition waste, a figure that represents 62% of the nation’s total waste output.
This waste is made up of all kinds of products – concrete bricks, tiles, ceramics, insulation, wood, glass, plastic, bituminous mixtures, cement, gypsum, paints, varnishes, soil, stones, coal, tar, cables, pipes, adhesives and sealants – to name a few!
While much of this is recovered, taking action to reduce construction waste has proven to be good, not only for the environment, but also for business. Keep reading to find out more…