Image showing a building site in cold, wintery conditions

Cold Arctic air across the UK is leading to widespread hard frosts and some of the coldest sub-zero temperatures so far this winter.

While snow cumulations are often the most disruptive, for the construction industry it’s equally important to address the increased risks posed by freezing temperatures and icy conditions on-site. Preparation is key to ensuring safety and productivity during the winter months so read this week’s blog for some critical information and tips.

Image showing a construction worker on site undertaking hot works (welding)

When thinking about construction site injuries, cuts, falls, or heavy lifting are often the things that first come to mind. Yet, burn injuries are also a critical concern as thousands of construction workers face burn risks every year.

In our latest ‘focus on safety’ blog, we’ll explore the common causes of burn injuries, what to do in the event of a burn and outline what can be done to reduce the risk.

Close up of a construction worker using a grinder

Cuts and lacerations are among the most common injuries on construction sites, often caused by sharp tools, machinery and materials. While some injuries may be minor, others can be serious – requiring medical attention and sometimes leading to lost workdays, permanent disability or even fatalities.

Understanding the causes, prevention strategies and appropriate responses is crucial to ensuring the safety of all workers. Read on to learn more in our latest ‘Focus on Safety’ blog.

Image of an injured construction worker lying flat on the ground while another person attends to their leg.

Slips, trips, and falls are among the most common causes of injuries in the construction industry in the UK. These accidents often lead to serious and/ or permanent injuries and even fatalities.

Understanding the causes, implementing effective prevention strategies and knowing how to respond when an accident does occur is crucial for ensuring the safety of all construction workers. Find out more about this critical issue in this week’s ‘Focus on Safety’ blog.

Image showing a building on a construction site with a fire blazing and a crane over it.

A fire that ripped through a residential project in East London this June led to one construction worker having to be rescued from the end of a tower crane and seven people being hospitalised due to smoke inhalation.

The fire was just one of hundreds that occur on construction sites each year across the UK, potentially putting the lives of workers and members of the public at risk. Make sure this doesn’t happen at your site by reading our latest blog.

Image showing two construction professionals (a man and a woman) on a construction site shaking hands with other workers in the background.

When someone new arrives at your construction site, welcoming them and introducing them to the site in friendly, well-organised manner is essential.

Regardless of whether they are a new contractor, supplier, professional colleague or any other visitor, the welcome you provide is not just a matter of making a good first impression but also key to maintaining a safe, efficient and compliant site. Read this week’s blog for five tips for making this process seamless.

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.

Tools and equipment are essential to the effective running of any construction site but, because they are used so much, they can suffer a lot of wear and tear, become damaged and eventually be unusable.

However, with proper care and maintenance, the lifespan of your tools and equipment can be extended and that’s good news for four reasons: 1) Better quality tools means better quality work; 2) It reduces costs related to repairs or replacements; 3) There will be fewer accidents/ injuries from faulty equipment; and 4) It’s better for the environment.

With so much to gain, in this week’s blog, we’re sharing some top tips for how to protect and maintain those tools.

Since the clocks went back in October, the hours of daylight have been getting shorter and that means many construction workers (including those working in office support roles) will be spending at least part of their working day and commuting time in the dark.

This can result in additional safety and security issues, including the risk of accidents occurring on site or while travelling to work as well as more malignant factors such as premises and/or workers being targeted by thieves taking advantage of the cover of darkness.

Here, we look at six simple ways you can stay safer this winter.

This week, the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh saw world leaders, business leaders, climate activists, civil society representatives and others arrive for COP27 – the largest annual gathering on climate action. Running for two weeks (until 18th November), this United Nations conference is seeking renewed solidarity between countries to urgently tackle the global climate emergency and deliver on the Paris Agreement for people and the planet.

Approaches that can be made by energy intensive sectors such as oil, gas, steel and cement will be discussed on the conference’s ‘Decarbonisation Day’ (11th November) so we’ll be keeping a watch on what’s said. Meanwhile, we thought we’d take this as our theme for this week’s blog and look at five ways construction companies can lower their carbon footprint.

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