The government has recently set out proposals to support the development of a new generation of towns across England, marking one of the most ambitious approaches to housebuilding in decades.
While the headlines focus on housing numbers, the wider ambition is clear. These developments are intended to go beyond simply delivering homes, instead creating well-planned communities that benefit from the infrastructure, services and amenities needed to support long-term growth. Keep reading this week’s blog to understand what the new towns programme involves and what it could mean in practice.
Whether you are working on site or in an office-based role, the demands of the construction industry are constant. Deadlines are tight, programmes need to be met, quality standards must be maintained and safety is always a priority. With so many moving parts, the stakes are high – and that can create significant stress if not managed effectively.
Understanding the key pressure points is the first step in addressing work-related stress, particularly in fast-paced environments like construction. Keep reading to explore what these are and what they mean in practice.
Personal protective equipment, or PPE, remains one of the most visible and recognisable elements of construction site safety. Hard hats, high-visibility clothing, safety glasses and protective footwear are all part of everyday working life on site.
But while PPE may feel routine, it should never be taken for granted. It is often described as the last line of defence – the final protective layer when other control measures cannot fully eliminate safety risks. Used correctly, PPE helps prevent serious injury; using it incorrectly or while damaged can give a false sense of security.
In this week’s Focus on Safety feature, we look at why PPE is so important, when it is required, and how to ensure it is properly fitted, maintained and inspected.
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.
The construction industry is once again seeing headlines that highlight the challenges in building enough homes to meet demand. Recent figures show that planning approvals have dropped sharply – and for those of us working in construction, that raises questions about what the pipeline of projects could look like as well as other economic risks.
So, what’s behind the downturn and what could it mean for the sector? Keep reading to find out more.
As we navigate through 2025, the construction industry might be about to witness a transformative shift. While traditional sectors like residential housing have faced challenges recently, a new driver of growth has emerged: the booming demand for data centres.
Read this week’s blog to find out more about why data centres are an important part of our infrastructure as well as the opportunities and challenges this poses for our industry.
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week (12–18 May 2025), and the theme is one that couldn’t be more relevant to us in construction: ‘community’.
At Sheriff Construction, we’re taking this opportunity to join the conversation by exploring why being part of a community is so important for mental health, shining a light on the worrying rates of suicide in construction, and considering what we can all do to support each other better. Join us by taking a moment to read this week’s blog.
Did you know that around one in three adults in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or experience tinnitus (a persistent ringing, buzzing or humming sound in the ears with no external source)?
Given this prevalence, it’s very likely you work alongside someone who is affected and so, as this week (6-11 May) is Deaf Awareness Week, we’re shining a light on the communication challenges people with hearing loss can face as well as what we can do to be more inclusive communicators on site and beyond. Read on to find out more.
The UK government has unveiled a major initiative to address the construction industry’s skills shortage, launching a new Construction Skills Mission Board alongside a £600m investment in training. This ambitious plan aims to bring up to 60,000 new workers into the sector.
So, how will this funding be allocated and what does it mean for the future of construction? Read on to find out more.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is making waves across all sorts of industries and construction is no exception. While much of the attention has been on AI’s role in design, project management and efficiency, its potential to revolutionise site safety might just be the most exciting development yet.
For years, construction has been one of the most hazardous industries, with risks ranging from falls and equipment-related accidents to structural failures, but could we be at a turning point where AI-driven protocols and analytics help to predict and prevent such dangers? Keep reading to find out more.