With tools and equipment in almost constant use, a construction site is generally a noisy environment.
Aside from the potential for this to cause nuisance to neighbouring communities, frequent exposure to raised noise levels can have serious consequences for workers, causing problems like tinnitus (a sensation of ringing in the ears) and hearing loss.
Find out more, including how to protect yourself from these risks in this week’s blog.
Lifting and moving heavy objects are part of normal working life on construction sites but, when managed badly, these everyday tasks can lead to damaging musculoskeletal disorders that leave workers struggling to stand, walk or sit down. For some, the injuries result in them having no option but to stop working in the industry altogether.
Because the health of workers can be affected to such a serious degree, inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive will be carrying out 1000 site inspections in October and November, particularly checking how workers are moving heavy or bulky materials. Read on for more details.
While holidaymakers in the UK may be enjoying the recent heatwave, construction workers and others who mostly work outside may be finding the weather slightly more uncomfortable.
With temperatures heading above into the mid-30°Cs, some forecasters are warning that by Sunday, we could exceed the UKs record for the hottest day (which was 38.7°C in July 2019). Added to the fact that the heatwave is expected to continue for at least another eight days, the Met Office have issued an Amber weather warning for extreme heat, meaning that it could result in travel disruption, serious illness and even danger to life.
To help everyone stay safe and well, we’re focusing today’s blog on the health impacts of hot weather and what you can do to avoid them.
When construction sites close up for Christmas, theft, arson, unwanted visitors, bad weather and public safety issues all have the potential to disrupt the festivities or bring nasty surprises in the New Year. Prevention is always better than a cure so follow our ‘site shut down’ checklist to enjoy a worry-free break.
Avoiding Close Working Over the last few weeks, restrictions relating to the coronavirus lockdown in England have begun to ease – with pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, museums, playgrounds and others being on the latest list of places which are now allowed to open up. But, while many of us were probably happy to see a return…
While we’re all very aware of one specific risk affecting all our lives right now, it’s worth remembering that COVID-19 is not the only potential threat we face, either during our day-to-day actions or within the businesses we operate and/or work within.Running a construction business can certainly bring rewards but these need to be carefully…
Health and safety on construction sites has vastly improved over the past decade but one area that is still a concern for many is the risk of injury, death and property damage caused by fire. Looking at the last five years, fires on construction sites have increased overall by 9.6%. The good news is that…
Accidents or injuries on site are best prevented by adopting positive behaviours and attitudes which keep everyone safe – good communication, avoiding making assumptions and being cooperative with colleagues for instance. That all sounds pretty obvious, however in practise things can easily go wrong when workers lapse into bad practices. Last week, we took a…
If you ever come and spend some time with us at Sheriff Construction, you’ll soon find out that job site safety is something we talk about… a lot! We’re of the firm belief that, when it comes to accidents or mishaps, prevention is better than the cure. The good news is it’s not all that…
Guy Fawkes Night – that one day of the year when we all enjoy watching the night sky light up and sizzle in memory of an event that narrowly avoided seeing the Houses of Parliament go up in flames! While not wanting to spoil anyone’s fun later this evening, fire prevention and safety is a…