According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), over 1.2 million working days are lost in the UK because of injuries caused during manual handling tasks in the construction industry.

Aside from the economic impact, such injuries can be painful and have long-term, serious consequences – particularly those involving back problems like slipped discs and repetitive strain injuries. At Sheriff Construction, our site workers undertake mandatory training in this area but we thought we’d use this week’s blog as a reminder of why this is such a backbone of safety in construction and pass on a few general ‘DOs’ and ‘DON’Ts’.

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.

The recent cold snap is a reminder to us that working outdoors in such conditions is not exactly the most pleasant thing any of us could be doing and that, once again, it’s time for our industry to brace itself for the winter months ahead.

During these months, we all need to be aware of the potential hazards that come with harsher weather, recognise that some tasks could take longer to complete and be prepared to make adaptations when planning work activities.

If you’re working on site this winter, here’s our handy guide to surviving the cold.

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…