As we near the end of August, you can’t help but notice all the ‘back to school’ signs and merchandise laid out at the front of the shops. This got us thinking about how, nowadays, the idea of getting back into learning mode is no longer reserved just for children and young people. The principle of ‘lifelong learning’ has long been something that many adults have embraced but, as our world continues to change at such a fast pace, this seems to be becoming more important than ever. In this week’s blog, we’re exploring the multiple professional and personal benefits that following this approach offers.
While the generally drier weather of summer makes it one of the best times for completing construction works, every year the season also brings some additional challenges, for instance around maintaining the quality of products, the reduced availability of workers and specific heat-related safety risks. Of course, this year there are additional woes related to the pandemic and Brexit but in this week’s blog, we’re focusing on four areas of concern that sites face during a typical summer and included some guidance about what you can do to avoid or overcome those challenges.
Last week we laid on a thank you BBQ as we bid farewell to most of the tradespeople who have been working at our Kingham Way site in Luton which is nearing completion. While Sheriff’s internal teams took on the management, brickwork and roofing works at this site, Kingham Way has only come this far with the support of all kinds of specialist tradespeople – carpenters, plumbers, plasterers/ dry liners, electricians, painters and decorators, tilers and more. Read this week’s blog for more about the project and who was involved.
So ‘Freedom Day’ happened this Monday 19th July – the day when the remaining COVID-related legal restrictions like social distancing and mask-wearing were lifted in England. However, while there were crowds of jubilant party-goers queuing outside the nation’s nightclubs at Midnight, others (including many businesses) are taking a more cautious approach to the relaxations. So, what about construction? Read this week’s blog to find out more about what seems to be a clash between the government’s and industry leaders’ viewpoints as well as what we at Sheriff would advise.
A team of workers from Sheriff have recently spent their weekends improving the outside space at our office, creating a little sanctuary where staff can take a break and nature can flourish. The project has involved clearing away overgrown trees, shrubbery and debris from a stream that runs along the back of the office, as well as creating a small decking area and flower beds which have been seeded with a wild flower mix to support increased biodiversity. On top of this, almost all the materials used were reclaimed from our building sites, thereby saving them from landfill. Take a look at what we’ve done in more detail in this week’s blog.
Last week, our blog focused on head/ brain injuries and why it is so important that construction workers select, wear and maintain the right head protecting gear to stay safe. Within that article we made a reference to the issue of concussion and promised to come back to this in more detail so ‘voila’, here it is! Keep reading to gain a greater understanding of what concussion is, the signs and symptoms to look out for and what to do if you or a colleague suffers such an injury at work.
Without the right PPE, a construction site can become a very dangerous place and this is especially true when it comes to head injuries. But did you know that hard hats represent only 3% of PPE purchases in our industry and that only 6% of workers who have had a head injury at work seek medical attention? In response to these and other startling statistics, the brain injury charity, ‘Headway’, designated one week this June as Hard Hat Awareness Week, urging everyone in the industry to audit their head-protecting equipment. Read on to find out more about what you can do to safeguard yourself against a life-changing head injury.
Sheriff Construction was thrilled to receive a prestigious award from IKO last week. The award, which placed Sheriff as ‘Highly Commended’ was made in relation to the roofing works that we have been carrying out in the upcoming London hotspot of Charlton but also in recognition of our company’s story and the wider support we’ve offered to the communities we work in. Read more in this week’s blog.
In his book, ‘A Life On Our Planet’, Sir David Attenborough paints a bleak picture of what lies ahead if humanity continues to live as unsustainably as it is currently. It’s not a complete picture of doom and gloom, however, as he also lays out a series of actions we might take to prevent further damage and actually reverse some of the impact we have had on the natural world. A key part of that involves switching from a mindset that’s addicted to growth to a focus on a new sustainable measure of success involving the three Ps – people, planet and profit. Read on to find out more about this, including what we in the construction industry can do to embrace this way of thinking.
According to CPRE The Countryside Charity, the UK has over 25,000 hectares of brownfield land across 21,000 sites. Many are run-down plots of land that represent all kinds of safety hazards and, when stuck in such poor condition for several years, they become a real blot on the landscape. So what should all this land be used for? A survey carried out by Romal Capital found that 59% of the British public would opt for either the building of modern, efficient homes and communities to help solve the ongoing housing crisis or cultural landmarks. Read more about both the survey and the work we’re doing to prioritise brownfield development in this week’s blog.