construction

    Knostrop Weir iStock Philip Silverman

    Building firm fined £2.3 million over failings that led to worker drowning in river

    A construction firm has been fined more than £2 million after a worker drowned in a river when the boat that he was using to help remove debris from the bottom of a weir capsized.

    By Kerry Reals on 13 June 2024

    Cyclists Dismount LSBUD

    Utility asset strikes: how sharing incident data can boost safe digging

    Although major strides have been made in recent years to reduce dangerous utility asset strikes during digging and overhead works, greater sharing of information about the circumstances of utility strikes by the asset owners would enable further safety lessons to be learned to protect workers from injury.

    By Laura Knight, LSBUD on 19 February 2024

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    Building firm boss receives suspended prison sentence after worker crushed to death onsite

    Building company Stonehurst Estates Ltd has been fined £450,000 and its director has received a suspended prison sentence, following the death of a worker at a development site in Birmingham.

    By Kerry Reals on 15 February 2024

    Don Aers PASMA

    Getting down to basics: 5 fundamentals of tower safety

    Although big improvements have been made in ensuring the safe use of mobile access towers over the years, accidents still happen, so it’s essential users always follow some key precautions to prevent potentially serious falls and other dangers.

    By Don Aers, PASMA on 05 February 2024

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    The gospel according to Peter

    Belinda Liversedge meets Peter Kelly, Mates in Mind’s new head of programme to find out what he thinks about mental health at work, and the message he wants to get out to people.

    By Belinda Liversedge on 09 October 2023

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    Why you should talk about mental health at work

    As World Mental Health Awareness Day (10 October) approaches, it has never been more important that we all work together to eradicate the stigma and silence around mental health in the workplace, and vitally, that we start the conversation.

    By Sarah Meek, Mates in Mind on 05 October 2023

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    Righting wrongs: tackling construction’s suicide epidemic

    Male construction workers in the UK are three times more likely to die by suicide than the national average, but creating an environment where workers feel comfortable talking about mental health and better project planning at the pre-construction stage to reduce time pressures on the workforce can help protect workers’ mental wellbeing.

    By Nicola Hodkinson, Seddon Construction on 02 October 2023

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    Falls top the causes of workplace deaths in 2023

    Forty workers lost their lives falling from height last year, 11 more than the year before that, and an increase of five on the past five-year average (35 deaths). Falls remain the most common cause of workplace death.

    By Belinda Liversedge on 09 August 2023

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    Harnessing technology to enhance fire safety in construction

    Although fire can be a significant hazard during construction work, construction company Avondale Construction is deploying a range of innovative technology to minimise the risk of a blaze.

    By Nick Curran, Avondale Construction on 01 August 2023

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    Construction machinery in London: cutting its contribution to air pollution

    A Low Emission Zone for non-road mobile construction machinery in London is helping to reduce the plant’s contribution to the city’s air pollution – and in May 2023, the project was judged Innovator of the Year at the Fleet Vision International Awards.

    By Andrew Gordon, Cleaner Construction for London on 01 June 2023