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Recycling is a key way construction sites should try to minimise their impact on the environment. Sites should try to recycle as much material as possible and work with external partners if necessary. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: Hard hats are mainly made of polypropene and should be replaced for health and safety reasons every…

Construction projects based in a school have a particularly good opportunity to engage with their local community and advance the efforts to improve the image of the industry. See the examples below for how one project achieved this: The site coordinated and worked with the school, subcontractors, suppliers and volunteers from the Woodland Trust. They built a timber learning area…

Safety policies should be reinforced and understood on site so that all personnel are aware of their importance. See the examples below for how one site took this a step further: To emphasise the importance of labelling live and dead electrical services properly, the site staged a mock incident. This involved selecting a time when an electrocution incident was deemed…

Health and safety is a priority on a construction site, factoring in the wellbeing of every operative on site. New technologies can play a vital role in tracking and managing on-site health and safety. See the details below to find out more about a new health and safety app: The Berkeley Innovation Fund awarded £2 million to the development of…

Keeping the community updated on site news and developments is crucial to fostering positive relationships with local residents. Newsletters are the typical format for these updates, but this can prove difficult for partially-sighted people. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: A site engineer developed an audio version of their monthly newsletter. The audio newsletter was created…

Workforce training is crucial in maintaining safety standards on site. Contractors should seek interesting ways to engage operatives and ensure they understand and retain knowledge. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: The project developed 360 degree videos, and safety and environmental scenarios shot on site. The videos can be viewed by operatives on smart phones mounted…

Personal Protective Equipment is necessary on a construction site and all personnel should be able to wear it regardless of their gender or religious background. See the examples below for how one site developed inclusive PPE: Muslim women often commit to dress modestly in Hijab or Burka, which can come into conflict with PPE requirements. A Muslim female employee decided…

Traffic Marshal duties at construction sites tend to focus on the management of HGVs. The Development Impact Team at TfL has surveyed these methods and identified opportunities to enhance activity. As frontline personnel, marshals are in a good position to observe and report potentially unsafe or inefficient activities. These include; poorly managed HGVs or traffic management layouts, bad driver behaviours…

Environmental awareness and carbon reduction is increasingly important when tendering for projects. Contractors must demonstrate a commitment to reducing their carbon footprint. See the examples below for how Laing O’Rourke won National Grid’s first contract with carbon weighting: The contractor implemented a number of modifications to the build design to reduce material use and ensure carbon reduction. At the tender…

The use of new and emerging technology can aid the construction process by helping to visualise the completed works. This technology can therefore be an excellent planning and training tool. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: The contractor uses augmented reality to visualise utilities before excavation begins. Combined with utility information from STATS companies and PAS128…

The environment is a key concern for contractors. Attempts must be made to not just minimise construction’s impact on the environment, but to strive for making a positive contribution to the environment. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: The contractor is committed to reducing operational emissions intensity by 10% and becoming carbon positive. The site therefore…

It is important that the construction workforce have a sound understanding of environmental issues. Communicating this information in an engaging and enjoyable way will ensure the knowledge is retained. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: The site purchased a set of six interactive games covering areas such as personal carbon footprint, water saving and minimising waste….

Communicating project information to the community is essential to fostering a positive relationship with the public and keeping them updated on progress. However, on some sites – such as highway schemes – it can be hard to get this information across. See the examples below for how one site addressed this: The site used traditional communication channels such as Facebook,…

JRL Group Ltd have devised a piece of equipment known as the Grout Pump Truck. The Grout Pump Truck is a self-contained system which replaces multiple site grouting activities. This mitigates environmental impacts, namely dust and waste pollution, while also having a positive influence on safety and quality. Environmental Benefits Reduction in dust generated as hand mixing does not take place…