Did you know that one million people are exposed to hearing-damaging noise at work? If you work in construction, you’re most likely aware that the industry is a noisy business. But did you also know that the sector has the second-highest rate of people developing occupational deafness?

It’s no secret that the construction industry is currently facing an increasingly large skills shortage. The industry has long suffered from a lack of skilled workers, making it more difficult than ever to hit deadlines due to the shrinking talent pool.

Working unsafely at height can lead to serious harm, both to an individual employee and on a reputational level to a company. It is therefore essential that projects are managed as safely as possible. Stephen Allen-Tidy, NASC Health and Safety Advisor, explores further.

As the focus on sustainability intensifies in the wider construction industry, environmental concerns are increasingly on a par with capital costs as a key design driver. In the future, flexibility will be crucial, whether building from scratch or redeveloping existing sites. Chris Stanley of the Concrete Block Association explains more.

Data from the Office of National Statistics published in 2017 revealed the risk of suicide among low-skilled male laborers were three times higher than the national average. Furthermore, a CIOB report revealed 70% of construction employees suffered from stress-related mental health conditions as a direct result of working in the industry. Stuart Russell, Commercial Manager at CPI Euromix, discusses the steps construction companies can take to identify the signs before it’s too late.