The Blog

Whole article with thanks to https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/fines-escalate-for-health-safety-violations Chris Newton, a partner in law firm Keoghs’ crime and regulatory practice, reviews the impact of the new sentencing guidelines on the construction industry. Figures from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) show that fines for health and safety offences have increased by almost 450% since the introduction in February 2016 of new sentencing … Read More

Full article taken from and with thanks to The Construction Index.co.uk Phil Bishop unwraps some of the latest battery-powered offerings and looks at some emerging low-carbon power options. It is now UK government policy that all new cars and vans will be effectively zero-emission by 2040. Obituaries of the internal combustion engine can now be prepared. We are witnessing the … Read More

We often get asked who needs a temporary works coordinator, what their responsibilities should be and what training they need to have to fulfil the role. Let’s start with ‘what are temporary works’ The HSE states that Temporary works (TW) are the parts of a construction project that are needed to enable the permanent works to be built. Usually the … Read More

Noise breaches up 25% on construction sites, report says The Building Safety Group (BSG) has reported a 25% increase in the number of noise infringements occurring on construction sites. Some 17,000 people in the UK suffer deafness, ringing in the ears or other ear conditions caused by excessive noise at work. Exposure to high noise infringements can cause permanent hearing … Read More

Construction site workers “risk lives” as they snub evacuation alarms High-rise construction site workers aren’t treating evacuation alarms seriously enough and are “risking their lives” by not responding immediately, new research reveals. Rather than head straight for the emergency exit, a third of high-rise construction site workers who took part in evacuation trials spent more than a minute finishing a … Read More

Is it too hot to work? Read our short guide on temperature in the workplace and health and safety law. This page tells you about the risks of overheating when working in hot conditions and gives practical guidance on how to avoid it. It does not address issues of thermal comfort in the workplace. In many jobs heat stress is … Read More

In terms of the training you receive, there isn’t a huge amount of difference between the two certifications.  Once NPORS changed the way their scheme worked a few years back to bring it more in line with what CPCS offer there became even less difference. Both schemes offer a red card and then blue card that are achieved by passing … Read More

There are to be no more exemptions: if you need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card, you have to sit the touchscreen health & safety test first. No ifs, no buts. Until now, any applicant that had achieved a national or Scottish vocation qualification (NVQ/SVQ) within the last two years was exempt from sitting the Construction Industry Training Board’s … Read More