Residential Fire Protection Ltd explores the difference between some common fire safety myths and facts and how a sprinkler system can substantially reduce the risk of property damage and injury Myth: Fire Sprinkler Systems cause water damage by accidental activation Fact: The odds of an accidental discharge are around 1 in 16 million Myth: In the event of a fire, all sprinkler heads activate Fact: Only the sprinkler head(s) in the immediate vicinity of the fire activate Myth: A smoke detector provides adequate protection from fire Fact: Smoke detectors can save lives via a warning system, bu ..read more

New data from the Health and Safety Executive has found that there has been a 70% rise in the number of construction deaths since the pandemic Construction deaths in 2023/24 were over twice as many as the second most affected industry, with agriculture, forestry and mining suffering 23 fatalities. 51 construction workers died following accidents during the year to March 31 2024, increasing from the 2022/23 total of 47 and the five year average of 42. The HSE data is drawn from fatalities resulting from work-related accidents in 2023/24 that were reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Dise ..read more

More than 6.5m people could still be living in dangerous homes by the end of next parliament, despite manifesto pledges to tackle the poor quality housing, say Safe Homes Now campaigners Both the Conservatives and Labour have committed to investing a minimum of £6bn in the next parliament in upgrading England’s homes. However, Centre for Ageing Better analysis has found that this funding could not repair all homes with poor energy efficiency to a high standard. The analysis revealed that the manifestos offer an inadequate solution to those who live in dangerous homes for reasons other than bei ..read more

According to a new survey, depression, fatigue, and burnout were found to have the greatest negative impact on construction productivity in the UK The survey, Britain’s Healthiest Workplace, found that 6% of construction workers suffer from depression, and 13% have experienced burnout. UK construction productivity is also affected by fatigue, with 44% of the workforce reporting feeling ‘fatigued’ or ‘very tired’ at least once per week. Causes of fatigue among construction workers The primary causes of employee fatigue in the construction industry are insufficient restorative sleep and excessiv ..read more

1.5m construction workers in the UK have worked in a dangerous environment whilst suffering from poor mental health, with nearly 700,000 suffering injuries because of it Business insurer QBE has found that around half of all UK construction workers have worked in dangerous environments whilst suffering with poor mental health. On behalf of QBE, Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 362 UK construction workers aged 18+ from 24 April to 2 May 2024. Three quarters of UK construction workers with poor mental health said at some point they continued to work in a dangerous situation ..read more

New research from the Centre for Ageing Better has found that the NHS could save nearly £600m annually by fixing dangerous homes where the head of the household is aged 55 or older According to the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, based at the London School of Economics and Political Science, formal care costs for older people could be reduced by £1.1bn a year by 2027 by eliminating the most serious risks in Britain’s poorest-quality homes. Removing just three common health hazards from homes, bad condensation, excess cold, and rising dampness would lower social care costs considerably. If t ..read more

Experts and companies from various industries discussed challenges, benefits, and innovative solutions in worker safety at the recent Health & Safety Event, held at the NEC in Birmingham from Tuesday 29th April to Thursday 1st May With five main stages at the Health & Safety Event – The Keynote Theatre, Practical Safety Theatre, The Knowledge Exchange, Driver Safety Zone and Lone Worker Safety Live – a wide variety of topics were discussed, including training needed, AI integration, safety, event management, and inclusivity. These talks emphasised the importance of technological advanc ..read more

Episode 8 of Re-flow: The Conversation features Mark Haysman (managing director) and Jamie Lange (operations and fleet manager) of TMO Highways, discussing mental health, suicide prevention and employee wellbeing Episode 8 of Re-flow’s big-infrastructure analysing podcast The Conversation provides a resource as interesting to members of the workforce as it really should be to members of the public. Topics like incursions, worker mental health, suicide prevention, and employee wellbeing deserve to be part of the national conversation. After all, Highways, like other areas of big infrastructure ..read more

Peter Kay, Olivia Rodrigo and the Black Keys have all cancelled gigs after power and safety issues at BAM’s £365m Co-op Live Arena The Co-op Live Arena has faced numerous stumbles and abortive launches. Originally due to be opened by comedian Peter Kay last week, his shows were postponed to late May 2024 after the completion of the power supply to the fully electric sustainable venue was “a few days behind.” Designed by @populous, Co-op Live is poised to become the UK’s largest and most sustainable arena! Together with the addition of a 9,200-maximum capacity standing floor, this unique ..read more

Storms, icy weather, floods and extreme heat caused significant disruption to work, according to construction workers surveyed ahead of World Day for Safety and Health at Work Extreme and unpredictable weather is the top cause of disruptions at work, frontline construction workers have said in a survey by SafetyCulture. Four of the top five disruptions to UK construction workers in the last 12 months are weather-related, with travel disruption on the roads, heat, icy weather, and floods also being identified. The findings come ahead of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on Sunday 28th ..read more