Construction Management is the highest circulation construction-based publication serving the UK built environment.
Opinion
Health and safety is changing – and not just in construction
Samantha Mepham, RLB UK
Covid-19 has brought health and safety to the forefront in nearly every walk of life. Flexibility and fluidity will be key, explains Samantha Mepham.
Samantha Mepham
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has brought health
and safety to the forefront of the global stage. From households to schools and
from industries to governments – health and safety will remain a priority as we
go through the covid-19 journey.
The process is going to be gradual and fluid – something
that we will all need to adapt to constantly. Every sector will need to review
their working practices to see how they can do things better – from healthcare
considering how it can gear up for any further peaks, to offices
considering their future commercial viability.
The pandemic made us take a step back and recognise that we
are now looking at our workplaces through a different optic. The health and
wellbeing of our staff is truly at the epicentre.
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From an operational point of view, one dilemma will be how
to balance the financial health of the organisation with the published
government guidelines recommended as best practice to be covid-19 secure. As we
work through the covid-19 alert levels, and restrictions are relaxed, I remain
sceptical that people will rush back as one to shared workplaces, not least
because of potential prosecutions.
Not only do we have to consider how we work safely on site now but we must also consider how we plan and design for the future.
Samantha Mepham
And that is the crux of the matter for the construction industry too. With the announcement that those that cannot work from home should return, and more sites reopening, those operating them will be managing them against an ever-shifting backdrop of guidelines.
None of us fully know the restrictions that will be in place next week, let alone in a year. Not only do we have to consider how we work safely on site now but we must also consider how we plan and design for the future.
How we manage the process going forward will be driven
through collaboration with our colleagues – be they contractors or clients.
There is no doubt that the pandemic has sparked efficiencies and best practice
in health and safety through the adoption of digital innovations and fostering
collaboration. Health and safety will need to remain at the forefront of
building for our future.
Samantha Mepham is a partner, health and safety, at consultant RLB UK
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