Why the housebuilding industry must balance getting back to work with safety
July 08, 2020With more than 86% of construction sites now estimated to have reopened in England and Wales, RSK Director Erika Taylor has told Housebuilder & Developer that the housebuilding industry must prioritise safety as it takes the first steps out of lockdown.
Erika said: โWith more housebuilders planning their return to work and the housing market beginning to be re-energised, the priority for construction companies must now be to balance the safety of their employees and customers with restarting operations.
โThe government has published rules to help businesses to operate safely during the coronavirus crisis. So, as housebuilders restart, they need to be seen to be sticking to the guidance, although this will not be easy on a construction site.โ
Major housebuilders in the UK have indeed announced their plans to restart operations and re-open show homes and sales offices as restrictions in the UK are lifted. The recently-published guidance outlines what they need to do to ensure that workplaces are properly sanitised before reopening, and RSK has been on hand to help by providing COVID-19 decontamination services as the industry gets ready to restart.
โRSK has just worked with Avant Homes, which operates 52 construction sites across the Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland, to step up protection for employees and customers as their operations begin to restart,โ Erika explained. โOur specialist teams provided cleaning, decontamination and protection services for their construction sites, including portacabins, offices, canteens, meeting rooms, storage and drying rooms, welfare facilities and equipment such as forklifts. Avant Homes understood the potential risk and urgency, setting tight timescales to ensure that their sites were safe for their workforce. Show homes and sales units were also decontaminated.โ

RSK has provided COVID-19 decontamination services for Avant Homes, which operates 52 construction sites across the Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland
Unlike conventional deep-cleaning practices, RSKโs coronavirus decontamination and protection service utilises novel sanitising products that not only destroy pathogens on contact, but also protect surfaces from coronavirus for up to 30 days post-treatment.
โGood practice like this will give workforces and prospective buyers reassurance but, perhaps more importantly, will restore confidence to the housebuilding industry at a crucial time,โ Erika concludes.
You can read Erikaโs article in full on Housebuilder & Developer. More information on RSKโs COVID-19 decontamination services for Avant Homes can be found in our new case study.
If your office, facility, worksite, vehicles, plant or equipment require decontamination or sanitisation over and above usual cleaning practices, RSK can provide a professional decontamination service and lasting protection for up to 30 days throughout the UK and Ireland. Visit our dedicated Decontamination for COVID-19 service page for more information.
๐ณ๏ธโ๐ RSK is proud to stand alongside members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community.
๐ People deserve to be their authentic selves and love freely without fear.
You can read Graeme and Abigail's full stories next week in RSK insights. Keep an eye on our social media for more information.
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๐ธ #selfiesonsite ๐คณ
Ryan Dunderdale, Senior Surveyor at Central Alliance, providing technical support and on-site training to datum plate install teams down in Bristol.
Want to join our team? View our latest opportunities ๐ www.rskgroup.com/careers
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๐ In the June edition of our #employeespotlight, we spoke with with Rosie Pearce at Stephenson Halliday and Carmen Snowdon at WRc Group to find out about their recent achievements ๐
๐ Congratulations to you both!
Click the link in our bio to find out more!
#rskfamily #employeeapprecitation #team #landscapeinstitute #instituteofwater #architecture
"If you donโt feel valued, represented and respected in your workplace, then inevitably your #wellbeing will suffer.โ
๐ In our latest edition of #ADayInTheLife, we spoke with Ellen Lapworth-Maisey, Wellbeing, #Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at RSK โ a fascinating position that helps to create an inclusive and empowering #culture for all RSK staff.
Click the link in bio to learn more!
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Some pictures of the Envireau Water staff on site.
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๐ถ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐
#RSKSteps came to an end on Tuesday 31 May after a month of stepping adventures.
๐๐ป ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐:
โ๏ธ1449 participants
โ๏ธ332,268,416 steps
โ๏ธยฃ1500 raised for our chosen charity, MIND!
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#RSKEvents
๐ Join Dirk Van Look and Chris Hughes on our webinar all about #PFAS โ perfluoroalkyl substances, which are both human-made and known to be harmful to humans.
๐ก We will showcase real-life examples to demonstrate how RSK is responding and developing capabilities to assess these emerging #contaminants.
Find out more and register now in our bio!
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๐ In light of #PrideMonth, we are sharing information about how to become a better ally. #Pride offers a sense of solidarity and a platform for expression.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming posts!
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๐ข RSK is pleased to announce it has further expanded its presence in Ireland by acquiring one of the most reputable tree care companies in the country.
๐ณ Dermot Casey Tree Care was founded in the 1970s by Managing Director Dermot Casey and is one of the most highly regarded tree surgery companies in Ireland, with more than 50 years of experience.
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