Even though asbestos was a building material of the last century and awareness has been raised of its danger to workers, it still haunts us every day. There are still many schools, office buildings, homes and hospitals that have asbestos within the building and when it becomes damaged it can be a hazard to anyone in the vicinity.
The construction trade creates a unique, multi-teamwork status that's hard to find in other industries. Any building project or renovation will command a vast array of trades to work together as part of a wider team. Construction is one of the only industries where sub-contracting is consistent and necessary; and with this trend comes its own set of benefits and challenges.
The last few years have been a troubling time for all types of industry with so many cutbacks and redundancies. Construction was one of the first trades to be hit at the start of the recession, and as many of us know all too well, the culture of working as a self-employed contractor can mean an unpredictable pattern of work and income, particularly in troubled times.
Gone are the days of the wooden spoon cement mixing method (for most of us anyway) as now we're in the age of the robot. We're already measuring with laser beams for a start. Technology is becoming so advanced that construction work will soon be so easy that we'll wonder how we ever coped before.
Do you feel like you need any of these beauties on your site?
If you're a manager or a business owner you'll have experience of many different types of employees. Leadership is not a skill you can learn and then forget about, it needs constant re-evaluation according to the people you manage.
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) is the national body in the UK for training and qualifications in the engineering construction trade, specifically industrial infrastructure work such as power stations, off shore wind farms, water treatment plants and gas storage facilities. The ECITB is the representative, policy influencer and face of the industry, uniting government concerns with that of employers and working to fulfill their needs in terms of workforce competence and fulfilling demand when it comes to developing knowledge and skillset.
