Overview of Construction Industries
Construction Projects: United Kingdom
After a lackluster start to the year, Construction staged a better than expected recovery in June, propelling the industry forward in the following months. The recovery suggests that much of the slowdown earlier in the year was more a result of the 鈥淏east of the East鈥� compared to weakness. This weather phenomena, combined with the storm Emma, resulted in the UK鈥檚 worst weather conditions in years, slowing construction dramatically going on into June. The weather was so bad at one point, the Met Office issued a red alert鈥攊t鈥檚 most severe warning, meaning that these conditions are likely to have a dangerous impact. Building continued despite the bad weather, with infrastructure projects and home building leading the way. Industry analysts suggest that home building and big-ticket governmental and commercial construction projects, like the expansion of Heathrow Airport and the High Speed 2 Rail Network, will remain to power the industry into 2019. Some key construction projects during 2018 included:- Angel Meadow (Manchester)
- AKYON London One (London)
- Capital Square (Edinburgh)
- Paddington Cube (London)
- Stevenage Town Center (Hertfordshire)
Construction Projects: Ireland
This country also saw significant developments during 2018. According to a PwC Construction Market Monitor , 71% percent of the respondents said that construction in private housing increased, 53% of respondents said construction in public housing increased, while 44% of respondents said that construction in infrastructure increased. Government investment in roads, hospitals, and communication networks, known as , is good news for the industry, driving it forward into this country in 2019 and beyond.Challenges Faced by the UK/Irish Construction Industry
Construction companies in the UK and Ireland face the same challenges going forward that construction companies in other countries face. They will need to overcome these challenges to survive and thrive going forward. Below are some of the most critical challenges that the industry faces:- Impact of Brexit 鈥� The EU withdrawal is causing considerable uncertainty in the industry. done recently by Gleeds, a property and construction consultancy, showed that concern over the exit has “intensified considerably” as industry firms grow increasingly cautious over the negative consequences of leaving the EU, with four out of five companies expecting鈥攁nd preparing for鈥攁 negative impact.
- Skills shortage 鈥� The hard-hat industries are in the grips of a major skills shortage event. Construction is no exception. The shortage limits possible construction activities, simultaneously increasing labour costs. Some experts say the shortage is at a record level and will get worse in the future. The (CIOB) reports that the industry will require 157, 000 new recruits by 2021 to meet these needs.
- Materials Inflation 鈥� Materials inflation is taking a huge bite out of the UK/Irish construction industries. The price of materials is rising thanks to a fall in the value of sterling. Anything imported from the Eurozone and farther away costs more. Material costs could increase even more depending on the Brexit deal struck with the EU.
- Labour problems 鈥� Several factors are making the UK an unattractive place to work. The fall of sterling, mentioned above, reduces the value of potential earnings for workers. With construction projects increasing throughout different locations in Europe, the UK and Ireland are no longer the “go to” places for construction workers. In a warning given by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), a CEO worries that migrant workers returning home for Christmas might not come back after the holidays.
- Number/Rate of Injuries 鈥� The industry has seen an improvement during recent years in cutting the to construction workers. Nevertheless, construction remains a high-risk industry. As such, it accounts for a high percentage of fatal and more serious injuries. Construction is also a high-risk industry for health injuries, including back problems and upper limbs.
Cutting the Number/Rate of Injuries in Construction
The biggest challenge for many construction companies in the UK and Ireland may just be worksite accidents and injuries. Contractors and temporary workers are the weak links in many UK and Irish company鈥檚 safety programs. Many are self-employed, work for small companies, frequently change jobs, or work away from home. These workers are more prone to accidents and injuries than full-time employees. Increasingly, construction companies continue to turn to technology, like drones, the IoT, and SaaS contractor management software, to protect workers and reduce injuries. For example, the new Access Control app that 皇家华人 recently added to this solution, helps companies reduce the number of injuries and accidents on their sites, cutting compensation costs and boosting profitability. Access Control tightens control over who can access a company’s worksite. It makes check-in check-out faster and easier鈥攂ut only if workers meet all the mandatory requirements. If they fail to do so, for example not completing a required training course, then the app prevents them from logging into the platform and gaining access to the worksite until the worker meets all requirements.