What is "Considerate Construction"?
Have you not heard of considerate construction? I just came back from a fantastic vacation to the United Kingdom, and since I’m having trouble getting myself back into real-life/work mode, today’s blog will be a thinly veiled reminiscence of my time abroad so I can feel like I’m still there and not actually sitting here at my desk.
When visiting a place with a culture so similar to our own, you find yourself making comparisons and delighting in the slightest differences. There are the obvious language differences; is it just me or does the British accent and vocabulary make them sound much more sophisticated than us? Nowhere did I notice this more than when I happened to catch a few minutes of their version of Jerry Springer. Remembering individual faucets, one for hot water and one for cold? How about pull switch lights? We all know that they drive on the opposite side of the road, but I hadn’t given much thought to what that meant for me as a pedestrian. I must not be the only one who had difficulty adjusting to this, as they have “Look Left” and “Look Right” painted on the street at every crossing – surely the only reason I’m still alive to write this blog.
The differences were many but there was one similarity that I found interesting. My husband designs and implements safety plans and programs for a general contractor specializing in restoration of large buildings. As we strolled the streets of London, I often found him no longer walking beside me but stopped a few blocks back to ogle a construction site. It appears that as safety in the US has moved to the forefront, regulated by OSHA, it also has in the UK with a similar enforcement organization: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE). In fact, the UK has deepened the meaning of construction safety, adding a dimension that, like their manner of speaking, carries an air of sophistication. It is called “considerate construction”.
All over the city we found scaffolding baring banners proudly stating the company’s commitment to the “Code of Considerate Practice; a promise to the community of awareness of environmental issues, competency, efficiency”, and my personal favorite, “neighbourliness”. Construction can be a difficult beast to manage. Safety risks abound for both laborers and the people walking the streets around the site. It is no wonder many companies, and even the industry in general, can have a bad rep when there is so much risk involved. Having a stellar safety program is no longer enough for some companies to win bids. They need to go a step further and show they are committed to the well-being of the community they are operating in by limiting disruption to the people, the environment, and the overall flow of daily life.
Perhaps we aren’t finished learning from our friends across the pond. Implementing such tactics here in the states could surely mean a boost in marketing and advertising, not to mention a gold star on their application for broader, cheaper insurance coverage. A stronger economy typically means more construction. My job is to help your company look appealing to the insurance marketplace and methods like” considerate construction” will help to give your company a competitive edge both out in the field and in my office. Any questions give me a call or send me an email; 877-352-2121 X285 bkingsbury@clark-mortenson.com
