6
Fully fitted
4
Simple building
6
Shell & core
6
Shell only
Minimum standards
To recognise and encourage construction sites which are managed in an environmentally and socially considerate, responsible and accountable manner.
Value
- Prevent risks and liabilities arising from pollution to the surrounding areas during construction activities.
- Improve the safety of vehicle deliveries to and around a site.
- Improve on-site and off-site health and safety, including road safety.
- Improve project efficiency and understanding of construction performance through continuous construction progress monitoring.
- Improve understanding of construction impacts and resources helping to enhance resource efficiency on current and future projects.
Context
Adoption of more responsible construction practices can lead to a wide range of environmental, social and financial benefits.
Building construction activities create many local ground, water and air quality pollution risks affecting workers on site as well as others in the surrounding area. These can lead to significant liabilities on contractors and their clients. Preventing pollution during construction is hence a major priority.
The health and safety of the site operatives is a major concern within the construction sector. Within the UK construction sector, 43 workers were fatally injured in 2015/16 and 66,000 non-fatal workplace injuries were reported. Mental health is also a major cause of sickness and lost productivity in the construction sector with a CIOB survey indicating almost a third of respondents felt that stress at work was impacting on their health and wellbeing. In addition to the human cost of unaddressed mental health issues, there is also a financial one; absences due to sickness costing British businesses £26bn a year in lost productivity. Construction also impacts on health and safety off site: approximately 19% of cyclist and 15% of pedestrian fatalities in the UK1 involve large goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, many of which are related to construction traffic.
Monitoring health and safety procedures, resources, construction progress and site conditions is valuable in informing construction practices and maximising project performance.