British Safety Council will hold its 15th Annual Conference on 14 October, with a theme of ‘Workplace Health, Safety and Wellbeing in an AI-enabled World’. The conference, sponsored by National Highways’ Driving for Better Business campaign, includes sessions with experts, thought leaders, and innovators shaping the future of workplace health, safety, and wellbeing in an era defined by artificial intelligence (AI). These include speakers from the Health and Safety Executive, BSI, Institute for Employment Studies, Microsoft, HandsHQ, Pinsent Masons and Ward Hadaway LLP, as well as the Universities of Surrey and East London. Chaired by Steve Ward, British Safety Council’s IT Director, the full-day event will be held online and is free to attend. Highlights will include discussions and presentations on emerging risks, threats and opportunities that artificial intelligence presents when managing people’s psychosocial safety at work, how best to manage these and what health and safety professionals need to know when planning, implementing and managing the technology. Conference delegates will explore the importance of upskilling and training people to ensure they can make the most of new and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and how best to do this, as well as hear about latest legal developments around artificial intelligence, technology and look at the future direction of travel for the law on AI and health, safety and wellbeing at work. The full line-up of speakers and presentations can be found here. Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of British Safety Council, said: “We are excited to be holding our Annual Conference online, and making it a free event once again. With this year’s theme of workplace health, safety and wellbeing in an AI-enabled world, we will explore the critical intersections between technology and human-centred workplace practices, and focus on culture, leadership, legal frameworks, and future readiness. “Join us on 14 October for strategic insights, practical tools, and a collaborative space for preparing workplaces to thrive in the age of AI.” Attendees to this free event will gain insight into how AI is reshaping risk, roles, and responsibilities, from automation to ethical AI use in workplace health and safety. They will explore how organisational culture can support psychological safety, inclusion, and human connection amid digital transformation, gain knowledge and strategies to anticipate emerging challenges and harness the benefits of AI responsibly and hear from influential leaders on how to guide teams with empathy and clarity in a rapidly changing landscape. The full agenda and link to register for free is here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Accidents remain one of the UK’s most preventable tragedies, yet thousands of lives are lost every year, with tens of thousands of people suffering from serious injuries due to a lack of coherent national action. Just last month, the government released statistics on workplace safety and fatalities in the workplace. The report revealed that there were 124 deaths in the workplace between March 2024-2025. Steve Terry, Managing Director of Astutis, one of the UK’s leading workplace health and safety training providers, urges the government to appoint a dedicated minister for accidental prevention and adopt a cross-departmental strategy. This call comes after the recent House of Lords debate on RoSPA’s (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) National Accident Prevention Strategy proposal for an accident prevention minister, which failed to go through. While ministers acknowledged the scale of the problem, the idea of a dedicated leader was rejected, and instead, they chose to maintain a piecemeal system thinly spread across multiple departments. Steve Terry comments: “This is a hugely missed opportunity, and a dangerous one. Accident prevention cuts across health, construction, transport, housing, education and more. Without clear leadership at the Cabinet level, lives will continue to be lost and families will continue to lose loved ones. Prevention shouldn’t just be an option; it’s a national imperative.” RoSPA’s recent report Safer Lives, Stronger Nation exposed the lack of strategic focus within government, highlighting how responsibility for accident prevention is diluted across agencies, leading to gaps, duplication, and wasted opportunities.  Over 20.00 lives are lost annually due to accidents in the UK, and this figure has risen over 40% in a decade. Not only that, accidents cost the NHS millions of bed days and almost £6 billion. Steve Terry also comments:  “The report identifies a critical issue. Accident prevention efforts are fragmented, spread unevenly across numerous government departments and agencies, none of which have clear ownership or the authority to set a unified direction.  This fragmentation inevitably results in patchy policies, gaps in action, duplication of effort, and ultimately, missed opportunities to save lives.” The Health and Safety Executive’s 10-year strategy shows progress is possible when coordination exists, but without overarching leadership, these successes remain limited. Terry added: “The human, social and economic costs of accidents run into billions every year. Beyond the numbers are devastated families and lost potential. By failing to appoint a minister and publish a national strategy, the government is effectively choosing to let preventable accidents continue. That is not acceptable.” Astutis has also released a 2025 Learner Report to showcase findings in workplace health and safety. One of the key stats that the report revealed is that 50% of employees were skipping essential HSE training due to time constraints. For the full report, you can download it here: https://www.astutis.com/astutis-hub/news/learner-report-2025 Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Construction and civil engineering specialist McLaughlin & Harvey has launched its 2025 YouMatter Health and Wellbeing Roadshow.   Starting in Cambridge and ending in Belfast, this year’s new branded bus will visit 19 different sites across the UK throughout August and September, bringing vital health and wellbeing checks to employees, subcontractors and clients.   The inclusive, industry-leading initiative enables participants to access a range of health and wellbeing services, including blood pressure, diabetes, BMI and cholesterol checks, stress-relieving massage, mental health support, appointments with a nurse and healthy eating and lifestyle advice.   Launched in response to the barriers on-site workers may face when it comes to accessing healthcare appointments away from home, the Health and Wellbeing Roadshow allows individuals to get a measure of their health and detect any issues before they become too serious.   Participants can also find out if certain lifestyle choices are putting them at higher risk of ill-health, encouraging them to think about small changes that can make a huge difference.   With the roadshow taking place each summer, those who have previously received a health check can compare their results and track progress.   Alistair Lambe, Group SHEQ Director at McLaughlin & Harvey, said: “We’re pleased to be back on the road again, bringing health and wellbeing services to colleagues, clients and contractors across our sites spanning the UK.   “At McLaughlin & Harvey, we recognise the barriers construction workers can face to accessing health checks, as well as the hesitancy people may feel when it comes to speaking up about healthcare concerns. The Health and Wellbeing Roadshow was born out of addressing these barriers, providing an informal, real-time opportunity to speak to a professional and access information which can help people live healthier, happier lives. We have even had instances over the years where lives have been saved by healthcare practitioners onboard the bus, and the checks provided, highlighting issues that require urgent attention.   “We understand that people’s welfare is our greatest strength, and this extends beyond just our own employees, to our supply chain as well. Raising awareness of and supporting good mental and physical wellbeing is one of our top priorities, so we encourage everyone to ‘Get on Board’ and take the opportunity to prioritise their health.”  During the 2024 roadshow, occupational health practitioners met with 707 people at sites across the UK, resulting in 104 referrals. The Health Check Point equipment onboard the bus was used by 819 participants to calculate body composition, including blood pressure and muscle mass.   McLaughlin & Harvey is hoping 2025 will see the highest uptake yet, with the contractor set to celebrate 20 years since the initiative began next year. Throughout the tour, McLaughlin & Harvey will also be raising money for the Lighthouse Charity, donating £1 for every kilometre walked on the treadmill. The Health and Wellbeing Roadshow forms part of McLaughlin & Harvey’s wider YouMatter progamme, which aims to raise the profile of health and safety within the business and wider supply chain.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Colleagues from Beard Construction’s offices across the South of England have planted more than 130 trees at a woodland near Bristol. At the 194-acre Wrington Warren site owned by the company, more than 70 employees from the firm’s offices in Bristol, Swindon, Guildford, Oxford, and Southampton came together to plant saplings, marking the completion of the first phase of a long-term woodland management plan, during which 12,000 new trees were planted. Under the guidance of a forestry expert, colleagues planted native species and learned about the woodland management activities taking place during a guided tour, before coming together to enjoy a hog roast lunch. Purchased in 2022, Beard invested in the woodland to help reduce its environmental footprint through carbon sequestration, as trees store twice as much carbon as they emit. Neil Sherreard, deputy chairman at Beard, said: “Beard’s investment in UK forestry demonstrates our commitment to reducing our environmental impact over the long-term. Beyond the carbon capture, we recognise the wellbeing benefits of being in nature and bringing regional teams together outside of normal working environments. “World Mental Health Week is the perfect time to have done this and an excellent way to mark the end of this phase of woodland management at Wrington Warren.” Delivering community value This initiative comes as Beard celebrates generating £8.5 million in social value for local communities in 2024 through on- and off-site initiatives. Eleven construction projects completed in 2024 delivered £8.5 million in social and economic value, averaging 24 percent of contract value. Additionally, 33 live projects contributed nearly £200,000. Beard’s central teams, including finance, IT, HR and communications roles, unlocked a further £16,700 in community impact. The company began recording its community impact in January 2024, promoting Paula Baleson to social value manager and developing a tailored framework. Four regional coordinators have been promoted throughout the year from within the company and earlier this month environmental studies graduate Hannah Phillips was appointed as Swindon’s social value coordinator, completing the social value team with a dedicated person in each region. Beard also raised £100,000 for charities and good causes in 2024, including match funding from the Beard Charitable Foundation, putting the firm well on track to meet its charitable goals. Paula Baleson, social value manager, said: “Beard has always been a company with a social conscience but 2024 marked the first year that we formalised and began measuring our efforts. Since establishing our social value team and introducing our tailored framework, colleagues across our regions have really stepped up. “I’m proud of what we have achieved and, with many exciting initiatives being planned, we are looking forward to building on our commitment to communities even further.” For more information about Beard’s approach to social value, visit www.beardconstruction.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

South Dock Marina in Southwark is set for a major £8 million overhaul aimed at improving health and safety across the site, following the recent approval of a redevelopment plan. Led by Southwark Council, the upgrade programme has been granted planning permission, pending further consultation with local businesses to finalise details around relocation and affordable workspace provision. Located on the south bank of the Thames, South Dock Marina hosts more than 200 berths and serves as a key hub for the borough’s marine and local economy. The site has already seen incremental upgrades over the past decade, with preparations for this latest round of structural improvements now underway. A public consultation on the proposed design was carried out in 2023. Feedback from local stakeholders informed a revised plan that has now been approved by the Council’s planning committee. The redevelopment will focus on reorganising the boatyard to create safer and more efficient workflows. Privately-owned containers and outdated structures will be replaced with purpose-built workshops and boat sheds that meet modern standards for fire safety, energy efficiency, and thermal performance. Priority for new leases will be given to existing boatyard businesses. Key elements of the health and safety upgrade include: Additionally, the Council will replace the marina’s nearly 40-year-old crane with a new model, which will be installed slightly south of its current position on new foundations. Under the revised tenancy model, the Council will continue to manage business units on site. Existing boatyard businesses will be offered discounted rents, transitioning to market rates over time. Maritime-focused businesses will be eligible for long-term discounted leases to promote the marina’s role as a maritime centre of excellence. With planning consent secured, construction is expected to begin later this year. Initial work will focus on surveys, site clearance, and installation of underground services. Above-ground construction of the new facilities is scheduled to commence early next year. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

The programme, from Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland and Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), is scheduled to launch Autumn 2025 Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland have joined forces with Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) to create a new suicide prevention training programme tailored to the Scottish construction industry. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is backing the bespoke training and resource programme, currently scheduled to launch Autumn 2025, with £239,000 in funding from its Industry Impact Fund. The programme will be designed specifically for the unique pressures faced by construction workers, aiming to equip companies and individuals with the tools necessary to identify colleagues facing mental health challenges and provide meaningful support. It will be available to individuals and companies across Scotland, ensuring the whole industry has access to help. The programme will be designed specifically for the unique pressures faced by construction workers, aiming to equip companies and individuals with the tools necessary to identify colleagues facing mental health problems and thoughts of suicide, and provide meaningful support and suicide interventions. It will be available to individuals and companies across Scotland, ensuring the whole industry has access to help.   Since 2020, CITB has supported nearly 52,000 people to complete mental health first aid and awareness training through its short courses and is vocal about the need for greater access to mental health support in the construction industry. Vanessa Freeman, CITB Head of Grant & Funding Products, said: “We’re proud to be supporting such an important initiative for the Scottish construction sector. We believe the programme will play a vital role in tackling mental health challenges in the construction industry and wish everyone involved every success in the developmental phase of this programme and its resources. “Too often people in construction feel like they can’t talk about their mental health issues, and it’s imperative we improve the poor understanding of mental health in the industry.” CITB’s Industry Impact Fund launched in April 2023 and is the first fund of its kind. It gives employers the power to design and develop training solutions that don’t already exist – ensuring they are scalable, sustainable and make a lasting impact. Find out more about CITB’s Industry Impact Fund, and how to apply, on the CITB website. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals