Back into the customary rhythm today for the weekly reflection.
As April enters its final week and the days grow longer and warmer, we have been making the most of our time with training, heritage site visits, accident investigation, and team days. Our journey has taken us to London, Berkshire, and Oxford for our client’s heritage and contemporary projects, and closer to home for Building Safety Act awareness training, incident investigation, site compliance inspections, and a client team day.
We have also spent time at our desks, supporting client teams with Construction Design and Management assistance and the development of safe systems of work.
Let’s dive in.
Monday
The week started with Colin delivering our BSA Awareness session and further honing his skills in doing so. Colin brings a depth of knowledge and a different perspective to the course, shaped by his past operational fire service experience.
One of the team caught an early morning train to Berkshire for a heritage compliance inspection. This project presents unique challenges, with origins in the Tudor period and a timber frame construction that requires a tailored temporary works solution. Challenging projects such as this demand that our teams’ knowledge and experience rise to meet the complexity of the work.
Alongside the training and site tour, we were also supporting our client teams in the development of project Safe Systems of Work. We also took a call regarding an incident report enquiry.
Tuesday
We were back on the road for another compliance site tour, this time to a local landmark presenting some unique challenges. These related to works within an operational theatre that needed to remain operational during its dark hours.
We also continued with our customary client support and visited a site to commence an incident investigation. That was not all, as we then headed to a client’s office to discuss the requirements for a new venture they are embarking upon.
Wednesday
An early morning start to Porton Down helped us avoid the busy security queues on entry. Great work from the team was evident as they continued the deconstruction of the unused portacabins.
From Porton Down, we headed to Oxford and Merton Cottage for our monthly compliance tour. A significant milestone has been achieved, with the ashlar stone replacement now complete and the scaffold striking in process, allowing the oriel window works to begin. This brings its own challenges in relation to the temporary works requirements, and the team’s combined experience is essential in developing a safe method of work and ensuring the building’s fabric remains stable throughout.
We were also back in London to carry out a site compliance inspection and begin research for an incident report, as the subject matter was new to the team.
Thursday
Concentration was required as the incident investigation progressed, with witness statements gathered and further consideration given to the sequence of events for the purpose of report development.
We also conducted face-fit training for a bricklaying client, helping ensure the trades are protected if they are exposed to respirable silica dust and other dust hazards. The rest of the day was dedicated to vital administrative tasks, and various team meetings, including a demonstration for a contender for a management system software and potential opportunity to onboard a new client.
Friday
Friday was a mix of desk time developing a temporary works procedure and drafting further risk assessments, together with a team day at the mighty New Forest Fencing & Gates.
Much was achieved with the NFF team, including progress on their Constructionline Gold update, a local site completion tour and inspection, and a review of the development of their management system on Monday.com. This forms part of the gradual transfer from us to their in-house team, supporting the continued development of their business systems.
Closing Thought
This week was a strong reminder that no two days in our line of work are ever quite the same. From heritage buildings and live operational environments to incident investigations, training, and client system development, the common thread was collaboration, diligence, and adaptability.
As ever, progress was built not only on technical knowledge, but on the shared commitment of the teams involved to do things properly, safely, and with purpose.
