Author Archives: Nicola Harley

Most ─ but not all ─ construction roles remain on an initial list of key occupations that allow professionals to move to the UK, as the sector is considered crucial to delivering government ambitions. However, rail and rolling stock builders and repairers, and toolmakers, were eligible occupations under the previous…

A London contractor has been given a suspended prison sentence after he ignored official warnings and put lives at risk, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE ordered Mohammed Mehdi Ali to stop working at a construction site in Willesden on 7 September 2018 after inspectors found…

Dozens of tier one contractors are backing former England footballer Trevor Steven in his bid to tackle mental health in the construction sector. Since launching a new mental health charter to address suicide rates and psychological ill-health in the industry last month, more than 50 firms have come forward to…

More than 1,000 claims have been made over the past six months to Scotland’s Cladding Remediation Programme (CRP), it has emerged. The scheme was launched to protect homeowners and residents by addressing the risks to life and other impacts associated with unsafe external wall cladding systems, following the Grenfell Tower tragedy…

London-based construction labour supplier Danny Sullivan’s latest accounts show its pre-tax profit has slumped by more than two thirds. In its latest accounts for the 17 months to 31 December 2024, the firm’s profit dropped to £3.7m, from £11.4m in the year ending 31 July 2023. In July ─ after…

An investigation has been launched after a construction worker was injured by a road resurfacing roller in an industrial accident. The man was working for Doncaster-based DBS Construction Ltd on 3 October when he was injured during road repairs, according to Doncaster Council. A member of the public raised the…

New proposals by the EU to increase out-of-quota steel tariffs could “seriously” impact the UK construction industry and could delay major projects, experts have warned. UK Steel described the move as “an existential threat” and said it was one of the “biggest crises” to hit the industry. The proposal set…

Civils firm Colas has attributed a drop in turnover to its move away from regional business units, adding that “unpaid claims” contributed to a third successive annual pre-tax loss. In its latest accounts ending 31 December 2024, the firm saw its turnover fall by 4 per cent from £267.6m to…

The number of administrations in September has soared, equalling February’s peak of 32 and bringing this year’s total so far to more than 200. One analyst said the higher tempo of business failures ─ a third higher than the 21 recorded by Creditsafe in August ─ marked a “worrying milestone”.…

An inquest has found that staff errors and unsafe practices led to the deaths of three men when a crane collapsed. Rhys Barker, 18, David Newall, 36, and David Webb, 43, died following the incident at a building site in Crewe, Cheshire, on 21 June 2017. The men were employed…