Action on Site Health: Environmental Edition - Highlights

At RVT Group, we believe that protecting the environment is just as important as protecting people. On the 19th November 2024, environmental professionals from the construction industry gathered at Whittlebury Hall Hotel, Northampton, for the very first Action on Site Health: Environmental Edition. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of protecting environmental health on site and the importance of sustainability by discussing environmental monitoring, water treatment, strategic planning and much more. The day included ample networking opportunities, interactive activities and inspiring presentations. As such, we assembled a fantastic line up of industry speakers who are leading the charge on sustainability and environmental protection within the construction industry. The speakers were as follows:

• Graham Edgell (Group Director of Procurement and Sustainability, Morgan Sindall Group) - Graham discussed how the Morgan Sindall Group is working towards their sustainable development goals and commitments, and how they are aiming to "future proof" the environment in and around the sites they work on. This includes the creation of reuse supply chains, dedicated waste desks and ensuring the measurement of changes and setting of targets.

• Stuart Gibbs (Infrastructure Environmental Manager, Murphy Group) - Stuart offered an insight into Murphy Group's sustainability strategy which includes the investment of £75m in green plant, reducing Co2 emissions by 50%, sending zero waste to landfill and planting 5,000 trees per year. He also addressed Murphy's "road to net zero" strategy and discussed the other aspects of environmental pollution on working sites, including site run off and excessive noise. He also stressed the importance of educating work forces to encourage a more environmentally conscious culture within the industry.

• Hannah Leggatt (Head of E&S Delivery, Clancy Group) - Hannah shared a selection of Clancy's 2024/25 environmental, sustainability and social initiatives, which included great wins such as the carbon tracking of specified materials for all projects, 76% of concrete used on Clancy projects was low carbon, and 96% of CBS was substituted for crushed limestone. Hannah also shared how Clancy had worked towards these wins and encouraged people in the room to ensure that they communicate with each other within the industry. She stressed the value of a hive mind, suggesting that a lot of us may already be doing the same things to ensure the environment is protected, but highlighting our efforts will be much more effective if we work together.

• Martin Belcher (4PS) - Martin shared how 4PS work within the construction industry and the role that theirs and similar emerging technology plays in keeping construction works sustainable when faced with common roadblocks, such as added costs, lack of technical know-how and a culture of resistance to change on site.

• Jo Bradley (Director of Operations UK, Stormwater Shepherds) - Jo delivered a detailed assessment of run off from construction sites, emphasising the importance of having a plan in place before adverse weather conditions impact your project, and the reduction of the amount of run off created on site in the first place. Jo explained various methods of water treatment and their efficiency, from ineffective straw bales to highly effective lamella tank systems. She also reiterated the importance of planning during early project stages and choosing the best water treatment solutions first time around to avoid irreparable environmental damage, as well as hefty fines and potential legal ramifications.

• Daniel Adeoye (Principal Technical Consultant, RVT Group) - Daniel focused on the importance of water treatment on site, highlighting that we not only have legal obligations within the industry to treat water correctly, but ethical obligations to protect this precious resource and the environment as well. He demonstrated his expert technical knowledge, taking the attendees through the water treatment process when using lamella tank systems and discussed the most effective compliant solutions currently available on the market, including RVT Group’s EnviroHub® Water Treatment range.

Despite the adverse weather conditions, it was a fantastic event with plenty of professionals braving the snow to attend.

You can keep up to date with future Action on Site Health events here.