Corporate social responsibility in construction is something that needs to be taken seriously. While CSR strategies aren’t a legal requirement for DHMS Civils, they make a lot of business sense and can ultimately make a contribution to our pursuit of legal compliance and risk management.
Our construction projects have the potential to negatively impact people’s mental and physical health on both a long-term and short-term basis.
In the short term, projects can disrupt people’s everyday lives with noisy operations, disruptions to utility services and the need for access to be restricted — causing diversions, for example.
In the Long term, the building of new structures, homes or complexes can have a huge impact on people’s lives. Buildings have the power to improve people’s quality of life and wellbeing, but that means they also have the potential to have the opposite effect.
As well as considering how construction projects can impact local people and communities, there are also construction workers to consider. The construction industry is one of the largest sectors in the world — employing approximately 7% of the global workforce — meaning there are millions of people who could be affected by the working conditions of construction projects. Competitive pricing in the industry can lead to business owners pushing for longer working hours and cutting wages, and the very nature of construction work means workers may be at a higher risk of injury and ill-health unless the right steps are taken.
As a business, we embrace the fact that we have a moral and legal obligation to ensure any negative impacts on our people are kept to a minimum. Plus, if our business was to have a profound negative impact on any group of people, we accept that this could have serious consequences for our reputation. It may also result in legal action against our business resulting in fines.
How we look to Improve our Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy
There’s no one way to improve corporate social responsibility in construction. There are several different methods and strategies we use. Our CSR strategy depends on our business operations and our current impact. Here are some examples of the steps we take to effectively improve our approach, minimise negative impacts and where possible have a positive impact.
Improve Equality and Diversity
We accept that equality and diversity improves our business by having a positive impact on workers and local communities. We create opportunities for minority and underrepresented groups and create a workforce that’s free from prejudice and discrimination. It's our intention to become a more diverse organisation that is a fair employer.
We Position CSR at the Heart of our Company Culture
For CSR strategies to be effective, they should be integrated into all of our business’s policies and procedures. Employees on all levels are made aware of our social responsibility efforts so that they can support our endeavours. It is also important that we establish a zero-tolerance stance against corruption and bribery.
We position CSR at the heart of our company culture to make it a whole-company effort.
Reduction in our Carbon Footprint
Construction makes a significant contribution to the release of greenhouse gases, such as Carbon Dioxide, which cause climate change. Over 40% of the UK’s carbon footprint is related to the built environment through manufacturing, construction, operation and maintenance. Carbon dioxide is also created through the decomposition of waste created by construction.
By sourcing materials which have been manufactured using lower impact materials, and that have better performance in use, the overall carbon footprint of a project can be reduced. We are constantly searching for ways of working more efficiently and using less energy from fossil fuels to help even more. The recent announcement of the Government’s ten-point plan to achieve net-zero emissions in the UK is also looking to drive the creation of more sustainable construction. This particularly focuses on buildings, by creating greener new buildings and retrofitting existing ones with more energy-efficient technology.
Reduce Waste in Construction Projects
Waste disposal can have a major effect on local communities, and our construction projects can involve the disposal of huge amounts of waste. When disposed of near local communities, waste can cause health problems, air pollution, groundwater pollution, and it can attract pests such as rats. Waste disposal sites also decrease the aesthetic appeal of areas and can impact property prices. Appropriate disposal management can assist these issues by reducing or even eliminating them entirely, but there are additional hazards to consider in the issue of construction waste reduction and management.
Where possible, we actively reduce waste in our construction projects. This limits our contribution to the negative social impact of waste disposal. Designing out waste from the planning stage benefits both our company, our partners, stakeholders and the environment by reducing excess resource materials. We recycle waste materials (where possible) so that they don’t end up in landfills, making sure we follow waste disposal guidelines, and always use official waste disposal sites.
Support Local Communities
Strong design and construction of good community spaces can revolutionise our development in several ways. Investing in the local area in ways that will positively affect the wellbeing of local users and residents stands us in good stead within the community. By supporting and engaging in community programmes — such as education programmes or housing initiatives — we can improve our social impact. Investing in Corporate Social Responsibility like lighting in community spaces, cycle lanes and other shared initiatives not only benefit the local community but also provide excellent PR opportunities for the application of our CSR initiatives.
Implement Responsible Sourcing
As well as improving the corporate social responsibility of our own business, we also implement responsible sourcing practices to improve the CSR of our whole supply chain. Our approved supplier procedure for onboarding partners, ensures appropriate application of modern slavery practices and we also insist on opting for suppliers who share our commitment to minimising social and environmental impact and prioritising supply chain sustainability.
Improve Conditions for Workers (And Offer Benefits)
Finally we make sure our workers are paid the national living wage and offer benefits like flexible working opportunities, subsidised transport and training programmes. By improving the working conditions our business offers and providing fair employment and treatment of our employees, to increase our social responsibility.
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