The report, commissioned alongside Balfour Beatty, Kier, Mace, Morgan Sindall and GKR Scaffolding, analyses the positive outcomes that have been experienced as a result of extending and embedding new working practices.
Select projects from each industry partner involved were subject to a deep dive assessment, with Skanska’s Humber Tunnel project forming part of the study.
The report highlights how the industry has created and implemented new and improved ways of working, which has helped projects to continue to operate while maintaining its priority focus on keeping people safe. It shows that while overall site productivity was negatively impacted due to social distancing requirements, individual and team effectiveness and productivity had increased for a number of reasons including better and more detailed task planning; more space as a result of fewer people on sites and reduced waiting time between tasks.
It also makes a number of recommendations to ensure that these new ways of working can become the new normal – leading to transformative and lasting change.
Dylan Roberts, Skanska’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Director, said:
“Following our work with the Construction Leadership Council on the industry-wide ‘Site Operating Procedures’, I felt that we should obtain an independent review of our perception that workforce engagement and planning of work activities had improved. This research is an external verification of the great work done by site staff and provides a positive view of workforce productivity.
“No one could have predicted the impact this pandemic would have on our onsite and remote work delivery, while maintaining optimum safety guidelines and procedures. COVID-19 has shown our industry to be at its most collaborative and innovative when it’s been most needed.”
This report has enabled the industry to reflect on the improvements made so they can be adopted for the longer-term.