Today is World Suicide Prevention Day, and serves as an opportunity for people from all areas of life to help raise awareness of this problem. Statistics show that men account for over 2 thirds of suicides in Britain, furthermore, suicide rates in construction workers are 3 times higher than the national average. According to the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, every working day 2 construction workers take their life.

On World Suicide Prevention Day, Delphi Steel Buildings are sharing some information hoping to help the spread of awareness and breaking down of stigmas around mental health.

Studies have helped to pinpoint the contributing factors and used to guide intervention and support. A construction site is a high pressure environment with long hours, job uncertainty, working away, and tight deadlines. On top of this studies have shown some workers experience financial pressures and unhealthy work cultures. Excessive alcohol consumption has also been identified as a factor.

Addressing these factors will help, however, another major player in this problem is stigma. Mental Health problems are still seen as something to be ashamed of, a sign of weakness rather than a health problem such as diabetes or heart disease. This often results in people not seeking help, or not knowing where to get help until it is too late.

In response to the problem, a number of charities have been set up to provide support to construction workers and training to help the industry tackle the problem. Below are two such charities, what they offer, and contact details:

Charities:

The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity

24/7 Construction Industry Helpline: 0345 605 1956 UK/ 1800 939 122 ROI.

Construction Industry Helpline App – a free self help app with information about how individuals can help themselves or take the next step in seeking professional help.

Construction Focused Wellbeing and Mental Health Training – a number of free training courses, from 1hr interactive sessions to accredited Mental Health First Aider courses.

Mates In Mind

020 3510 5018

A charity that works directly with employers to raise awareness and understanding of mental health. They help people to understand how, when and where to get support. Their work helps to break the silence and stigma through promoting cultures of positive wellbeing throughout the industry.

Today is Skilled Trades Day 2021 and at Delphi Steel we feel it’s definitely worth a mention. Of course our customers rely on skilled trades for groundworks and construction but also all the work required along the way and once the buildings are up (electricians, joiners, roofers, plumbers, gas fitters, and more).

A skilled trades career certainly has its advantages: learning on the job (no tedious exams/essays/dissertations/etc), and no expensive and lengthy University degrees. Often a certificate is all that is needed to be able to begin work. For those who are less suited to office work and who wish to use their skills on a daily basis, a skilled trade is a great option. Skilled trades are paid well in the UK with an average salary of £30,000 per annum and job availability is very good. Perhaps a little too good in fact, the UK has been experiencing a major gap in skilled trade workers.

This has been attributed to a decline in the number of young people entering the construction industry. It is estimated that around 22% of skilled trades people are over 50, and 15% in their 60’s.

Skilled Trades Day 2021 aims to promote this career path and change attitudes towards this route that often leads to a long and succesful career.

Good news in regard to Permitted Development Rights

Agriculture is a vital part of our rural communities, the economy and environment. In Scotland, farmers are supported in a number of ways to encourage their development and diversification. One such measure is Permitted Development Rights (PDR)

The PDR allows farmers to build or extend without the need for planning permission, an often lengthy and costly process. Instead, a ‘Prior Notification’ is submitted to the local planning authority before exercising Permitted Development Rights. The procedure determines if prior approval is required, if so, more information is requested to determine if approval should be given. This is a swift and less arduous route to being able to begin work. It cuts out the risk of rejection and delay and allows farmers to build quickly which in turn supports them to continue farming unhindered.

The good news for farmers is that the Scottish Government has now increased the maximum size allowed under this scheme from 465sqm to 1000sqm. This has been welcomed across the farming community as an acknowledgement of how the industry has evolved. The size and complexity of associated machinery has increased greatly in line with this adding to the necessity for larger buildings.

The new rules also allow agricultural and forestry buildings to be converted for residential and commercial use under the PDR. This applies to buildings constructed prior to 4th November 2019 and will provide a significant step towards supporting farm diversification.

There are a few exclusions which still apply and include: listed buildings or buildings situated within the curtilage of listed buildings, sites of archaeological interest, safety hazard areas or military explosive storage areas. 

Today is International Programmers Day, a day to honour the work of programmers around the world and their contribution to society.

This is of interest to Delphi Steel Buildings because our Director, Rory MacLeod, is a computer programmer and lecturer. The bones of our business run on highly sophisticated programmes that Rory developed. These have brought our systems for design, order and delivery of Industrial Steel Buildings into a league of their own.

However, we all have reason to thank programmers because we simply would not be living in a modern world without them: no computers; no phones with instructions (software/application); primitive medical techniques and equipment that need manual operation; no calculators; manual navigation systems (would YOU get on that plane?!); no satellites; no e-Business and e-Marketing worldwide; no proper military defence system.

We really do have a lot to thank programmers for and with technology only becoming more and more advanced we will always need them. Coding has become part of the curriculum in around 15 European countries, and that is for primary age children – starting them young!

A number of benefits of learning programming young have been identified. This includes excellent career prospects with high salaries, gaining personal control over tech, and building problem solving skills, critical thinking and persistence.

With that in mind we just had to look into who are the youngest programmers in the UK. These guys are amazing, check this out!

Top 3 Youngest programmers in the UK

International Programmers Day was officially started in 2007. Today is the 256^th day of the year (usually on the 13^th of Sept but this is a leapyear) and was chosen because “256” (28) is the number of distinct values that can be represented with an 8-bit byte. 256 is also the highest power of 2 that is less than 365, the number of days in a year.

Industrial Steel Buildings – it’s what we do, so if you’re looking for a steel building, look no further than Delphi Steel! High quality yet cost effective and made from cold rolled steel, our buildings stand the test of time. Suitable for a wide range of purposes, we’re sure to be able to help.

Our unique software means we can accomodate your bespoke needs and generate the design for your building quickly and easily. We can get a quote to you within one working day. Structural engineering drawings are generated at the click of a button and sufficient to take to planning, omitting the need for architectural services. Our Structural Engineering and Planning Services will ensure your project gains the necessary approvals, and with delivery typically made within 3 weeks of order, you can get started on your project without delay.

Put your trust in a company with years of experience to provide you with a building to be proud of. A professional and experienced service wholly committed to the success of your project. With you every step of the way, Delphi Steel is the obvious choice!

Get in touch today:

Email: sales@delphi-steel.com
Tel: 0800 009 6553
Our Contact Page: here
Our Online Designer Page: here

Industrial Steel Buildings – it’s what we do!

The message from Boris Johnson to ‘Stay Alert’ caused quite a stir. Immediately Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales said they are not following suit and sticking to their ‘Stay At Home’ message. For the construction industry this causes problems for suppliers and contractors who have customers outside their own UK country. Unlike the rest of the UK, England has allowed ‘non-essential’ sites to re-open while others only allowing this for essential work (i.e. sites involved in projects that support the fight against Covid-19). More information here. Considering this, we want to reassure Delphi Steel customers what it is we can do for you now.

All our suppliers are operating, and we can deliver goods to site.  Most have personnel working from home with a skeleton staff on site to adhere to social distancing guidelines. As a result, the delivery and lead times are a day or two longer than normal.

Although no one can say anything is ‘business as usual’, construction projects during covid-19 are not at a complete standstill. We are still able to supply your building kit. Finding contractors will be more difficult depending on your location. Some of our customers have sufficient storage for materials ready for availability of contractors.  Others are able to begin construction themselves.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had wide rippling effects on businesses as well as personal lives. With so many businesses forced to close, there are many left with high rental overheads and nowhere to move stock. We are delivering buildings to customers who will save more by building their own storage than continue to pay rental for business premises.  For others we are busy working on their designs while they work with planning to acheive the permissions required.

However, if you are at the very beginning of your project we are happy to help set the wheels in motion with design and costing. Our in-house design software allows us to design your building, generate a quote and make adjustments quickly and easily. Call or email and we will be happy to discuss how to get your construction projects moving during covid-19.