As climate volatility intensifies, the Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) sector is having to adapt to rethink how it delivers projects, protects its workforce and balances sustainability with resilience.

In this blog post, Dave Curry, our Health & Safety Lead, shares his insights on how the industry is adapting to increasingly unpredictable conditions.

How is climate unpredictability changing the priorities of the M&E industry?

Climate unpredictability is shifting the M&E industry’s priorities from sustainability pledges to operational resilience. In the current environment, clients and contractors may have differing goals due to the ever-changing climate. Fixed-price contracts can impose financial penalties on contractors due to frequent delays in construction schedules caused by adverse weather. In contrast, time-and-materials contracts may benefit contractors but introduce higher cost uncertainty for clients.

How can industrial sites prepare for warmer weather and heatwaves?

Preparing for warm weather and heatwaves is crucial for ensuring safety on-site. Managers should consider rescheduling work to cooler parts of the day, providing more frequent rest breaks, and introducing shading in both rest and work areas. Installing mechanical ventilation fans can help manage elevated temperatures, along with ensuring access to cool drinking water and electrolyte supplements.

Additionally, personal protective equipment (PPE) should be removed during rest periods to facilitate heat loss. When managing a site in warmer weather, it’s essential to identify employees at heightened risk of heat stress due to pre-existing conditions. Workers should be informed about recognising early symptoms of heat stress, along with encouraging peer-to-peer monitoring to spot these signs.

What does “climate resilience” mean in practical M&E terms today?

In the M&E sector, climate resilience involves tracking, assessing and understanding how effectively projects, systems, or communities prepare for, adapt to and recover from climate-related risks. It is imperative across the industry to take proactive measures, such as building temporary shelters to protect construction workers from adverse weather conditions like high winds and rain.

Planned outages sometimes require more scrutiny to manage time and resources to ensure we meet a project on time and to specification. This can involve increasing project timeframes to allow for weather variability. Implementing these actions helps mitigate the effects of a changing climate, ensuring that work remains efficient, safe and up to high standards.

When weather events are unpredictable, how important is workforce safety, testing and measurement, contingency planning etc?

In unpredictable weather, it’s essential to monitor weather forecasts and be selective about construction activities to ensure work is conducted in a safe manner. Plan using short-duration lookaheads and postpone activities that are adversely affected, such as those from high winds and rain, and make progress in work areas that are not affected.

Clear communication among team members is essential to keep everyone updated on changing conditions, risks and revised plans. Being proactive on-site is crucial for maintaining safety measures and minimising issues. Safety should always be the utmost priority in unpredictable conditions.

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