Construction industry figures have hailed the National Site Standard (NSS) for women as a necessary agent of cultural change, after its founder Renee Preston warned too many women were being “walked into the lion’s den”.
At a launch event yesterday (1 July) in Manchester, Preston outlined how the new framework will tackle bullying and sexual harassment in the workplace and help recruit more women to the sector.
The NSS lists the minimum conditions required to ensure women are supported and protected across construction sites where the standard is adopted.
Firms signing up will be audited and have appointed personnel on site, while employees will have access to QR codes where they can anonymously report issues.
“We’re losing women. We’re losing youngsters, we’re losing apprentices. We’re not attracting the right people into construction,” said Preston, who also founded advocacy group Construction for Women two years ago.
Preston (pictured) has helped secure mentors for hundreds of women in a bid to help retain them in the construction industry.
But she said feedback revealed a dark side for the sector that needs addressing through contractors signing up to the NSS.
She said feedback from mentors painted a picture of girls in toilets crying, not wanting to go to work and suffering bullying and sexual harassment.
“It wasn’t just one or two, it was every single mentor who spoke to me about problems,” she said.
“I felt like a Trojan horse. I was doing all these amazing things on one side, and everyone was patting me on the back, saying this is great, you’re bringing people into the industry. But I was just walking them into the lion’s den.”
The NSS addresses critical areas including welfare provision, PPE suitability, behavioural expectations, safeguarding, reporting mechanisms, psychological safety and leadership accountability.
“We need to start at the beginning with education. So, the NSS is for education and training providers and for the contractor. We need to change that site culture from the onset,” Preston said.
She added that contractors will be able to use their work with the NSS in their tendering processes.
Phil Mayall, managing director of Morgan Sindall developer subsidiary Muse, said he was “really passionate” about the NSS.
“If we’re not making people feel included, then we have failed,” he said.
“It’s something that we really should get behind as an industry. I really think that we can very quickly get to a place where this is the norm.”
Jessica Bowles, director of strategy at property provider Bruntwood, said the NSS was something the firm would look to adopt as a blueprint to challenge behaviours.
“Sexual harassment on site is absolutely not appropriate,” she said.
“It’s something that does need to be called out in a standard set from the outset. So really, we do have the opportunity here.”
Earlier this year, the Considerate Constructors Scheme was the first national body to adopt the NSS.
