When we think of the word construction, house building is often the first thing that springs to mind. When we hear the term Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) we might think of the construction of new roads or railways, flood defences or the latest alternative energy development. These developments may be essential to meet the growing demands of the UK population, but they aren’t necessarily the most exciting projects to work on.

One of the latest construction projects is a little different; it is a vision for the UK’s latest theme park, London Paramount. This leisure project will be on such a grand scale that it will have considerable impact on the local community in terms of the generation of jobs and improvements to the local environment that it has been classified as a NSIP.

North Kent Development

Following extensive public consultation, for which there was overwhelming support, it looks as though work on this project could commence in the autumn of 2016. Bamber Pit, a former landfill site and a neighbouring sports ground on the Swanscombe Peninsula in North Kent have recently been purchased as the site of the new creation.

Plans are to transform this undesirable site to an exciting entertainment resort by 2020. Once up and running, it is expected to attract around 40,000 visitors per day and provide thousands of permanent employment opportunities for people in the local area. The project will also tie in with the development of Ebbsfleet Garden City to fully regenerate the area.

Construction Opportunities

In the construction phase alone, it is estimated that 6,300 job opportunities will be created in order to meet the vision. Beyond the waterpark and thrilling rides of a typical theme park, the resort plans also include a theatre and cinema, conference space, business facilities, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets.

Work will also be needed in the surrounding area in order to create sufficient infrastructure to transport visitors to and from the resort. This will include a dual carriageway and car park for drivers and bus services, the creation of a boat jetty, to ensure visitors can travel along the Thames to the resort, along with both pedestrian and cycle paths.

In addition London Paramount will be investing in wider initiatives which include environmental enhancement along the River Thames, flood defences which will benefit residents of North Kent and efficient waste management facilities. In order to successfully complete such a large scale project, a full range of construction skills and expertise will be utilised.

On-Site Safety

No matter which aspect of construction individuals are employed to undertake, it is important that hazards are minimised. A construction site is one of the highest risk work environments and to ensure that everything runs efficiently, personal safety standards should be given the same degree of attention as building regulations.

Every worker should understand the importance of safely conducting their duties, wearing adequate personal protective equipment and reporting incidents and near misses. Strong leadership is paramount for ensuring that safety is a top priority. For this reason, every site manager should have recently completed a Site Managers Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) or SMSTS Refresher course.

SMSTS

SMSTS is a 40 hour course, which is typically delivered over 5 days. It is aimed at those who have responsibility for planning, organising, monitoring, controlling and administering the workforce on a construction site. The course covers all relevant legislation and other aspects which affect safe working in the construction and civil engineering industries, to provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of safety management on site.

SMSTS will be an important requirement for those taking on leadership roles on large high profile projects such as London Paramount. Heffron Safety provides courses and assessments at various venues in and around London, for more information visit Heffron Safety.