Month: October 2023

As the days get shorter, construction contractors across the country become more reliant on lighting towers. But with growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions at every level of the supply chain, are traditional diesel lighting towers fit for purpose?

Many contractors assume opting for eco-friendly alternatives will hit their bottom line – something many businesses simply cannot handle in the current economic climate. This is probably driven by reports that reaching net zero will cost $3.5 trillion each year.¹

But the reality is the transition needn’t be hard on all areas of business. Modelling carried out by Cambridge Econometrics has demonstrated that tackling the cost of living while simultaneously accelerating the UK’s low-carbon transition would create “win-wins”². And our research has shown that lighting towers are one of them.

The environmental case for eco-friendly lighting towers

To illustrate the environmental benefits of eco-friendly lighting towers, let’s compare Welfare Hire’s X-Eco HYBRID LITHIUM tower with a standard diesel model.

The X-Eco HYBRID LITHIUM uses lithium hybrid technology to power six 100W LED lights. This allows it to provide 455 hours of continuous light per refill and deliver 80% silent running.

The combination of efficiency and more environmentally friendly energy sources leads to dramatic reductions in CO₂ emissions. Based on the assumption that a site would run their units for 60hrs per week, each hybrid lighting tower produces a 288kg reduction each week; over a month, the savings reach 1135kg.

Our exclusive Eco Calculator quantifies how switching your lighting towers to eco-friendly alternatives will reduce your carbon footprint.

The economic case for eco-friendly lighting towers

The amount of fuel used in traditional lighting units is very large. From transporting the units to actually running them, these costs can hit contractors hard. This is only exacerbated by growing fuel prices.

Switching to eco-friendly lighting towers, therefore, presents an opportunity to save a great deal on the cost of fuel, as they require far less to run – and make it go a lot further.

Volumetric data from sites hiring our equipment has shown that every X-Eco HYBRID LITHIUM saves £108 per week in fuel costs – and £430 per month.

switching is easier than you think

These figures make clear the benefits of switching to innovative, eco-friendly lighting towers. But many contractors still assume that sourcing such towers must be difficult.

Welfare Hire ensures it is simple to make the switch. With market-leading customer service; inclusive maintenance and support; and 99.1% perfect hires, we have helped countless contractors introduce eco-friendly lighting towers.

If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that hygiene matters.

But most construction leaders still assume on-site facilities are simply a matter of Health and Safety (H&S) – not an opportunity to create competitive advantage. 

The truth is the hygiene facilities featured in innovative mobile welfare units and welfare vans create many benefits – way beyond simply keeping your staff safe.

Here are three key ways better hygiene facilities produce a meaningful improvement to your project:

1. Improve Your ESG

On-site facilities require regular servicing to and from the site. This might not seem like much, but these are the sort of easy-to-solve carbon emitting and water wastage practices which accumulate – and end up making a dent in your ESG score.

The average chemical toilet used on construction sites requires at least one weekly service, and doesn’t use recycled water. But this isn’t construction leaders’ only option.

The unique XL Smart Water  system built into our ECOWC2 towable toilet block and other welfare units boasts more than 3x more capacity. They typically take several weeks to fill, reducing the frequency of servicing trips – and therefore the carbon emissions your site is responsible for. 

Not only that: they also harvest rainwater to create a more sustainable system. Your site is not only responsible for less water usage but you can also report on the smart initiatives taken to make these incremental savings.

2. Improved Employee Experience

Imagine it’s your first day on a construction site: you go to wash your hands, and discover there’s no hot water. It’s a small factor, but over the course of a full work day – and a complete project – this starts to have a real impact on the general mood and morale on-site. 

Better facilities that run smoothly and provide plenty of room can therefore have a dramatic impact on employee experience. It signals to staff that they are valued, helping with general wellbeing, increased retention and loyalty.Improved hygiene also reduces the spread of disease and helps keep your staff safe. 68% of workers say that poor hygiene at work has made them sick and unable to do their job¹ – meaning improved hygiene leads to fewer sick days, higher morale and a more productive workforce.

3. Cost Savings

The cumulative costs of poor hygiene are staggering. One study found that employee sickness related to poor hygiene costs UK business more than £1.5 billion each year alone². As a result, improved on-site hygiene facilities are not just a question of ethics or responsibility to your employees – they are a near-guaranteed boost to your bottom line.

Between fewer sick days from employees, less money spent on services and higher retention of staff, the cost savings attributable to improved on-site hygiene facilities start to add up. But how much could your specific site save?

Welfare Hire Measures Your Gains

Welfare Hire offers a range of innovative mobile welfare units fitted with Smart Water systems that improve you ESG, employee experience and bottom line. In fact, our Eco & Social Value Calculator allows you to estimate the exact savings you’ll make by switching to Welfare Hire products:

Want to learn how our ECOWC2 towable toilet block and other welfare units could improve your project?