Robots being deployed as bricklayers, drywallers and road pavers cannot detect human counterparts accurately enough with the current technology, said researchers from Stony Brook University and PILZ Automation Safety.

They went on to say that safety guidelines for robots on site were urgently needed.

“An open jobsite such as a construction site is often not the ideal environment for robots,” stated the report.

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The drop in repair, maintenance and improvement work highlighted in recent government figures reflects a growing consumer unease, claims the Federation of Master Builders.

In the third quarter the construction sector grew by 0.8%, however, that disguised a 0.6% drop in repair jobs, which is the bread & butter work for many small builders.

Brain Berry, chief executive of the trade body warned that despite growth in the quarter, the industry “is not out of the woods yet”.

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Roofing contractors are being urged to start preparing for new social housing laws that address health hazards like damp and mould. 

Awaab’s Law was introduced in 2023 after the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak because of exposure to mould in the social home his family rented. The law is expected to be extended to the private rented sector.

The government estimates that between 4%-and-27% of homes in England suffer from damp and mould.

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