A construction industry first ‘neurodiverse site cabin’ has been launched marking a positive step forward in making working environments more inclusive for neurodivergent people.
EcoSense is the result of a collaboration between Balfour Beatty and Sunbelt Rentals with the idea being born through the leading international infrastructure group’s employee engagement programme.
The sustainably designed cabin provides integrated disability features, such as coloured plug sockets and switches to assist the visually impaired and tri-coloured LED lighting for those who are hyper-sensitive to bright light. It also contains sustainable applications such as occupier-activated extractor fan sensors and self-regulating digital thermostats which will reduce carbon emissions on site by up to 30%.
The cabin is currently being rolled out across several project sites in the UK and will be introduced as standard to all new site set-ups from January 2022.
Heather Bryant, Balfour Beatty’s Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability Director, commented: “Sustainability is at the heart of what we do. But we know that to truly move the dial, we must work together. EcoSense is yet another example of how we are actively becoming smarter and greener, faster, as we move towards an inclusive, Net Zero world.”
Ian Needham, Director of Accommodation at Sunbelt Rentals said: “Sunbelt Rentals is committed to advancing technology for a lower carbon future and to making our industry as inclusive as possible. Not only is the cabin designed to be more energy efficient, but it can be powered by low or zero carbon power sources as the norm. In addition, the disability and neurodiverse elements will help to give everyone equal opportunities when working on site.”
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