This year has been one of the worst hurricane seasons on record.
Here in Scotland we’ve been battered by Aileen, Brian and Ophelia, and just recently Caroline, but what’s been really newsworthy is these huge storms have caused such little damage.
The reason? Construction standards in Scotland are among the highest in the world, with buildings designed to take the full force of brutal weather.
And the methods being used to storm-proof construction projects are constantly being refined.
Take the new Queensferry Crossing. It wasn’t just increased traffic that led to its commissioning but a need for a new bridge that wouldn’t have to close during periods of high winds.
The River Forth is a wind tunnel and for decades, during stormy weather, high-sided vehicles were forced to make a 40-mile detour by way of the Kincardine Bridge, in order to cross the river between Fife and Edinburgh.
So while it may need some snagging over the next few months, the new bridge has put a stop to this lengthy detour.
As the first storms it faced proved conclusively, it is capable of remaining open to even the largest vehicles during times of bad weather.
There are hundreds of construction vacancies on s1jobs and the majority of them involve working outdoors throughout the winter months.
The forecast will be the first thing you check every morning and, if you’re responsible for running a site or managing a project, you’ll keep an eye on the long-range prospects, prioritising work that needs to be completed during dry spells and making sure materials and scaffolding are secure before conditions deteriorate.
It isn’t just high winds that can shut down a site. Snow and ice can be equally hazardous at this time of year and some building materials, including concrete, can’t be poured if freezing temperatures are forecast.
These issues don’t just affect new sites but older buildings too.
Roofers across Scotland battled to put tiles in place as Ophelia bore down on them and near East Kilbride, the fire brigade had to be called out when huge sheets of corrugated iron peeled off the roof of a steading that was under renovation.
It was the hurricane of 1968 that led to the development of the stringent building standards we have today.
Now when a hurricane strikes the damage more often than not can be counted in broken tiles.
For all the latest Construction vacancies, whatever the weather, visit s1jobs