Understanding Your Legal Obligations When Working On The Road

Julie Starr • June 29, 2021



Road construction signs are perhaps not seen by most outside of the construction, demolition, and civil engineering industries as important to health and safety as the likes of protective clothing. Yet roadwork and construction signs are an incredibly important part of how individuals and businesses within such industries are able to meet their health and safety requirements. 

However, the process of working out what signage will actually allow these requirements to be met is a whole other conversation. Thankfully, we’re here to break down where that information can be found.

Even despite the fact that site operators may have put all sorts of health and safety measures in place at a site, safety signs – such as highway construction signs – are still a requirement of any site involving roadworks. The regulations themselves, however, do not just apply to the likes of traffic control and under construction signs – they apply to health and safety signs across all industries.

So while the regulations are helpful and offer a basic outline of what is expected of site operators or employers who have responsibility for a workplace, it is important to understand that they are not specifically for roadworks. Thankfully there is a roadworks guideline out there – the Traffic Signs Manual. Chapter 8 of this manual, which was rewritten in 2009 to cover modern traffic considerations, details everything that a site operator needs to know about roadwork signs – such as the proper usage of roadworks and construction ahead sign plates. So these are two materials that should be consulted during the design and planning stages of a traffic management plan.

After that has been achieved, it’s time to purchase the appropriate signage and equipment that is suited to what is required of a particular site. To do that, you need a good supplier of roadwork signs. Make sure they have experience in your industry. For example, if you work with excavation, using sheet pile you want someone who understands your safety needs. Sheet pile comes in many variations and the best safety businesses understanding this.

Custom Construction Signs Versus Wholesale Signs

Custom construction signs are sometimes sought by companies that work within the construction, demolition, and civil engineering industries . However, many companies rely very much on buying wholesale construction safety and road work signs. This is due to the age of construction work and how long signage has existed; as many potential hazards, pitfalls and considerations have already been identified. This means that signs have, by and large, been produced for nearly every situation. So in what situation (if any) would you need to have custom signs produced?

Well, construction signs that are customized can be found in quite a lot of situations actually. For example, companies operating a roadworks site will want to inform locals who regularly use the road that such roadworks will be taking place. Custom signs can be created and placed along with the proposed site in advance that includes the dates during which such work will take place, as well as a contact number for residents who may have questions regarding the work. Within the construction industry, operators may want particular construction yard signs produced that are specifically tailored towards certain machines or peculiarities that are only found on a particular site.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.