The Middlesbrough man spent almost three decades in the trade before a wall collapse in 2018 left him with life-changing leg injuries.<\/p>\n
\n
Unable to work, he nearly lost his car, his home and his family \u2013 and his mental health suffered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was addicted to painkillers,\u201d he said. \u201cI did try to go back into the bricklaying game, but I lasted about a week \u2013 I had to think about changing my career.\u201d<\/p>\n
He studied and secured health and safety qualifications but struggled to find work. After completing his site management safety training scheme, he became a senior site manager with major house builders.<\/p>\n
But when the pandemic struck he was once again struggling to pay the bills.<\/p>\n
\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.constructionenquirer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/CE_Creagh.gif\"\/)
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u201cI\u2019d always had my idea of a Brick Bud but I\u2019d put it on the backburner because I was very busy. Covid hit and I had a lot of time on my hands,\u201d said Harris.<\/p>\n
His lightweight frame braces walls against winds of up to 73mph and can be installed in 90 seconds. He said it reduces accidents, carbon and programme delays while keeping sites compliant.<\/p>\n
Backed by Innovate UK\u2019s Innovation Net Zero scheme, Harris quit his job to go full-time on the invention. With prototypes built, he started showing house builders and training students at FE colleges.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.constructionenquirer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2025-09-30-at-15.50.09.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAward nominations and prizes have come for Carl Harris and the Brick Bud<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A real breakthrough came through Tees Valley Labs \u2013 a Combined Authority-funded accelerator delivered by Middlesbrough consultancy Alt Labs.<\/p>\n
Harris said: \u201cWe were already talking to a contact in Australia and had contracts going back and forth. The programme helped us look at those contracts and spotted some things that needed sorting. Without them, there may well not be a Harris Brick Safety Systems today.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that mentorship and funding support for patent costs, stock and legal bills proved a \u201cturning point\u201d. He\u2019s now finalising international deals and planning to hand the business down to his son.<\/p>\n
\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.constructionenquirer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/ConstructionEnquirer_MPU.gif\"\/)
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.constructionenquirer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Retro-FitsteelspecialistsGIF-ezgif.com-resize.gif\"\/)
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n