News

A Romanian man who enslaved up to 15 men, offering demolition work and then using violence to trap them, has been jailed for seven years. David Lupu, 29, promised the men £50 per day as well as accommodation, but instead paid them just a fraction of the wage, housed them in cramped conditions and confiscated their ID papers. Metropolitan Police …

A specialist asbestos company has been fined after failing to detect asbestos at a demolition site. Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how EAS Asbestos Limited were commissioned to conduct refurbishment and demolition surveys by Mercer Brother Limited, a construction company who were contracted to demolish garages for Hyndburn Homes. EAS Asbestos stated in their surveys that asbestos was only present …

A building contractor has been sentenced following an incident in February 2015 in which a house in Brighton partially collapsed. Hove Crown Court heard how builder Glen Peters (trading as Brow Builders) undermined the structural integrity of the house by digging out the basement. He then failed to act on the advice of a structural engineer on how to remedy …

Some of the UK’s biggest building companies have signed up to take part in the country’s largest construction health & safety stand down. Wates, McLaren and Seddon are among new faces that will take part in Stop. Make a Change in 2018. The initiative was launched in 2017 to bring the industry together to improve health and safety performance. In …

Snowy weather, rising costs and uncertainty relating to Brexit are to blame for the sharp drop in construction output, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said in response to the latest PMI data. The March 2018 PMI data revealed a fall from 51.4 in February to 47.0 in March, against the neutral reading of 50.0. March 2018’s figure was …

A cross-party group of MPs has urged the Government to introduce a new ‘Dedicated Strategy for Small Housebuilders’ to reverse the decline in the number of new homes built by small builders, which has plummeted to just 2,500 today from 12,000 in 1998. Describing the new proposals, the MPs leading the report said: ‘We have many legitimate disagreements with each …

According to recovery figures from TRACKER, 82% of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) were stolen without the owner’s keys in 2017 –  up by nearly 100% compared to 2016 (44%).  The Ford Transit was again the most popular van stolen last year and are said to have accounted for over half of the LCV recoveries made by TRACKER. “Keyless entry technology …

Llanharan Concrete Co. Limited has been fined after a worker was injured when his glove got entangled with the moving blade of a table saw. Cardiff Magistrates’ Court heard how the employee of the company was cutting wood with a table saw when his glove got entangled, pulling his finger into contact with it. The injured worker was rushed to …

OSCHR has compiled a list of five signs to watch out for that may indicate that you're suffering from an asbestos-related disease.

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) says work on many construction sites has ground to a halt as heavy snow continues to fall in parts of the country. Sarah McMonagle, Director of External Affairs at the FMB, said: “Heavy snow showers have led to many construction sites across the UK grinding to a halt. “Some construction bosses have told their …

Bricklayer and general builder Stephen Cheshire is, like many builders, often faced with the prospect of trying to hide a steel beam in the ceiling. The problem, as you will no doubt know, is not hiding the beam but how to safely  prop the wall above the upstairs floor level so you leave the ceiling void clear to place the …

Screwfix is calling for the next generation to consider a career in the electrical trade as new research shows a job in the trade could lead to higher wages than other career choices. Future electricians could earn at least £2,500 a year more than the national average by 2022, bringing their average salary to over £27,500. In addition, apprentices can …

With the industry suffering from a lack of skilled workers, Cembrit is helping to educate the roofers of the future by donating roofing materials to Leeds College of Building for the Roof Slating and Tiling apprenticeship scheme.   Cembrit has contributed approximately 1,000 Westerland fibre cement slates, 600 Glendyne natural slates and 120 angled ridges to help deliver valuable roofing …

A scaffolding company was sentenced today for safety breaches after a scaffold clip fell approximately 20m (60 ft.) and hit a member of the public walking below. Westminster Magistrates Court heard that, on 20 March 2017, the injured person was walking along Upper Street in Islington, London when he was hit on the head by the clip. He sustained numerous …

UK gas distribution company, SGN has teamed up with SmartWater in an effort to combat the growing trend in tool and van theft. The utlity provider, that provides gas to 6 million homes, has applied SmartWater’s forensic traceable liquid to all their liveried vehicles, as well as the tools and equipment onboard. The forensic formula contains a unique identifying code, …

Redland – the company that invented dry-fixed roofing systems, with patents dating back to 1966 – has welcomed the introduction of BS 8612 Dry-fixed Ridge, Hip and Verge Systems for Slating and Tiling.