News

Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions has been fined £2.6 million after an employee was killed when the trench he was working in collapsed on him in Lancashire. On the 14 April 2010, James Sim, a 32-year-old  sub-contractor working on behalf of Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions, was working in a trench, laying ducting for new cable for an offshore windfarm that was …

A Birmingham maintenance company has been fined after a worker died after falling 14 foot from the roof of a five-storey building. Birmingham Crown Court heard how H20 Plumbing Services Limited were contracted to carry out repairs to two motor rooms situated on the roof of a building on Hagley Road, Birmingham. Two workers set up a station immediately outside …

Salaries for small building firms are soaring as a result of the growing skills shortage with brickies able to demand the highest wages, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brickies wages reach £60,000 in London Commenting on the results of the FMB’s State of Trade Survey for Q1 2016, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “More …

A demolition company from Nottinghamshire has been fined for safety failings following a report to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Leicester Magistrates’ Court heard how Prodem Demolition and Asbestos Limited were removing tiles from a domestic property when they were reported to the HSE for unsafe work at height activity. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) …

The new Volkswagen Amarok is set to feature the latest generation of Volkswagen V6 engines meaning drivers can look forward to an additional litre of displacement offered by the 3.0-litre engine. The new engine will deliver 550 Nm of torque and has an output of 224 PS. Offering high torque at low engine speeds, the six-cylinder engine is said to produce …

A roofing company based in Exeter has been fined after an employee fell through a roof light. North and East Devon Magistrates’ Court heard how an employee of Haran Limited fell approximately three metres to the ground below. He suffered injuries to his head, wrist and hip. He and two colleagues had been working on an asbestos cement roof in …

Isuzu has bolstered the D-Max line-up with the launch of an extreme version. The new Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 is engineered to take on the most arduous terrain, according to the manufacturer. Available in either double-cab or extended-cab configurations, Isuzu says the AT35 is the most capable pick-up it has ever put on sale. It is priced from £30,995. …

A roofing firm from Malton has been fined for safety breaches after a worker fractured his skull following a fall from height. Mitchell Roofing Ltd, was contracted to replace existing rooflights at Monk Bridge Construction Co Ltd, Elvington, York. The injured worker slipped and fell some seven metres through the inner roof sheet sustaining severe injuries. During its investigation, the …

The new Toyota Proace Van range of light commercial vehicles is making its world debut at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC in Birmingham this week with UK order books now open ahead of the official start of sales in September. Five-year warranty New Proace Van will be sold in the UK with  five-year/100,000-mile warranty, with unlimited mileage for …

According to latest figures from NaVCIS (National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service), the Ford Transit was the most frequently stolen vehicle in the UK in 2015. In further bad news for Transit owners, only one third of stolen Ford Transits are ever recovered and returned to their owners, compared to a national average of 55% of cars and 38% of light …

Hitachi Power Tools (UK) has launched a new high capacity 6.0Ah Lithium-ion battery, which is compatible with the entire range of 18V cordless tools. The BSL1860 Li-Ion battery is the same size and weight as previous batteries but with greater capacity and working time. A multiplex protection circuit protects the cells from overload, overcharging and over discharge, ensuring a long …

Advances in van safety technology could be undermined by dangerous van overloading, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has warned today. Almost nine in 10 (88.5%) of the 2,381 vans weighed last year by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) were found to be overloaded, a worse record than the previous year in which 84% of the …

The UK range and prices for the all-new PEUGEOT Expert van have been released today (Tuesday 26 April), ahead of its worldwide launch at the 2016 Commercial Vehicle Show at Birmingham’s NEC. The all-new PEUGEOT Expert will be available to order from June 2016 ahead of going on sale in September. In the UK, the all-new PEUGEOT Expert will be …

Ford’s  new Transit van and Transit Custom van, which are being launched at The Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham this week, are said to offer improved cost of ownership and performance thanks to the inclusion of the new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBlue diesel engine. The Ford EcoBlue engine enhances fuel efficiency by up to 13 per cent compared with the outgoing 2.2-litre …

Fiat Professional, official partner of The Football League, has today launched the Fiat Professional Tradesman Trials, a nation-wide search to find a tradesman who has the talent to make it as a professional footballer. The move from the trades to professional football is a well-trodden path.  There is a long list of past and present players starting out as tradesmen …

A businessman who illegally carried out annual gas safety checks at tenanted properties despite not being a registered gas engineer has received a suspended prison sentence. Sven Biesterfeldt, who was formally based in Cornwall and uses a number of other names including Tom Williams, potentially put tenant’s lives at risk by carrying out the safety checks and fraudulently filled out …

Leading civil engineers, environmental scientists, water experts, water companies and architects have appealed to the Lords to ensure the incoming housing law protects new and existing homes from flooding. Contributing to the Housing and Planning Bill debate currently passing through the Lords, the coalition said that new development will place additional pressure on critical drainage and flood defence infrastructure. The …

The Building and Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council (BATJIC) has agreed a two year deal involving a 5% pay rise over two years. The announcement follows negotiations between the Federation of Master Builders, on behalf of SME construction employers, and Unite the union, on behalf of operatives. Under the terms of the deal, workers will receive a 2.5% pay rise …

A pub worker has been sentenced for illegally installing gas pipework and a gas boiler at a flat in Torquay. Geoffrey Voss, aged 59, who works as a barman at a pub in Torquay, installed the gas pipework and gas boiler at a flat on Old Torwood Road, Torquay despite him holding no competencies in gas work and despite him …

A signage company based in Sheffield, has been fined after a worker fell five metres from a flat roof. Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court heard how Warburton Signs Limited were contracted to erect a large sign to the gable end of an industrial building. Three fitters accessed a neighbouring flat roof to fit the sign when one worker fell from the roof. …