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Most considerate construction companies named

Dylan Garton
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Most considerate construction companies named

Costain, Gentoo Construction, Robert Woodhead Ltd and Walter Thompson (Contractors) have each been awarded the  title of Most Considerate Site at the Considerate Constructors Scheme’s 2016 National Site Awards.

It is the first time that four sites have won the accolade, following the introduction of ‘value bands’ which means sites are assessed against projects of similar value including: Under £500k; £500k to <£5m; £5m to <£10m and £10m and over.

Over 3000 guests attended award ceremonies held in Edinburgh, London and Manchester in April.

Projects registered with the Scheme must demonstrate an appreciation of the impact of their work on the community, the environment and their workforce.

A total of 932 National Site Awards were presented including 430 Bronze awards, 293 Silver awards and 173 Gold awards and 32 Most Considerate Site Runners-Up.

Edward Hardy, Chief Executive of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, said: “Congratulations to each and every site receiving a 2016 National Site Award. Every year, the Scheme is taken aback by the many different ways contractors demonstrate their considerate credentials. This year has been no exception, with project teams across the UK serving as beacons of best practice.

“Special congratulations go to each of the 2016 Most Considerate Sites. These sites have shown truly exceptional performance, making tremendous efforts in going way above and beyond compliance with the Scheme – taking considerate construction to a new level.

“They have worked with enthusiasm and dedication to ensure that they showcase the very best of the construction industry, helping to make construction a more attractive career choice.”

Scaffold company fined for safety failings

Dylan Garton
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Scaffold company fined for safety failings

A Scaffold company in Bridgend has been fined for safety failings following a routine inspection.

Llanelli Magistrates’ Court heard how OW Scaffolding was working at Heol y Parc, Cefneithin when they had a routine inspection which highlighted several safety failings.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 30 September 2015 found that there was poor planning, inadequate risk assessments, inadequate site supervision and inadequate and insufficient equipment.

OW Scaffolding Limited, of Village Farm Industrial Estate, Pyle, Bridgend, pleaded not guilty to breaching Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulation 2005 but was tried in its absence and found guilty and fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,700.

For further information on working on scaffolding visit: www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/scaffoldinginfo.htm

Balfour Beatty fined £2.6 million after worker killed in trench

Dylan Garton
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Balfour Beatty fined £2.6 million after worker killed in trench

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 being built off the coast by Heysham, Lancashire. The trench was dug to a depth of 2.4 metres, without any shoring. Mr Sim was killed when he became trapped in the trench after it collapsed on him.

Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions Limited pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court today after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The Court heard that Balfour Beatty failed to adequately risk assess the works or control the way in which the excavation took place.

HSE inspector Chris Hatton said after the hearing: “The level of this fine should serve as a warning to industry not to ignore health and safety matters.

“Balfour Beatty failed to adequately assess, plan and supervise the work being undertaken. Trench collapses are easy to prevent, and it is disappointing that James’ life was lost in such a tragic way.

“The family has shown great patience and support throughout this investigation which is a credit to both them and James’ memory.”

Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions Limited, of Park Square Newton, Chambers Road, Chapeltown, Sheffield were found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Regulation 31(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and was fined £2.6million with £54,000 costs.

Worker loses life after roof fall

Dylan Garton
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Worker loses life after roof fall

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 of a protected area in which to mix some mortar due to lack of space. The mixing station consisted of a tarpaulin sheet placed on top of the roof with a plasterer’s bath placed on top. The corners of the tarpaulin sheet were weighted down with bags of rubble.

At the end of the working day, the employees were cleaning up and as they moved the mixing bath, the sheet of tarpaulin blew open due to the wind and landed over the edge of the building. As one of the workers attempted to retrieve the sheet he stepped off the side of the building, falling 14 metres, suffering fatal injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 10 October 2014 found that H20 Plumbing Services Limited failed to ensure the safety of its employees during the external repair work.

After the incident, HSE Inspector Amy Kalay commented: “This incident was obviously foreseeable. The employees of H20 working at the site were effectively left to their own devices with equipment and a system that was not wholly suited for the task at hand.

“A suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk, suitable planning, implementation of suitable control measures and adequate and effective site supervision would have prevented this incident from occurring.”

H20 Plumbing Services Limited, of Lee Trading Estate, College Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £25,000.

For further information on working at height visit: www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/workingatheight.htm

Klober Permo Air Open Underlay Used on Loseley Park Manor

Roger Bisby
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Klober Permo Air Open Underlay Used on Loseley Park Manor

Klober Permo Air underlay has been installed on Loseley Park a Grade 1 listed manor house as part of a full roof refurbishment.

The underlay was specified for a design specification to re-roof the entire property.

In a property of this age tile vents would have been out of place but the architects were mindful that there is considerable loss of ventilation when adding a membrane and this could pose a risk of condensation within the roof space.

Klober Permo Air
Klober Permo Air

Klober Permo Air

Klober’s Permo air was chosen because, unlike many other so-called  ‘breather membranes’, Permo air has a very low water vapour resistance of 0.03MN/sg to ensure that the entire roof can breathe effectively but still remain wind-resistant and waterproof under storm and snow conditions.

Permo air is one of the few membranes approved by the NHBC for use without supporting high-level ventilation. For more details visit

www.klober.co.uk

Loseley Park Footnote

If you think Losely Park looks familiar it may be because you have subliminally taken it in while spooning out one of their renowned tubs of very tasty Losely ice cream. We would like to point out that we have not been paid by Losely to endorse their product. It is a heartfelt appreciation of a good product. However, we are not above a few free samples.

See more on Klober with Skill Builder.

Brickies Most in Demand of Construction Workers

Dylan Garton
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Brickies Most in Demand of Construction Workers

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 than half of small construction firms are predicting that wages and salaries will increase over the coming six months. Given that brickies are already able to command wages of up to £60,000 per year in London and around £45,000 a year in the North of England, it’s clear that the skills squeeze is starting to push up costs for construction SMEs.

“A whopping 55% of small building firms are currently reporting difficulties hiring bricklayers, which makes these tradespeople the most in-demand of all construction workers. This particular skills shortage is of course linked to the steady growth in private house building.”

Berry continued: “The results for the first three months of this year show consistent growth among small construction firms in almost all parts of the UK. What’s more, despite evidence of the EU referendum causing some uncertainty within the business community, more than two-thirds of firms expect their workloads to increase over the coming three months. These results are heartening but skills shortages and the knock-on effect on wages and salaries remain a major cause for concern.”

Tens of thousands more construction workers needed

Berry concluded: “We need tens of thousands of new and returning construction workers to pick up the slack, or this growth among construction SMEs could so easily unravel. The Government is hoping to address the skills shortages through the new Apprenticeship Levy, which is due to come into force in exactly one year. However, I have spoken to many small construction bosses who have major concerns about the impact that the new funding arrangements, which will come into effect alongside the levy, will have on their ability to hire an apprentice.

“The Government must work closely with the construction industry to ensure its new system is as easy to use as possible, or else we could see apprenticeship training by small firms nose dive at exactly the wrong time.”

Demolition company fined for unsafe work at height

Dylan Garton
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Demolition company fined for unsafe work at height

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) into the incident, which occurred on 16 July 2015 discovered that workers had been found on a steep roof removing tiles without any form of equipment or protection to prevent them falling off the roof.

The risks from such work are well known and should be controlled using simple but effective measures. They had planned to work from a basket of a mobile elevated work platform or cherry picker. However, the company did not follow their plan, putting the workers at significant risk of falling and risk of serious injury.

Prodem Demolition and Asbestos Limited, of Western Boulevard, Aspley, Nottinghamshire pleaded guilty to Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £765.

For further information on working at height visit: www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/demolition.htm

Bostik launches All Weather Wide Jointing Compound

Dylan Garton
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Bostik launches All Weather Wide Jointing Compound

Bostik has launched a new All Weather Wide Jointing Compound for paths and patios, specially formulated for use in wet and dry weather conditions.

Suitable for joints from 5mm to 30mm in width, the new jointing compound requires no mixing or special tools during installation; it can simply be brushed and compacted into the joints. Once cured, it forms a solid joint that resists weed growth and enables power washing or mechanical cleaning.

Supplied in a 20kg tub containing two 10kg foil packs, Bostik All Weather Wide Jointing Compound is designed for use with most paving types and is said to be unaffected by salt or freezing conditions. Applied wet, the new compound is also said to eliminate the staining associated with traditional cement methods. Its fast drying properties allow surfaces to hold foot traffic in as little as ten hours.

Andrew Hamman, Category Manager at Bostik, says: “We developed our newest jointing compound in response to demand from builders for a fast drying, all-weather compound that can be applied in virtually any weather conditions. The unpredictable British climate can often put a halt to outdoor work, but now patio and paving installations can be completed whatever the weather and still produce the same high quality results.”

Bostik Wide Jointing Compound is available in natural or grey colour. Each 20kg tub provides coverage of up to 13m2.

Volkswagen Amarok Gets Facelift and V6 Engine

Dylan Garton
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Volkswagen Amarok Gets Facelift and V6 Engine

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 its maximum torque at only 1,500 rpm. At 550 Nm, this maximum torque is also 130 Nm higher than in the previous model.

The highest gear’s long gear ratio in the manual or 8-speed automatic gearbox reduces revs and fuel consumption during consistently fast driving and thus helps ensure low noise levels and CO2 emissions.

The combined NEDC fuel consumption of the new Amarok with 224 PS and 8-speed automatic gearbox is expected to be 7.6 litres/100 km (around 37 mpg)*. This corresponds to a new top level of 199 grams CO2/km *.

Volkswagen Amarok Power

The model’s engine is designed to be robust and long-lasting. The 3.0-litre TDI engine (2,967 cc) in the new Amarok will be available in three output levels: 120 kW / 163 PS, 150 kW / 204 PS or a top-performing 165 kW / 224 PS. All engines comply with the Euro 6 emissions standard.

The most powerful engine variant will be offered first. As early as the end of September 2016, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles customers will thus be able to begin exploring the world of six-cylinder engines. (The new model is expected to go on sale in the UK before the end of 2016.)

Three different drive-system versions will be offered in line with the respective engine variants: a traditional rear-wheel drive, and a 4MOTION version with either rear-wheel drive and an engageable front axle in combination with a manual gearbox, or with a permanent all-wheel-drive system and a Torsen differential with the 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The Servotronic steering system is new in the Amarok and will be available as standard equipment in Europe. This system is one of the reasons why the Amarok can be driven very precisely.

New 17-inch brake discs on the front axle of the 165-kW Amarok and 16-inch discs at the rear ensure that the pickup always comes to a stop quickly and safely. The Automatic Post-Collision Braking System is also included as standard.

The new Amarok features a more athletic-looking front end and an all-new dashboard and new ergonomic seats. It is 5.25 metres long and 2.23 metres wide (mirrors included).

The new body-coloured sports bar in the launch model (which will be marketed in Europe as the Amarok Aventura) visually shifts the double cab rearwards and also extends over a small part of the 2.52 m2 load platform inside the cargo compartment. Various additional styling bars, covers, cargo area coatings and hardtops are also available for the Amarok cargo compartment.

In addition, the load platform in the four-door Amarok can accommodate a Euro-pallet loaded sideways. A payload capacity of more than one tonne is possible, depending on the equipment features selected. In future, some variants of the new Amarok will also boast a towing capacity of up to 3.5 tonnes.

* provisional figures, depending on the equipment features selected

How to: Lay Knauf Brio dry screed boards

Roger Bisby
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How to: Lay Knauf Brio dry screed boards

Roger Bisby lays some Knauf Brio dry screed flooring.

Although it is perfectly possible to use warm water underfloor heating with timber and floating floors it is generally acknowledged that there is a loss of  thermal transmission compared to  pipe buried in sand and cement screeds. Knauf Brio dry screed board bring thermal transmission comparable with wet screed system in a convenient dry laid board made of fibres and gypsum. There is also a saving on floor height compared with wet screeds.

Unlike chipboard and other timber based boards Brio is said to be ‘thermally transparent’ which means it doesn’t resist heat to anything like the degree of timber. The warm up time of Brio is therefore a lot faster than other boards and because it is only 23mm thick it is even faster than pipe in screed. This allows you to easily achieve the designed watts per metre from underfloor heating without resorting to closer pipe spacings. I laid Brio on a NuHeat pipe in panel system. The last job I did with NuHeat panels was covered with chipboard and, though it works,  it is slow to warm up and I only wish that this material had been around then.

If you have laid any kind of tongued and grooved boards there is nothing very different about Brio except that it uses a ‘Smart Tier Edge rather than a groove .

If you have laid any kind of tongued and grooved boards there is nothing very different about Brio except that it uses a ‘Smart Tier Edge rather than a groove . This is actually a lot easier the running glue into grooves and, because the glue isn’t trapped in the joints, they go together without resorting to a mallet. Stagger the joints and glue the host edge in the usual way.

Brio WF is an acoustic variation with a wood fibre underlay to protect against impact noises but in the case of my test installation the impact noise protection is provided by the NuHeat insulation.  This gives it a winning combination of thermal transmission and sound proofing properties. Like any sound insulation it has to stop both air borne noise and impact noises. The impact resistance is achieved by density but airborne noises are largely blocked by closing up all the gaps.

The Rockwool perimeter batts provide thermal insulation, expansion and sound insulation. It is necessary to take the tongue off  the first laid row in order to provide a solid edge right up to the Rockwool. If you leave the tongue on then it forms a void under the board through which sound can travel. My mistake was not being accurate with the rip to the wall on the second panel. I was thinking that the skirting would cover a couple of millimetres but for acoustic deadening you don’t really want any gaps. That said is can be filled with sand and cement. If ever acoustic flooring fails the sound test it is likely to be because of these small gaps and lack of attention to detail.

The only other potential problem with the Knauf Brio dry screed boards system is driving those screws into the boards with heating pipes underneath. If you adjust the torque setting on your drill accurately then Knauf says that you won’t over-drive the screws because the threads don’t pull the screws in on their own. Personally I don’t trust anyone (not even me) to set torques on drills and I don’t like critical processes on building sites. If a process is that critical then to my mind it needs to be redesigned. A building site is a war zone and you want things to be fail safe and idiot proof. I would not even be happy about driving any screw into a screed, wet or dry if there are heating pipes underneath. My solution is to mark the line of every pipe with an X  so I can  be sure that I am well away from the pipes when I put the screws in.  It takes a few minutes but it means I can walk away with no nagging worries about a stray screw sitting in the edge of a pipe just waiting for a bit of expansion and contraction to make a hole. This is not paranoia I have seen it.

 

[foogallery id=”2034″]

Note on acoustic flooring.
Knauf Brio dry screed boards also comes with a wood fibre underlay to form an acoustic floor. Putting it down is the same as laying any acoustic board. It must float with no fixings penetrating it or connecting to the structure.

www.knauf.co.uk/product-range-overview/flooring/knauf-brio

Stylish safety boots

Dylan Garton
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Stylish safety boots

Three new models have been added to Italian premium safety footwear brand Aimont’s  Trucker range of stylish safety boots.

The combination of safety, strength and reliability and a deep tread pattern that allows optimum grip on all types of surface is said to distinguish the fashionable Trucker Iceland and Scotland boots and Galles shoes.

They also feature composite, rather than metal, toe-caps, making them extremely lightweight.

All models in the range are classified SRC, meaning they have been slip-resistance tested on both ceramics with water and detergent and on steel with glycerine.

The Trucker range also features anatomically shaped antistatic ComfortPlus footbed, smooth, breathable lining, shock-absorbing gel and a ventilation system.

www.aimont.com

Daylight Robbery – How Many Windows Can You Have?

Roger Bisby
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Daylight Robbery – How Many Windows Can You Have?

Roger Bisby discusses the history of the window in building design and considers how modern property developers and homeowners can satisfy their lust for light.

The window tax was the not so bright idea of  William III aka William of Orange. It was introduced in 1696 and, despite being a very unpopular tax, remained in force until 1851.  Those who could not afford to pay it bricked up windows depriving themselves of much-needed light and air. Many of these windows still remain bricked up today but a growing trend among new house builders is to build in bricked up panels where there were never intended to be any windows.

A growing trend among new house builders is to build in bricked up panels where there were never intended to be any windows

Not only does this help new houses blend in with their surroundings it also has the effect of visually breaking up an otherwise boring brick elevation. Boundary walls in particular, where window areas are restricted to prevent fire spread, can benefit from a couple of dummy window panels, complete with sills and stone lintels or soldier courses.

But if the deceit is to be effective care needs to be taken not to over-egg the pudding. Placing bricked-up windows in a house style obviously later than 1851 will give the game away. It also helps if you put the bricked up panel where a window might have been. The picture above shows a window panel placed in the middle of a wall. It straddles the two floors.

The only window which does that is one on a staircase or a grand hall and there would not have been either in that position. Maybe I need to get a life and stop worrying about such things but for better or worse architecture is in the public arena even when it is on private property.  The punitive window tax also had the effect of allowing the very rich to flaunt their wealth by bathing in the luxury of light.

Stately homes, such as Hardwick Hall, which looks very traditional now, were in fact the decadent architecture of their age full of swank. It may well have been that the owners trimmed a few pounds off their tax bill by bricking up some windows around the back, possibly in the servants quarters, but from the front, they gave the impression of business as usual. ‘Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall’ was a popular couplet at the time.

The punitive window tax also had the effect of allowing the very rich to flaunt their wealth by bathing in the luxury of light

Happily, the window tax is long gone and modern housebuilders are in the business of incorporating as much glass as possible into their design because it sells. These days no self-respecting new-build above a certain price would omit bi-fold doors but there are still dark forces at work that seek to deprive us of daylight. This time it is not a tax but Building Regulations Part L which limits the amount of glass a building may have on the grounds of energy conservation. If you use the simplest method of calculating heat losses you are restricted to the area of window you can have and this is expressed as 25% of the floor area. It is meagre by modern standards but you can often increase the area of glass by going for a higher spec Grade A window.

Happily the window tax is long gone and modern house builders are in the business of incorporating as much glass as possible into their design because it sells.

If this still doesn’t get you into the house of glass you desire there is another way of increasing the daylight by calculating the total heat loss from the home or an even more complicated way which involves calculating how much carbon emission will be created to heat it. This is called SAPs and is usually used in new build. The overall performance of a house is based on airtightness which is often impossible on anything but new build.

How many windows can you have in my extension?

The good news is that if you are extending or altering your home there is some room for manoeuvre and you can often negotiate your way around the problem. The application of the regs. is surprisingly flexible. If you increase the insulation elsewhere in the home, and improve your heating system, possibly incorporating some solar panels, you can then remove that wall facing the garden and put in glazed doors that stretch from wall to wall. It gets even better if the window is A-rated and incorporates the highest spec triple glazed Low E with argon-filled sealed units. In fact, if you are careful in selecting your windows you can achieve nearly the same ‘U’ value as a cavity wall and if the glazed area is south-facing you may even end up with a net heat gain. Of course, anyone reading this in a hot country, where the big energy input is spent keeping cool,  may be bemused by our lust for light.

Crafted Group reviews Fein AFMT 12 Cordless MultiTalent

Dylan Garton
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Crafted Group reviews Fein AFMT 12 Cordless MultiTalent

Powertool manufacturer Fein has released its latest “Feeling FEIN’ video tool review.

The ‘Feeling FEIN’ reviews focus on getting FEIN’s products into the hands of professional tradesmen. Each tradesman has been using a specific FEIN power tool and has given their honest feedback on camera.

In this review Dale Cromwell, owner of Crafted Group (Bathrooms, Kitchens, Electrical & Landscaping) has been testing the FEIN AFMM18 Cordless MultiMaster.

You can keep up to date with the ‘Feeling FEIN’ Fein power tools reviews on twitter using #FeelingFein

Or if you’ve got a question about the Angle Grinder tweet @Fein_UK

Exeter roofing company fined after roof light fall

Dylan Garton
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Exeter roofing company fined after roof light fall

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 order to undertake the re-roof of an adjoining industrial unit , formerly an agricultural unit that was being used as a gym.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 18 November 2014 found that the work had not been properly planned or adequately supervised.

Haran Limited, of Clyst Road, Exeter, Devon, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and was fined £18,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,070.

For further information work at height visit: www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/fragile.htm

Isuzu launches truck for all terrain

Dylan Garton
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Isuzu launches truck for all terrain

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.

In addition to the high levels of standard equipment, a comprehensive accessories list allows customers to spec their Isuzu AT35 according to their unique requirements.

Arctic Trucks is a vehicle engineering specialist, developing and building 4×4 vehicles able to conquer the most challenging conditions for over 25 years. The Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 will be the first Arctic Trucks pick-up in the UK that can be ordered directly from a vehicle manufacturer’s dealer network.

The Isuzu AT35 retains the one-tonne payload and 3.5-tonne towing (braked) capacities that have helped keep the Isuzu D-Max one of the most popular pick-ups for those seeking a good workhorse with low running costs.

Enhanced running gear

Suspension is re-engineered with Fox Performance Series shocks, which help deliver increased mobility over even the most rutted tracks and brutal boulders.

Special all-terrain Nokian Rotiiva AT tyres improve all-round grip. The combined effect of Arctic Trucks specialised suspension and larger tyres is a ride height 125mm higher than the equivalent standard 4×4 Isuzu D-Max. With the increased ground clearance comes greater approach, departure and break-over angles, capable of tackling the harsh Icelandic terrain or the steep slate slopes of Wales. In addition, drivers and passengers will benefit from improved all-round visibility.

Two body configurations

The Isuzu AT35 is available in double-cab and extended-cab configurations.

The extended-cab body was designed as an ‘open-cab’ pick-up. To create this space-making design, Isuzu’s engineers developed a second-row, rear-hinged door, also known as the side-access panel (SAP) on each side of the vehicle. To ensure maximum strength, and safety in the event of a collision, the engineers incorporated a one-piece B-pillar into the leading edge of the side access panels.

The result is uninterrupted access to the side of the cabin, useful for loading large items behind the front seats. The side access panels can be opened from both inside and outside the vehicle. The rear seat cushions fold down from the back panel, creating additional seating, with fold-out thigh supports offering occupants even greater levels of comfort.

Comprehensive standard equipment

While the Isuzu AT35 can haul more than a tonne of on-board cargo and up to 3.5 tonnes in a braked trailer (where the terrain allows) – just as its D-Max stablemates can – as well as traverse more extreme topography than ever before, passengers remain as well catered for as ever in the refined and well-appointed premium D-Max interior.

Just as the interior shields occupants from potentially harsh and hazardous conditions outside, it provides entertainment with a six-speaker audio package with an ‘Exciter’ speaker in the roof lining, plus iPod/USB/Bluetooth connectivity to provide high-quality sound. Comfort is assured thanks to heated and folding door mirrors (including side indicator repeaters) and a leather steering wheel with audio and cruise controls provides additional safety and convenience.

The double-cab model also includes full leather upholstery for an even more luxurious interior, as well as automatic climate control air-conditioning. This is controlled by a large, circular Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) selector located on the cabin’s centre console, which allows occupants to control temperature and fan settings with a single dial. The system automatically maintains the set temperature for optimal passenger comfort.

Exterior standard features include projector headlamps, body-coloured front bumper, chrome door handles and chrome grille and chrome rear bumper, LED rear lights and a rear load liner. The double-cab model also adds roof bars and rear parking sensors for further increased practicality.

Optional accessories

Styling upgrades include an Arctic Trucks Truxedo that provides added security for cargo in the load bed, as well as the Arctic Trucks Sports Bar for improved styling.

Furthermore, off-road extras such as a 27-LED square work light can provide widespread illumination under the darkest skies, skid plates provide enhanced under-body protection, and an ARB tyre inflator with inline gauge help the most adventurous continue on their way.

Customers opting for the double cab AT35 can also upgrade their infotainment system with the Pioneer AVIC-F860BT audio set-up, DVD and European navigational system with 6.1-inch touch screen, reversing camera and Parrot Bluetooth kit for wireless telephony and music streaming.

Strong chassis, powerful engine, manual and auto transmissions

The Isuzu AT35 is made of high tensile strength steel with cross-member braces to ensure exceptional torsional rigidity and large cross-sectional dimensions for a strong and stable structure. Additional cross braces aid torsional rigidity and also spread the weight of payloads evenly, enhancing the vehicle’s laden handling balance, both on- and off-road.

Under the bonnet of the D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 is the efficient 2.5-litre twin-turbo diesel engine that delivers 163 PS and 400 Nm torque for all models in the D-Max line-up.

Low running costs

The model has a 42E insurance rating, low-cost finance packages and a comprehensive three-year / 60,000 mile warranty package and is offered with a 12,000-mile or 24-month service intervals, three years recovery and assistance cover, a three-year paint warranty, and a six-year anti-corrosion warranty.

Pricing (CVOTR)

Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 Extended-cab (six-speed manual) £30,995
Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 Double-cab (six-speed manual) £33,495
Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 Double-cab (five-speed auto) £34,495

isuzu.co.uk

Roofing firm fined after worker fractures skull

Dylan Garton
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Roofing firm fined after worker fractures skull

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 Health and Safety Executive (HSE) learned that there was no risk assessment in place for the job, and no precautions had been taken to prevent a fall from height from the edge of the roof or through various fragile elements.

The defendant had previously clad a new building on the site without incident, using appropriate precautions, but the minor work of replacing the panels in an existing roof was not planned, and no precautions were followed.

Mitchell Roofing Ltd of Derwent Road, Malton was found guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £10,000 with £1,355 costs by York Magistrates Court.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Julian Franklin commented: “Basic precautions for roof work and better planning of the job should have been applied. Even short duration work on fragile roofs should be properly assessed and managed.”

www.hse.gov.uk

Iveco debuts new daily 4×4

Dylan Garton
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Iveco debuts new daily 4×4

Iveco used the CV Show to premiere its New Daily 4×4 – the latest generation off-roader, built with special features to tackle tough terrain including quarries, building sites and remote locations often inaccessible to regular commercial vehicles.

The updated 4×4 is said to pair a reinforced body with the driving comfort of an on-road vehicle including excellent forward visibility and driver ergonomics.

The New Daily 4×4 features an off-road chassis frame and three-piece steel front bumper. It is compatible with a wide range of specialist bodies and ancillary equipment, and offers multiple PTO choices on the transfer box and gearbox, to ensure the right combination for any off-road application.

The transfer box provides for high, low and neutral drive ratios, selectable with the vehicle in motion and, for on and off road conditions, with the vehicle at rest. This ensures New Daily 4×4 has a choice of 24 forward drive gears (12 for mixed routes and 12 for off-road routes) and four reverse gears.

New Daily 4×4 is available in 3.5 and 5.5 tonne model variants, and with a choice of on-road or off-road tyres, plus wheelbase options of 3,050 and 3,400mm. The 5.5 tonne model features chunky off-road tyres, giving it the ability to tackle gradients of up to 45 degrees and approach angles of 49 degrees, with a maximum wading depth of 660mm – making it ideal for crossing rivers or operating in flood waters.

www.iveco.com/uk/Pages/Home-Page.aspx

Toyota Proace van makes world debut

Dylan Garton
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Toyota Proace van makes world debut

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 the first year. The CV on-the-road prices will start at £18,660 for Compact panel van, £19,285 for the Medium and £21,915 for the Long version. Full range pricing will be released shortly.

Design and packaging
Proace Van’s new frontal design clearly marks it out as a member of the contemporary Toyota family. It will be available in a choice of three body sizes: Compact, Medium and Long.

The Compact will be the shortest model in the MDV segment measuring 4.6m long with a 2.9m wheelbase. Its 11.3-metre turning circle makes it highly manoeuvrable for use in built-up areas.

Proace Van Compact is available as panel van with three front seats and a cargo bay measuring 2.1m long by 1.6m wide, giving a load volume of 4.6m3.

The new Smart Cargo system, combining an opening front bulkhead with a lifting front passenger seat base mechanism, increases the maximum load length from 2.5 to 3.7m and total load volume to a best-in-class 5.1m3. Available on all Proace Van models (option or standard according to grade), it also creates additional storage space in the cabin.

The Medium version is 4.9m long and has a 3.2m wheelbase. When the Smart Cargo system is fitted, overall load length extends to 3.7m and load capacity rises from 5.3 to 5.8m3. The medium-length Proace Van is available in panel, crew cab, combi and platform cab versions.

The Long version of Proace Van has the same 3.2m wheelbase, but with an extended rear overhang that takes overall vehicle length to 5.3m. Panel, crew cab and nine-set Combi versions are offered. The cargo area measures 2.8m long and 1.6m wide, giving a load volume of 6.1m3. Here the Smart Cargo system takes maximum load length to 4m, increasing load capacity to 6.6m3.

With each vehicle length, Proace Van benefits from left and right side sliding doors and side-hinged rear double doors that open to 180 degrees. The vehicle width and height are standard at 2.2m and 1.9m respectively. Maximum payload is up to 1,400kg and the braked trailer towing capacity is up to 2,500kg.

On the Medium and Long versions the door aperture is wide enough for Euro pallets to be loaded.

The cabin is robust, functional and spacious, designed to meet the needs of both commercial and private owners. The dashboard features clear instrumentation and analogue dials with ergonomic switchgear. The driving position affords excellent visibility and is car-like in its position, with a short-throw gear lever mounted close to the steering wheel.

UK grade structure and accessories
Proace Van is available in three equipment grades: Base and Comfort for the van and Combi for the passenger version.

The Base van specification provides central remote locking with deadlocks, cruise control with speed limiter, fabric seat upholstery, driver and front passenger airbags, power windows and door mirrors, audio system with radio, DAB, USB port and Bluetooth and a tyre pressure monitor.

Comfort grade adds more sophisticated cabin acoustic treatments, driver’s seat height adjustment, combination cloth and vinyl upholstery, air conditioning, cooled and illuminated glovebox, additional 12V power outlets in the glovebox and cargo area, the Smart Cargo system. Body colour-matched bumpers and door mirrors, front fog lamps, full wheel covers and a dashboard information display.

The standard specification for the nine-seat Combi includes three front seats, six further seats in two rows, driver’s seat armrest, driver and passenger front airbags, cloth upholstery, central locking, cruise control with speed limiter, 12V dashboard power outlet, 16-inch steel wheels, tyre pressure monitor, power windows, twin sliding side doors, glazed rear doors, Vehicle Stability Control and Hill-start Assist Control. The powertrain features the 115bhp 1.6 turbodiesel engine with stop and start and a six-speed manual transmission.

There is a wealth of options and accessories for owners to adapt their Proace Van to suit their needs. For more style, customers can add 17-inch alloy wheels and colour-matched side protection, doorhandles and door mirrors. For added safety, Toyota offers side airbags, bi-xenon headlamps and fog lamps.

A Safety and Security Pack can be specified that equips Proace with a Toyota Safety Sense package including a Pre-Collision System with Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking, and Adaptive Cruise Control, together with a head-up display, cornering lights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, dusk-sensing headlights, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and vehicle alarm.

A ProTouch touchscreen multimedia system is also available for Comfort grade models as part of a premium option pack that also provides satellite navigation and 17-inch alloy wheels. A tailgate can be specified in place of the twin rear doors on medium and long Comfort versions of the Proace Van (excepting the 94bhp 1.6 diesel version).

Accessories include a rear ladder, fixed and fold-out tow hooks, roof rack system with rollers, top boxes and pipe carriers and a range of tailor-made items supplied by Würth.

Powertrains
The new Proace Van is available with 1.6 and 2.0-litre diesel engines with a range of power outputs and choice of different transmissions. The model is targeting best-in-class CO2 emissions for a medium duty van, supported by the use of stop and start technology – featured in the 115bhp 1.6 unit.

A 95bhp (70kW) version of the 1.6 unit can be matched to either a five-speed manual gearbox (with 210Nm of torque), or a six-speed robotised manual transmission (240Nm of torque). The former generates CO2 emissions of between 144 and 148g/km with combined cycle fuel economy of between 51.4 and 50.4mpg. The latter, benefiting from Stop and Start, produces 135 to 139g/km and achieves between 55.4 and 54.3mpg.

The 120bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel is recommended for vans carrying higher payloads, thanks to its higher torque – 340Nm of torque.

All powertrains meet Euro 6 emissions standards and are equipped with selective catalytic reduction to reduce the amount of NOx released into the atmosphere. A 22.5-litre tank of AdBlue ensures the system will work to its optimum capability for 15,000km (about 9,300 miles). The tank is easy to refill, via a filler inlet on the B-pillar, accessible when the driver’s door is open.

Low cost of ownership is supported by service intervals of 25,000 miles or every two years, according to usage.

 

Ford Transit the most stolen vehicle in the UK

Dylan Garton
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0
Ford Transit the most stolen vehicle in the UK

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 goods vehicles.

According to the report, of the 11,000 Ford vehicles reported stolen, almost half of those were Transit vans. The West Midlands accounts for 10% of all Ford Transit thefts while in Yorkshire, the total value of all Ford Transit vans stolen in 2015 was in excess of £7.5million.

The Mercedes Sprinter was the second most commonly stolen vehicle with thefts of models manufactured between 2013 and 2015 particularly high. In comparison, Ford Transit vans manufactured between 2006 and 2011 are most frequently stolen, suggesting poor security in older models make them vulnerable. Vehicles are often stolen without keys and once in a ‘safe’ location, thieves break down the vehicles for component parts to be sold on.

In response to the news, stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) expert, TRACKER is urging owners of vans to ensure their vehicles are better protected.

TRACKER’s SVR systems work like an electronic homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle, and there is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t even know it’s there.

TRACKER combines GSM, GPS and VHF technology, and its use of VHF technology makes it resilient to ‘jamming’.   Jamming devices, readily available on the internet, are increasingly being used by thieves to disrupt GPS/GSM signals so that the police are unable to track and locate stolen vans fitted with SVR devises that rely on GPS alone.

Hitachi Power Tools Launches New 6Ah Lithium-Ion Battery

Dylan Garton
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0
Hitachi Power Tools Launches New 6Ah Lithium-Ion Battery

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 lifetime with up to 1500 charge cycles.

The new 18V 6.0Ah range includes the DV18DBXL/JX 18V Combi Drill with brushless motor.

The all new UC18YSL3 charger is capable of charging a 6.0Ah Li-Ion battery on only 38 minutes.

www.hikoki-powertools.co.uk

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