Skill Builder Guides & reviews for building and construction

Season to Season Employment – a recruitment company that specialises in seasonal employment is currently looking for skilled carpenters and/or flooring and tiling specialists to work in the French Alps. The company says successful candidates will enjoy the summer season and pre-winter delights in the French Alps honing their skills in and around luxury chalets. Those who want to continue …

Jay Hounsell, a Herts-based carpenter and business owner, explains why he believes dust extraction should be the number one priority for everyone in the trade.    He says: “I’ve been working in the carpentry industry for 20-odd years. My new company – The Hertfordshire Kitchen Company – has been going for two years and is successfully placing itself in the …

Global public health organization NSF International and the Indian Plumbing Skills Council (IPSC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to provide local testing and certification services for the plumbing industry in India. This MOU will help improve the quality of Indian plumbing products and the skills of Indian plumbers through IPSC’s skill development initiatives under the aegis of the …

While fabric, functionality and fit have always been hallmarks of its working clothes, Snickers says it’s the innovation and technology in the design of FLEXIWork garments that sets them apart from other brands. They’re designed for fast-paced working environments with body-mapping designs said to ensure superior freedom of movement on site. There are waterproof jackets, fleeces, t-shirts and hoodies, plus …

A joint venture comprising three companies established to support the Crossrail tunnel construction has been fined a total of more than £1m following three separate incidents on the project, including the death of a worker. Southwark Crown Court heard Renè Tkáčik died after being crushed by falling wet concrete on 7 March 2014. Two other men were injured following separate …

Covers Timber and Builders Merchant in Gosport will be hosting a free Trade Day on Monday 7th August. From 7.30am until 1pm, visitors to the branch, which is located on Gunners Way, will have the chance to meet a variety of experts from a range of top suppliers including ACO Drain, Brett Paving, Dale Windows, Icopal, K-Rend, Millboard Decking and …

A leading Midlands construction firm has unveiled record turnover, bucking the national trend which reported a 9% drop nationwide. Besblock, which has two factories in Telford producing award-winning concrete blocks, said turnover was up 65% year-on-year. It flies in the face of a national slump which was blamed for dragging down Q2 growth. Sales director Martin Fulwell said efficiencies in …

As part of its new Greener Living campaign, which launches today, Kier Living, part of the Kier Group, has partnered with Forest Carbon, a company leading the way in voluntary carbon woodland creation in the UK, and has committed to planting 45,000 new trees by 2020 to offset its carbon usage. Through its partnership with Forest Carbon, Kier Living will …

A third of small building firms say that soaring material prices are squeezing their margins with more than one-in-ten builders report making losses on their building projects as a consequence, according to the latest research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Construction SMEs have reported a range of material price increases since the depreciation of sterling following the EU …

A North East based company Mike Neesam & Son Limited has been fined after a collapsing trench wall which led to the death of 43-year old Steven Ratcliffe. Peterlee Magistrates’ Court heard how Mr Radcliffe an employee of Mike Neesam & Son had been working on a toilet refurbishment project on Hall Hill Farm County Durham, when he attempted to …

The Oxford Plastics Strong Wall Heavy Duty plastic Pedestrian
 Safety Barrier is a robust and stable
 barrier system which is designed to meet the demands of
 providing safe access for pedestrians through 
construction works. The barrier comes with an 18kg base which ensures that
 the barrier is stable in windy conditions. Strongwall features include: • Compliant with Chapter 8 Streetworks …

Three companies have been fined a total of more than £1m after workers were exposed to asbestos while refurbishing a school in Waltham Forest.

The SME construction sector grew in the second quarter of 2017, albeit at a slower rate in most parts of the UK than the first three months of the year, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Key results from the FMB’s State of Trade Survey for Q2 2017, which is the only quarterly assessment of the UK-wide SME …

Easi-Dec, the working at height safety specialist, has supplied Everest with 72 Roofline systems to provide installation teams with a safe, efficient and cost effective solution for accessing roofline level when carrying out gutter, soffit and fascia replacements. After working with scaffolding for several years, Everest investigated alternative working at height solutions. Having approached Easi-Dec about its Roofline system, the …

An engineering firm has been fined for failing to control the risk to employees using handheld power tools from Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). Manchester and Salford Magistrates heard how Newfield Fabrications Co Ltd (NFCL) failed to ensure the risks to its employees from exposure was adequately controlled. The company also failed to ensure its employees were given sufficient information, …

The Local Government Association has called on government to launch an “urgent and immediate” review of building regulations in the wake of the Grenfell Tower catastrophe. Lord Porter, LGA Chairman, said: “Following on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, we want the Government to begin an urgent and immediate review of building regulations. We cannot wait for the result of the …

Keylite Polar is a brand new white PVC roof window which is said to establish a new standard in maintenance free, energy efficient roof windows. Roger Bisby takes a closer look. It surprised me to learn that the number of white roof windows now being sold in the UK is almost half of the total and if the trend continues …

Mercedes-Benz has revealed its first pick-up truck – the hotly anticipated Mercedes-Benz X-Class which will be available in Europe from November at a price of 37,294 Euro.  The Mercedes-Benz X-Class is said to push the boundaries of the modern pick-up – designed to be used as a rugged, all-terrain pickup but also as a vehicle for urban lifestyles and families. The …

The construction industry must do more to ensure health and safety compliance and avoid incidents, according to specialist training provider Develop Training Limited (DTL). The company’s comments follow publications of the Health & Safety Executive’s annual workplace fatality figures, which revealed that across the UK, more than 135 workers were fatally injured between April 2016 and March 2017 with the …