Skill Builder Guides & reviews for building and construction

The last ever Potterton boiler to come off the production line in parent company Baxi’s factory in Warwick has been put into retirement, 17 years after first being installed in the cellar of a Scotland home. The Potterton Profile boiler was discovered by engineers from Gas Call Services when homeowner Alistair decided it was time to install a modern replacement. …

A Fife-based construction company has been fined after a worker had to be dug out of a trench that collapsed onto him. Dundee Sheriff Court heard the 43-year-old employee of Wallace Roofing and Building Limited suffered a broken shoulder and collarbone as well as punctures to both of his lungs and fractures to all but two of his ribs. Emergency …

Companies across the UK have been forced to pay out over £61m in health and safety fines throughout 2016 with the construction sector seeing fines double according to law firm BLM’s health and safety tracker. Research conducted by the insurance and risk law firm found that fines for the construction industry jumped from £6,644,807 in 2015 to £13,636,346 in 2016 …

Colin Yates, chief operating officer at WorkMobile, the mobile data capture solution, discusses some of the benefits construction companies can reap from ‘going digital’. The construction sector has been slow to join the tech race. Recent research has found that construction companies are struggling to harness the power of mobile and automation technology, data and analytics and robotics – just 8% of …

Bond It Squeezies Flexible Filler is making it easier to tackle quick, small sealing and bonding tasks with the launch of its Squeezies range.

Screwfix is continuing its search for the nation’s top tradespeople with the return of the annual Britain’s Top Tradesperson 2017 competition.

The Ladder Association, a not-for-profit body dedicated to promoting safe ladder use, has produced a safety guide for users of telescopic ladders – an increasingly popular piece of equipment for working at height – following reports of unsafe products in the UK. The guide provides key safety information for members of the public, including guidance on: Buying – how to …

Barroerock Construction Limited has been fined after repeated asbestos failings. Canterbury Crown Court heard how the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out two investigations of working practices of the site in 2013 and 2014 while Barroerock were converting into flats a former nine-storey office building in Ashford, Kent, which was known to contain asbestos. The first investigation arose from …

A Bristol based solar panel installation company has been fined after a 49-year-old worker fell more than 3.5 metres through a void in a roof. The fall inflicted serious injuries on the man, including bleeding on the brain, a fractured spleen and fractured ribs. Bristol Magistrates Court heard how the worker was one of several contracted by Solarjen Limited, known …

The next Government must ensure the construction sector has enough skilled workers post-Brexit or its housing and infrastructure manifesto pledges will be redundant, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The FMB has called on all major political parties to recognise the importance of migrant labour to the construction sector as part of its ‘Programme for Government’. Brian Berry, Chief …

Plentific.com has compiled a list of ten popular home improvement and DIY myths that are completely false. Myths: we’ve all heard them before, whether they’re about eating carrots to help you see in the dark, not drinking coffee for fear of stunting your growth or waiting an hour to swim after eating. DIY myths are everywhere, and it’s sometimes harder …

Fewer than 1 in 3 women are given protective clothing specifically designed for women, according to a report on Ill-fitting safety gear by the TUC.

Roger Bisby knows the tune and is singing the praises of Setcrete Rapid Set Repair Mortar. Sing along to this if you know the tune; I certainly do. You are all ready to lay the floor or apply the self smoothing compound and you find a bit of loose that, upon further investigation gives way altogether. Why did you have …

News of South West Water being fined £1.8 million after a worker drowned in a filtration tank further emphasises the need for training where people work in confined spaces, warns specialist training provider Develop Training Limited (DTL). Working in confined spaces is common in many industries, posing a real issue for personnel responsible for health and safety in the workplace. …

Baxi is sponsoring Bradley Rogers, Baxi installer and member of the Baxi Works loyalty scheme, who will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Leukaemia care UK this June. Bradley of B. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Limited in Heybridge, Essex explained: “I am climbing Kilimanjaro in the name of my close friend Lee Blowers, who sadly passed away on …

Mitsubishi Motors in the UK is showcasing a one-off Mitsubishi L200 that has been built in conjunction with Top Gear magazine at the 2017 Commercial Vehicle Show, held at the NEC, Birmingham from April 25 – 27. Developed in secret and codenamed ‘Project Swarm’, the unique Mitsubishi L200 is built in the style of a ‘Pre-Runner’ off-road vehicle – specially …

Redland – the UK manufacturer and supplier of pitched roof systems – is launching a competition to find the 2017 Redland Apprentice of the Year. The newly launched competition is open to all roofing apprentices who are currently enrolled with one of Redland’s participating colleges or training groups within the company’s Young Redland Roofer student support programme. Entrants will be …

Ford is rolling out its Ford Mobile Service programme nationwide following a successful trial around Greater London. Over 100 Ford Mobile Service vans with Ford qualified technicians, will operate from more than 90 Ford Transit Centres across the country, including Northern Ireland and Scotland. Ford mobile servicing has been conceived to minimise disruption to fleet operators by reducing vehicle down …