No excuses for being overweight

vehicle loading

With figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) revealing that almost nine in 10 (88.5%) of the 2,381 vans it weighed last year were overloaded, Venson Automotive Solutions is urging van owners to ensure their vehicles are safe and legally road compliant. Van operators need to take into consideration how their vehicles are used, including the working environment …

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Base extends safety trainers range

safety trainers

BASE has extended its range of safety trainers with three new options, which the company says will make you feel like you are walking on air. Frisbee, Be-Shiny (pictured) and Colosseum join the existing Martin and Opera BASE trainer line-up, and have a lot in common in terms of comfort and style. Among the lightest safety trainers on the market, …

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Construction training charity to close

Building Lives

Building Lives, the award-winning construction training charity, is to close at the end of the month due to a lack of sustainable funding. Building Lives was started by Lakehouse founder Steve Rawlings in 2010 and has taken those furthest from the workforce and trained them for successful careers in construction. The charity’s closure comes at a time when skills shortages …

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One man cladding device review

Cladman One man cladding device review

Roger Bisby spends a day out on site with James Gibbens inventor of Cladman. I had seen Cladman featured in Inventors Corner in an issue of Professional Builder and it whetted my appetite. I have done more than my fair share of cladding and weather boarding and for me it has always been a two man job. Nothing wrong with …

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New brick colour created

UK housing market

A new red brick colour has been created for the Saint-Gobain Weber External Wall Insulation (EWI) system chosen by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) for their property upgrade programme in the Dinnington area. The weber.therm XM EWI system, finished with weber.rend RB Render Brick in the new Georgian Red colour, has been created to accurately match the established red brick …

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80% of Builders Will Base EU Decision on Broader Personal Beliefs

Construction workers

More than 80% of bosses of small construction firms will overwhelmingly base their decision to remain or leave the EU on their broader personal beliefs instead of their business interests, according to a new poll by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The poll also showed that: Builders rank the UK Government’s ability to freely legislate in a way that specifically …

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Why it’s worth investing in kneepads

kneepads

In this video Roger Bisby discusses the benefits of investing in decent kneepads. Roger outlines some of the latest technology used in knee protection, including a knee pad from Snickers which incorporates D30, a shock-absorbing substance which has improved impact protection for motorcyclists and sportspeople. D3O materials in their raw state flow freely when moved slowly, but on shock, lock …

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Stabila launches telescopic spirit level

Stabila Telescopic 80T

Stabila has launched a telescopic spirit level, the Telescopic 80T, which offers the right length of level for any job while saving space in the tool bag. With one spirit level to do the work of several, the Stabila Telescopic 80T can be easily extended to the length needed, doing the job of up to three fixed-length levels in one. …

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Enterprise Act 2016 to speed claims payments

tools stolen from site

Tradespeople and small contractors struggling with late payment issues should welcome changes to the speed of commercial insurance claims payments as part of the Enterprise Act according to ECIC, the specialist insurer for the construction sector. Unnecessary delays in claims payments should be a thing of the past, with the Enterprise Bill having now become law, giving the UK’s smaller …

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Evo-Stik Expands Foam Range

fire retardant filler

Evo-Stik has added a Fire Retardant Gun Applied Expanding Foam Filler to its range of foams. Said to offer a more accurate and efficient application through the use of a gun, the fire retardant filler can be used for gap filling and insulating to prevent the transmission of smoke and is fire rated to the latest European standard DIN EN …

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UCATT to become part of Unite

UCATT members

UCATT  has voted for a merger or transfer of engagements to Unite the Union following a period of financial difficulty. The dedicated construction workers union said it made the decision in order to preserve its existing structures and to maximise the representation of construction workers in all sectors. Following the vote UCATT will now enter into full negotiations with Unite …

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There is a tide in the affairs of men: Swansea tidal lagoon should be a no-brainer

Swansea tidal lagoon

19/05/2016 A few years ago, while on a walk along the South Coast of England, I came across a place just outside Newhaven called Tide Mills. Unfortunately there is not an awful lot left to see because the British Army used it for target practice with artillery shells and they were a little too accurate. It might not have the …

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Mercedes-Benz introduces dual-clutch automatic Citan

dual-clutch automatic Citan

Mercedes-Benz Vans has introduced dual-clutch automatic transmission versions of the Citan which are priced from £15,820 and will be available from June 2016. Selected Citan 112 variants will be available to order with the new 6G-DCT automatic transmission. Citan panel van and Tourer models with the 112 petrol engine can benefit from the double clutch transmission, which combines the comfort …

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Mexco simplifies blade selection

mexco blades

I have written many articles on diamond blades over the years explaining how each type of blade works and the enduring message is that there is still no such thing as one blade that is optimised for all tasks.  As much as you might try we recognise that there is a lot of information to hold in your head when you go …

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Government approves new plastering apprenticeship standard

shortage of roofers

A new apprenticeship standard for plastering has been approved by the Government as part of the trailblazer initiative, with a new bricklaying standard to be agreed in the near future. The new standards, which have been designed as part of a collaboration led by construction SMEs from across England, will be rolled out as soon as autumn 2017. Welcoming the …

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Darlington man jailed for illegal gas work

Construction deaths rise

A Darlington man has been jailed for carrying out illegal gas work on three occasions. Teeside Magistrates’ Court heard Neil Simon McKimm (trading as Macs Plumbing Services) carried out gas work including servicing boilers. McKimm used the alias of a legitimate gas engineer to deceive his customers. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Neil McKimm …

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Just 12% of construction students becoming apprentices

ITC Concepts

Construction union UCATT has accused the government of pouring money down the drain after discovering that while 167, 000 young people started training courses for jobs in the construction industry in 2014/15, in that same year only 18,000 secured an apprenticeship in the building trades. The figures were divulged – via a UCATT Freedom of Information request – by the …

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