News

Research conducted by housing charity Shelter has revealed that hundreds of renters – including those living in bigger, urban areas – are living in slum-like conditions due to damp, mould, infestation and electrical issues. The report, from Shelter and YouGov, took statements from 300 tenants across the Manchester region. The majority expressed concern about ongoing struggles with damp and mould …

Festool, the supplier of high-end power tools and accessories, has teamed up with the British Lung Foundation (BLF) to provide top quality cycling tops as a fundraising initiative.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

CMF Ltd has been fined after 31-year-old sub-contractor Richard Laco died when working on large construction project in London. Southwark Crown Court heard that Richard had been contracted by CMF to work on the Frances Crick Institute project. He was fatally crushed on 6 November 2013 by a concrete staircase that was in the process of being installed. An investigation …

Two roofing contractors have been sentenced after putting their workers at risk of harm during roof replacement works in Oldham. MKM Fabrications Ltd had been employed as the principal contractor to carry out a roof replacement on one of the buildings at Valley Mills, Millgate, Delph, Oldham which is currently used for textile production. The company subcontracted part of the …

Small construction firms enjoyed rising workloads in the first quarter of 2017, despite growing concerns over the cost of labour and materials, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Key results from the FMB’s State of Trade Survey for Q1 2017, which is the largest quarterly assessment of the UK-wide SME construction sector, include: •    UK construction SME workloads …

A group of staff at Covers depots in Chichester, Gosport & Portsmouth have raised a total of £564 for Comic Relief after undertaking a range of activities.

An Essex company who are specialists in gas infrastructure have been fined after an employee suffered serious injury when a pipe fell into the trench he was working in and struck him. Maidstone Crown Court heard how an employee of Forefront Utilities Limited had entered a trench in Rochester, Kent to connect gas pipes. The new pipes were rested on …

A Birmingham electrician has been ordered to carry out unpaid work in the community after his trainee fell three and a half metres through a plasterboard ceiling. Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard that the apprentice electrician, Soheil Afrapour, spent 23 days in hospital after suffering head injuries. He was installing wiring above the false ceiling for Mr Soheil Alipour. A Health …