A young entrepreneur from Glasgow has redesigned the traditional kneepad to launch a product aimed at tradespeople which reduces pressure on the knee by 76%. Vicky Hamilton, 25, a product design engineering graduate from the University of Strathclyde, originally developed Recoil Kneepads as part of her final year project. She was inspired to help her dad, Gordon Hamilton, 48 who …

British Telecom plc (BT) has been fined £500,000 after an engineer fell seven metres from a loft in London, breaking his back and his ankles. The Old Bailey heard how a BT engineer, David Spurgeon, was fixing a telephone fault in the roof void of a residential block of flats in Tower Hamlets, East London. Mr Spurgeon was working alone …

A new apprenticeship scholarship programme has launched today, which will give two construction companies the chance to benefit from the placement of an apprentice who will be completely funded to work for them for 12 months. The initiative is being launched by the construction audit, contract and payroll provider, Hudson Contract, to celebrate its 20th anniversary and also provide opportunities …

A company based in Cardiff has been fined for safety failings during a property development which included breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Pontypridd Magistrates’ Court heard Ziman Trading Limited, formerly Ziman Investments Limited (Ziman), was acting as the principal contractor at the property development of the former New York Hotel, York Street, Porth. An investigation by the …

A Bracknell based roofer has been fined for safety failings after a complaint was made to the HSE regarding unsafe roof work. No-one was injured in the incident at Sabine Gates, Old Bracknell Lane, Bracknell on 27 August 2014, however members of the public were endangered by the potential for falling objects. Reading Magistrates’ Court heard that Terry Colwell trading …

Growth in apprenticeship numbers in Scotland could be scuppered unless the Scottish Government commits to ring-fencing the new UK-wide Apprenticeship Levy for training.

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 …

A window fitting company has been fined for safety failings after a worker falls from building a total of three metres while installing glazed units.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Jordan Daykin, the owner of GripIt fixings and the greatest success on Dragons’ Den to date, is urging fellow inventors and entrepreneurs who work in trade professions to turn their great ideas into reality by entering the Travis Perkins Innovation Awards (TPIA) before the 30th June deadline. Now a £14 million business, Jordan and his GripIt fixings are a testament …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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) …

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 …

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 …

The Building and Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council (BATJIC) has agreed a two year deal involving a 5% pay rise over two years. The announcement follows negotiations between the Federation of Master Builders, on behalf of SME construction employers, and Unite the union, on behalf of operatives. Under the terms of the deal, workers will receive a 2.5% pay rise …