Skill Builder’s ‘Day in the life’ feature takes a look at a typical day in the life of different tradespeople. In this installment we talk to Carpenter and Joiner Robin Clevett. Name: Robin Clevett Trade: Carpenter and Joiner What time does your day start? Usually around 6am. What gets you out of bed in the morning? My mortgage!!! What does …

Construction is set for growth over the next five years with carpenters, electricans and insulators among those to benefit most according to a new forecast  from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). The Construction Skills Network (CSN) report, predicts growth of 1.7% over the next five years, with 179,000 jobs to be created – a better outlook than was predicted …

Baxi has joined forces with Expert Trades to try and make life easier for its installers, by helping them to win more business and spend less time on admin and paperwork. Expert Trades was set up in 2013 to provide tradespeople with business tools (accessible online and via an app) to help them manage and grow their businesses more effectively. …

Gas safety failings of a Preston Landlord lead to a suspended prison sentence after failing to ensure gas appliances were checked for safety.

Prices have been announced for the all-new Volkswagen Crafter, with UK Van Centres now taking orders ahead of the van’s launch in April. The all-new Crafter, International Van of the Year for 2017 is powered by a new 2.0-litre TDI (EU6) engine, developed specifically for commercial vehicles, which is available with four power outputs: 102, 122, 140 and 177 PS. …

With a growing demand for building services and a lack of fresh talent coming in, the construction industry has a momentous few years ahead.

Roger Bisby regrets not having used  the Cyclone Paint Stirrer earlier. This little stainless steel stirrer has been sitting in my goods in bay for a few months now and, even though I have used quite a lot of paint  in that time I have not thought to use it.  To be honest I was thinking “It’s a stirrer, put …

Kier Living has secured one of the largest allocations of funds from the Housing and Communities Agency with an allocation of £41.9 million to build just over 1,700 new shared ownership homes in England over the next four years. The contract is a part of a £1.28bn first round allocation from the Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme 2016 to …

Ian Anfield, Managing Director for construction audit and contract provider, Hudson Contract, provides his predictions for the industry in 2017. “There’s no escaping the fact that Brexit will dominate the news and political agenda in 2017 and will have a massive impact on UK construction. This is primarily because we rely so heavily on EU labour to man our construction …

Roger Bisby tries out the Muck Truck, a pedestrian operated motorised power barrow which is designed to carry three times that of a normal wheelbarrow and will shift loads of up to one quarter of a ton. It is a while now since I tested a Muck-Truck. Last time it was a battery powered machine that surprised me by taking …

UK boiler manufacturer Baxi has launched a charity calendar for 2017 featuring children’s drawings that send a serious message to grown-ups. The calendar features 12 different pictures, drawn by children of Baxi colleagues. Each one offers a safety tip designed to make sure their parents come home safely. The children’s top tips include not using a mobile phone while driving, …

A pre-Christmas zero-tolerance nationwide crackdown on fly-tippers is underway  – as councils up and down the country use new powers to seize and crush vehicles used by the dumpers. Councils are also calling for a legal loophole – which means enforcement officers have to give some fly-tippers seven days written warning before inspecting them and seizing evidence – to be …

For children, the school summer holidays can seem to stretch on forever. However, if you’re a contractor brought in to carry out building work during the summer break, you’re all too aware of just how quickly six weeks can pass. William Cooper was one such contractor, facing a tight window for project delivery when it was hired to refurbish the …

Every year, construction workers suffer from eye injuries ranging from temporary sight loss to long-term impaired vision and even blindness. Julien Clair, product manager for eyewear at Honeywell Industrial Safety, outlines the key measures required for effective eye protection.   What are the hazards? Construction sites create a significant risk for eye injuries. Every day, workers face a myriad of …

The GBH 18V-26 Professional and GBH 18V-26 F Professional are the latest additions to the Bosch range of 18v rotary hammers with EC motors. Both generate an impact energy of 2.6 joules – 50 percent more than the current strongest 18 volt rotary hammer. This makes them comparable with corded tools such as the GBH 2-26 Professional. This is where …

Ford has revealed exclusive new variants of the Transit Custom one-tonne commercial vehicle. The new Transit Custom Colour Edition van offers four colour schemes that feature contrasting roof, mirror caps, skid plate and side stripes, along with unique black 17‑inch alloy wheels. The Transit Custom Sport series van with its signature twin bonnet stripes is also now available in a …

Volkswagen Van Centres across the UK have started taking orders for the new Amarok model which is priced from £32,493 (RRP OTR). Replacing the previous model’s 2.0-litre TDI engine, the new Amarok features a 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine, making it the only six-cylinder model in the segment. The top-of-the-range version of this 3.0-litre V6 delivers 224 PS and 550 Nm …

The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, HHIC together with the boiler manufacturers has this month launched the ‘Retro Boiler’ Label. The scheme aims to tackle the UK’s 9 million inefficient boilers by raising awareness of boiler efficiency with consumers. Registered gas engineers are now issuing an energy efficiency label, a ‘Retro Boiler’ label, on all non-condensing boilers with a permanent …

Roger Bisby wears JCB’s latest trousers. JCB has introduced two stand out work trousers to its range. The Camo trousers are a popular look for builders, especially those who enjoy country sports, but these are dedicated work trousers. They have knee pad pockets and a zipped thigh pocket but no external pouches so they wouldn’t look out of place in …

UCATT is calling on the construction industry to introduce extreme weather health and safety guidelines because the industry is blighted by the inhumanity of the industry towards workers. UCATT is concerned that workers must struggle through zero temperatures, risk their health on icy ground or scaffold, or endure torrential downpours for up to 12 hours at a time while the …