I have been a vocal advocate for the sharing the details of near-misses, incidents and accidents. I fully endorse the initiative started by incumbent Institute of Demolition Engineers’ president Richard Dolman to share those details as widely as we currently share best practice. And I am firmly of the belief that each incident, accident or…Read moreRead more
Comment
Comment – Time to grow a pair…
Comment – Open in the event of a downturn
During the After Show Party on Friday’s episode of The Break Fast Show, the question of the day was this: “Is the UK construction sector heading for a recession?” The simple answer to this question is, of course, yes. It always is. Any time the sector enjoys a peak, it pays to scan the horizon…Read moreRead more
Comment – Divided. Conquered.
For decades, the demolition and construction industry has carved itself into little fiefdoms; exclusive members clubs that were open to a few but closed to the many. The scaffolders are over there in their scaffolding silo; the piling contractors are over there in theirs; the groundworkers in theirs and – of course – at least…Read moreRead more
Opinion – Red Dawn, Red Dusk
So the Russian bear has awoken with a sore head from its hibernation and is once again threatening those around it. For those of us that lived through the 1980s – a period in which every movie villain spoke with a thick Russian accent – this surely comes as no surprise even though it appears…Read moreRead more
Opinion – Six is the new Four
On Wednesday last week, I was invited onto a BBC South news show that marked the sixth anniversary of the Didcot Disaster. The show was recorded remotely: a TV researcher in Oxfordshire; and me at home in Surrey. While sound engineers were checking recording levels, the researcher asked why I had pursued this disaster with…Read moreRead more
Comment – Demolition’s opportunity to reset…
Just over a year ago, before The Break Fast Show was delivered unto the world, I had spent about 10 months producing the Demolition Daily LiveStream show. It was on that show where I knocked off at least some of the rough edges and learned the livestreaming process. That show was born out of necessity…Read moreRead more
Opinion – Six years of suffering
Maybe I should have paced myself. Maybe I should have squirrelled away some meaningful words, a nifty yet profound turn of phrase. And maybe, if I had thought we might still be talking about the lack of resolution to the investigation into the Didcot Disaster that claimed the lives of four demolition workers in 2016,…Read moreRead more
Comment – Perfect icing, rotten cake
On Wednesday night, to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, I co-hosted a marathon live video show on the subject of skills, training and apprenticeships. That show gathered together some of the most forward-thinking companies and organisations in the construction sphere (It is notable that the training providers were not among them). Over the course of…Read moreRead more
Comment – Death double-standard
Imagine if four men were killed in a mass stabbing incident. An urgent investigation would take place beneath the glare of the media spotlight. If there was no quick resolution, questions would be raised. Ultimately, there would be calls for the resignation of the relevant head of police. Imagine if four people were killed in…Read moreRead more
Comment – G’day to Aussie interlopers…
During the course of my 30+year journalistic career, I have been fortunate enough to visit demolition companies and sites on four continents and in more countries than I can actually remember. I can tell you that some were good, some were not so good, and some were truly outstanding. I can also tell you that…Read moreRead more
