Part infomercial, part 70s porn script. Welcome to the world of the Handy Goddess.

OK, so we’re suckers for a pink hard hat, and that’s what attracted us to this Handy Goddess video.

But having now watched it through a few times, we’ve moved beyond the natty headgear and have started to notice other things like (a) her eyes are occasionally VERY scary; (b) the guy in this clip is apparently only teaching the poor defenceless woman so he can sit back and watch, and (c) the script was apparently written by a 14-year old boy asked to devise an original porn scenario.

The result is a strange, double-entendre laden video that is as informative as it is politically correct.

Near miss for 140 people as wall collapses onto neighbouring building in Quebec.

The demolition of a King Ouest building on Monday resulted in a section of an old brick wall collapsing on to the neighbouring Centre local d’emploi (Local employment centre).

According to reports, the incident took place Monday afternoon at a time when the mechanical shovels were not even in the process of demolishing the building. Bricks flew through the employment centre windows and the adjacent wall was partially damaged.

Hearing and feeling the commotion, the 140 people located inside the building immediately began evacuating. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.

Authorities from Quebec’s Worker Health and Safety Commission (CSST) were on the scene Tuesday to assess the damage, which has been estimated at $200,000. The structure of the employment centre appears intact, however it remained closed today as a precautionary measure.

Preservationists call a halt to planned demolition of Pittsburgh Civic Arena.

Officials in Pittsburgh have approved plans to knock down the longtime home of the Pittsburgh Penguins but demolition is on hold while a petition to grant the arena historic status is reviewed.

The Pittsburgh Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of demolition for the Civic Arena. But immediately after the vote a resident filed a petition to have the 49-year-old structure designated as a historic building.

The petition is supported by two groups who want the arena left intact and reused. Pittsburgh’s Historic Review Commission and City Council would both have to approve the petition.

Read more here.

National Demolition Training Group responds to industry needs.

The programme consists of the fundamental basic training that any new employee should have before commencing demolition works or in some instances, before entering site.

“On completion of the four training sessions, candidates will have gained basic knowledge of the demolition industry & awareness training in Key Health & Safety issues,” says training group manager Sophie Francis. “They will also be issued with a CCDO/CSCS Site Operative Card (Trainee) which is the industry recognised standard for new operatives on site.”

Francis reports that this is a four-day block programme that will commence on Tuesday 7 December 2010 and finish on Friday 10 December 2010. The following subjects will be covered.

• Asbestos & Demolition Awareness
• Working @ Height
• Working @ Low Levels- Low Access Equipment
• Abrasive Wheels
• Non-Licensed Asbestos Removal. Exc. Textured Coatings
• Manual Handling

The CSCS Health & Safety Touch Screen Test can also be taken as part of the course.

Course Costs start at £450 + VAT for NFDC and NDTG members, rising to £500 + VAT for non members.
The course will take place at The NDTG Training Centre which features top of the range facilities.

National Federation on Demolition Contractors looks North with its second Demolition Day.

Following the success of its inaugural Demolition Day conference and exhibition in London last month, the National Federation of Demolition Contractors is taking its show on the road and heading for Manchester’s Lowry Theatre on 11 May 2011 for Demolition Day 2.

The Federation has this afternoon released the agenda for the second event, which can be found here.

UK contractor helps rescue roof of local landmark.

Following the recent announcement by Swindon Borough Council that it was stepping in to save the unsafe roof of the former Mechanics Institute in the town, local demolition specialist Lawson Group was drafted in to rescue the roof of the local landmark building before it collapsed completely.

Lawson Demolition deployed a team of operatives to carefully dismantle the unsafe part of the roof by hand, whilst preserving the Grade II listed façade of the building by erecting a façade retention scaffold, and forming a cut line to keep the safe part of the roof from falling in.

Traffic around the historic site had to be diverted as Lawson Demolition employed the use of an 85 and a 50 tonne crane for access and removal of materials from the roof. The operatives removed the temporary roof covering and damaged roof timbers whilst the stability of the building was monitored by council approved surveyors. Lawson Demolition completed works on the site when the roof was declared safe following the complex and detailed work carried out.

Spectrum demolition gets off to slow start as wrecking balls fails to make an impact.

It’s been a long time coming and was heralded by widespread media coverage. But when demolition work finally got underway at Philadelphia’s Spectrum stadium, it was something of a damp squib as the wrecking ball had about as much impact as a toffee hammer on a battleship.

Still, at least it’s an excuse to hear Bruce Springsteen sing Wrecking Ball again:

Philadelphia says last goodbye to sports arena before demolition begins.

Demolition is scheduled to begin Tuesday on the Spectrum, which hosted more than 40 years of professional sports and entertainment.

A four-ton wrecking ball will strike the Spectrum around noon. Many spectators are expected to watch the Spectrum’s demise, including some of the sports legends who played there.

Philadelphia sports greats “Doctor J” Julius Erving, Bobby Clarke and Bernie Parent will be there for a special ceremony. The Spectrum, of course, is the former home of the Flyers and 76ers, which long ago moved to a more modern facility next door now known as the Wells Fargo Center.

However, the Spectrum continued to host entertainment events and minor league hockey until last year. The rock group Pearl Jam played the last show there on Oct. 31, 2009.

The arena is being demolished to make way for a retail, restaurant and entertainment complex.

Read more here or watch the FoxPhilly video below:

Video footage of Canberra bridge implosion.

City officials said that the implosion of an Australian road bridge was “not a public spectacle“, but that didn’t prevent local TV news crews from turning up to capture some footage of the demolition this weekend.

A look back at an edition of Demolition & Dismantling magazine from 30 years ago.

For such a forward-looking industry, demolition seems to have an incredible affinity with the past, a fact highlighted by the popularity of our previous Nostalgia Corner magazine and video posts.

So we thought it was about time we brought you another blast from the past, this time in the form of an edition of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors’ Demolition & Dismantling magazine from the spring of 1980. Among the highlights of this edition is a celebration of the first anniversary of the Demolition Training Group and the ubiquitous semi-naked woman on the front cover.

So grab yourselves a coffee and take a trip down memory lane.