Despite media suggestions to the contrary, demolition contractors are acting on orders

I know this is site is called Demolition News and that, as the name suggests, our job is to bring you the latest news from the world of demolition. But, every once in a while (and it does seem to happen most often on a Friday) I am overtaken by the need to vent my spleen; a pre-weekend catharsis if you will.

So what has fallen under my steely gaze this time I hear you sigh, perhaps more in abject dejection than genuine interest?

Well, I’ll tell you. I am seriously hacked off with the media: the newspapers; magazines; TV and radio channels that occasionally turn their unknowing, inaccurate and downright ignorant spotlight on this industry of ours.

Now, before anyone reaches for the keyboard to point out that I am part of the media, let’s set that aside for one second. For what I am talking about here is the media from an “outsiders looking in” perspective and not about someone who spends almost as much time in and around demolition as those he writes about (and hey, this is my site and I can make exceptions to suit my own ends).

For years, I have tolerated the media’s almost total refusal to find out more about this business of ours. I have tutted loudly as a TV news reporter has talked of “the bulldozers moving in” when there’s a wheel loader directly behind him; I have shaken my head in disappointment when a newspaper article refers to a wrecking ball and shows a photo of an excavator; and I have cringed as highly complex explosive demolition work is dismissed as “blowing stuff up”.

But what has genuinely got my goat, ruffled my feathers, rattled my cage and just generally pissed me off this time is the apparent belief among the media that demolition contractors are some form of uncontrollable marauding force that blunders about the place demolishing any structure it takes a dislike to.

Such suggestions are generally the lead into an article or news item about how local residents are up in arms (they’re always up in arms, aren’t they) about the demolition of some much-loved local landmark.

Now forgive me for stating the obvious, but to the best of my knowledge, no demolition contractor has ever randomly marked a structure for destruction. The demolition of any structure comes as a result of months and even years of planning and negotiation, 95% of which doesn’t even involve the demolition contractor.

Which makes me wonder – exactly where were the up-in-arms merchants when the local authority liaison or planning meetings were taking place? Were they, perhaps, sat at home waiting for the sound of bulldozers (that’s an excavator buddy, OK!) to trigger them into action?

Public ignorance of the demolition business is forgivable and altogether understandable. They have been raised on a series of TV exclusives in which buildings are blown up (down, surely) and fed a constant diet of ill-informed coverage of high profile demolition contracts by – yep, you guessed it – the media.

The crazy thing is, there’s no excuse for such media ignorance. If they’ve been to a site, surely they could have taken an extra thirty seconds to make sure that the terminology they were using was, in fact, correct. And even if they haven’t there are plenty of experts off and online that would be only too willing to guide them through.

But then I guess it’s hard to fit research into a celebrity-creating/celebrity-baiting agenda. Let’s face it, demolition, the people it employs and its ability to shape our landscape is way less important than Britney Spears’ latest breakdown….right?

Oh, and by the way British media types: it’s only called a JCB if it says so on the machine; that Caterpillar logo really should be a clue!

National Demolition Association offers final few places at Demolition Academy.

The Demolition Academy – an intensive safety and management training program of the National Demolition Association – has spaces remaining for this year’s event at the OSHA Training Institute in Arlington Heights, IL, October 14-16.

The schedule of events for the Demolition Academy includes a Demolition-Specific OSHA 10-Hour Certification and well as in-depth training in fall protection, accident investigation, confined space, and aerial lift training. There is also an option for a full-day management training workshop.

The National Demolition Association’s Demolition Academy gives participants a wide selection of options for attending the event for one, two, or all three days. The pre-registration deadline is October 7. For more information, contact the association at info@demolitionassociation.com.

The online Demolition City game is back in a new, upgraded format.

Those sadists at Armor Games have upgraded the Demolition City game, apparently with the sole aim of destroying not buildings but office productivity.

As many of you will recall, Demolition News was gripped by Demolition City fever just a few months ago. In fact, we even went as far as to launch our own unofficial Demolition City World Championships. However, having proved that us 40-somethings are no match for the gaming upstarts of the online world, the dust settled and we slowly went back to using our computers for something altogether more sensible….well, Twitter.

However, the developers of the game have upgraded it to a version 2 format which is even more frustrating, difficult and time-absorbing.

Demolition City 2 can be found here. But please, if you value your work or personal time, career or relationships, we beg of you….don’t try this at home…or in the office….or at an Internet cafe.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Demolition crew forced to take down part of a mill building damaged by fire.

A team of demolition experts has been called in to make the scene of a dramatic mill fire safe. Firefighters battled a blaze at the disused industrial premises in Bolton near Manchester on Tuesday night.

A dozen neighbouring properties had to be evacuated and four families had to spend the night with family and friends. All of them were allowed home on Wednesday morning.

Now a specialist team has demolished the most unstable part of the building.

Read the full story here and here.

The mighty Caterpillar is the latest company to join our Business Directory.

I am proud and constantly amazed at how quickly Demolition News has grown in the mere 12 months it has been in existence. The number of subscribers increases almost daily; the traffic levels are off the chart compared to just a few months ago; and, perhaps best of all, we’re getting more and more positive feedback both in the comments and in direct emails.

However, we have just received some news that has put all our previous achievements and development milestones in the shade.

Caterpillar, the world’s largest and most-respected construction equipment manufacturer, just joined our Business Directory.

We thank them (and all our other Business Directory members) for their support. It means a huge amount to everyone at Demolition News that our efforts are being recognised by companies of this stature.

Demolition company owner pleads guilty to asbestos violations.

Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine today reports that Gary Fillers, the owner of the demolition and salvage firm Watkins Street Project LLC, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee has pleaded guilty in federal court for conspiring to violating the Clean Air Act’s work practice standards related to the proper stripping, bagging, removal and disposal of asbestos.

Read the full story here and here.

Excavator falls victim to basement collapse on Philadelphia site.

As you know, we here at Demolition News are keen advocates of the social networking site, Twitter. Not only does it allow us to find out what our favorite celebrities have eaten for lunch, it’s also a useful source of interesting facts, figures and, in this instance, photos.

We are still trying to find more details. All we know so far is that the incident occurred earlier today during the demolition of the former Quint’s Army & Navy store in Scranton, Philadelphia. We’ll bring you more details as they arrive.

Pink hard hats? What is the world coming to…?

Pink access platforms are one thing; but pink hard hats? OK, I know I have worn a kilt (strictly in the line of research, you understand) and that my wardrobe probably does contain more than its fair share of pastel shades and floral prints than is probably normal for a man of my unquestionable heterosexuality.

But even I would draw the line at a pink hard hat…Or would I?

In truth the pink hard hats – as sported by these rufty-tufty construction types – are in a good cause; raising awareness of breast cancer to be precise.

More than 100 construction workers gathered at St. Pancras station in London today, donning pink helmets to mark the start of national breast cancer awareness month. The Emcor UK workers were taken from the St. Pancras Chambers site which is currently being re-developed.

Read the full story here.

Skid steer loader giant Bobcat unveils new range of combination buckets.

A new family of combination buckets is now available for Bobcat skid-steer, compact tracked and all-wheel steer loaders. Comprising five models with widths from 157 to 213 cm (62 to 84 in), the new combination buckets replace the buckets previously offered in these sizes and complement the existing 112 cm (44 in) and 140 cm (55 in) wide buckets.

Designed for diverse applications in construction, landscaping, demolition and recycling, the combination bucket is a versatile tool acting as several attachments in one. Used as a normal bucket, the combination bucket digs, carries, loads and dumps material. However, the clamshell section of the bucket can be opened and closed over material to fill the bucket, a feature especially useful for clean-up work. Moreover, the clamshell can be opened to release the material without having to tip the bucket forward, an important advantage when unloading into high board trucks.

Video of wrecking ball cable being changed; far better than it sounds.

We have been trying to get our hands on this video for months now but, with one thing and another, it hasn’t happened. However, our friends over at Stephen SetteDucatti Photography have just made this available. And we think you’ll agree it’s been worth the wait.