Clifford Devlin goes trackside…

January 15, 2009 General

Demolition contractor Clifford Devlin is now able to carry out lineside demolition for rail projects following its accreditation to Link Up V2 – the UK rail Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme.

The achievement followed a successful audit by Achilles in January 2009. It means Clifford Devlin is able to fully participate in construction and engineering projects for Network Rail and associated rail groups such as the London Underground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR).

“We are delighted to be able to expand our specialist demolition activities to structures located above, below and adjacent to live rail tracks,” said Managing Director, Tim Clifford, “This accreditation allows us to participate fully in rail-related projects.”

London-based Clifford Devlin specialises in delivering logistically difficult, complex, demolition projects which present challenges that arise from restricted working area and the proximity of sensitive receptors.

The company has been involved in a number of high-profile rail-related projects. It recently completed the demolition phase of an office block above Tower Hill Underground station which required the installation of waterproofing and a steel protection deck to protect the ticket office which remained open to the public throughout.

In 2004 it carried out the demolition of a two-storey building and slab structure above Brixton tube station which involved the removal of a staircase between the escalators.

Link-up is the UK rail industry supplier registration and qualification scheme. Originally established over a decade ago, Link-up has made a significant impact to the rail industry by providing a single common qualification process for suppliers that is shared by Network Rail and over 80 rail organisations including Infrastructure Management Contractors, Underground Infrastructure companies, Construction companies and all major Train and Freight Operators.

Equipment theft takes and expensive twist…

January 15, 2009 Equipment, General

UK trade magazine Contract Journal is reporting the theft of an unusual and VERY expensive item of equipment from its premises in Cannock just before Christmas.

The machine in question is a gold-plated and diamond-encrusted Caterpillar Model Sixty dozer, and is one of only 500 in the world.

Read the full story here.

Caterpillar’s health and safety resource…

January 15, 2009 General

Having had a small dig at the plant giant (below) for its ill-timed “video of the week”, it seems only fair to redress the balance and highlight something that Caterpillar does spectacularly well.

The company has created a dedicated health and safety website that is simply brimming with video and pdf download goodness.

Anyone in the demolition sector should take a particular interest in this area.

Unfortunate timing of the week…

January 15, 2009 Video

Just last week, Caterpillar announced that it has asked workers at its Desford factory in Leicestershire to do charity work and tranining as the facility underwent a four-week shut-down to reflect the sharp downturn in demand for its products.

Fast-forward to today’s launch of the otherwise impressive CAT.TV, and what is this week’s video of the week? Yep, you guessed it – A look around the visitor centre at the Desford factory.

Sadly, there is little else here that is likely to be on interest to die-hard demolition men (and women) but the video quality is excellent and I am certain we will see more from them inthe future.

New Volvo high reach…

January 14, 2009 Equipment, General

On Friday of this week, the world’s construction and demolition press will descend upon Paris for the pre-Intermat press conference during which the major manufacturers will afford them a sneak preview of the machines that will be on display at the show later in the year.

One of the most interesting machines from a demolition standpoint will be the Volvo EC360CHR ultra high reach demolition unit. Boasting 21 metres of reach, the EC360CHR joins the existing 32 metre reach EC700BHR; and is set to be followed shortly by the launch of the 27 metre reach EC460CHR.

Key features of the ultra high reach range of demolition machines:

  • A hydraulic modular joint that enables a 30 minute quick change from demolition to standard backhoe attachment, aiding high machine utilisation when not required for high reach projects. Volvo ultra high reach machines come with both demolition and digging boom and arm, with transportation cradles for both.
  • Standard, hydraulically tilting cab with up to 30 degree tilt to both enhance operator visibility when working at height and reduce fatigue and neck strain on high reach jobs.
  • Optional, extendable undercarriage – expands by 1m to ensure a more stable working platform and a 360 degree working radius.
  • Stability and safety throughout the working envelope, thanks to a long undercarriage, boom and arm holding valves and a slew limitation sensor.
  • Total Moment Indicator – warning operators if the machine approaches the maximum permissible working load.
  • Hydraulic capacity and flow to power high reach attachments – pulverizers, severe-duty grapples, hammers, shears and multi-processors.
  • 2.5 tonne tool weight capability on EC360CHR and EC460CHR; up to 3.5 tonnes on the EC700BHR.
  • Optional features include forward, boom-mounted and rear-view cameras and a reversible fan to purge the coolers from dust and debris.

Guest Blog – SWMPs…

January 14, 2009 Guest Blogs

In this, the first of our schedule of guest blogs on issues affecting the demolition industry, waste management specialist TopTriangle’s Mark Attwood gives his take on the introduction and take-up of the much-lauded Site Waste Management Plan.

It’s been 9 months since the introduction of compulsory Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP) for Demolition projects valued at over £300,000. As expected, the EA and local authorities have seen many contractors struggle with implementing SWMP’s and have shown leniency to help get waste management plans in place.

This has been a useful and necessary arrangement for many but with the year marker around the corner, there will no doubt be a shift in focus that will see enforcement authorities moving towards prosecution and away from support.
A scary thought when you consider SWMPs are still a headache for contractors as they consider:
• What paperwork needs to be filled out?
• What percentages of waste needs to be recycled?
• How to sustain waste segregation?
• What needs reporting?
• And the rest…
But as time-consuming and complex as an SWMP can seem, you need to dedicate resources to it’s completion as any company that doesn’t comply with SWMP regulations faces a fine of up to £50,000 – proportionate to the value of your project.

The good news is that, like most things, SWMPs can be outsourced to a waste management company. This allows the client to simply keep updated while saving resources and getting on with his/her work on-site.

As with anything you outsource, there are benefits to handing over an SWMP to experts. A waste management company will have the knowledge and contacts to ensure your projects stays within budget, hits ‘green’ targets and potentially earns you as much as possible from recyclate.

It’s still early days in the SWMP world so there are only a few companies that specialise in SWMP completion, one is TopTriangle Waste Management. Like others; TopTriangle Ltd will take care of any SWMP compliance worries and ensure you avoid steep fines while regulating the waste that is produced. Unlike others, they’ve been in the waste management industry for 5 years now, helping their clients cut down the amount going to landfill and reducing illegal waste activity.

All in all, if you’re appointed with the responsibility of managing on-site waste, you must have sufficient authority to make sure others comply with the SWMP plus time to put the plan together, see it through and analyse after project completion.

If you need some free info on SWMP’s, what they involve; how to set one up and the things that are often forgotten or overlooked; check out this handy and free Site Waste Management Plan Guide. It’s in plain English, is straight forward and provides the information you need to know.

Mark Attwood is CEO of TopTriangle Ltd, one of the UK’s fastest growing and most innovative waste and hire services companies. Mark has been featured on the UK’s most popular radio station, BBC Radio 2 numerous times, including the Jeremy Vine Show and Chris Evans Show. He has been profiled in the Daily Telegraph and was voted for the “Crains’ 40 under 40 Award” in 2008 as one of the most successful business people under the age of 40. He created the world’s first ever fully online skip hire service TopSkips.com in 2003 and is also the publisher and creator of the UK Skip Hire Trade Monthly, “The Skip” magazine, as featured on BBC TV.

New Haven contractors face possible writ…

January 14, 2009 General

More than two years after the New Haven Coliseum was felled by controlled implosion, both the contractor and the city of New Haven are facing legal action over damaged caused to a nearby museum.

Read the full story here and watch the implosion video below:

NFDC AGM…

January 12, 2009 General

The UK’s National Federation of Demolition Contractors will welcome its new President at its annual general meeting/luncheon in London on 6 March 2009.

Anyone wishing to attend the luncheon can find a booking form by clicking here.

JCB job losses: supplemental…

January 12, 2009 General, News

Following on from the earlier post, here is the latest update on the latest JCB job losses:

JCB GMB Works Convenor Gordon Richardson said: “The GMB at JCB UK are unfortunately informing their membership of a further wave of redundancies announced by the company today. Projected orders for the beginning of the year have not materialised and another 684 employees, including many of our members, are to lose their jobs. While we are looking at all options to challenge this proposed figure, the situation is looking extremely dire. The GMB will continue to support its membership and fight to reduce these numbers wherever possible. We are continuing to work a 34 hour week which means more than 300 of our members’ jobs remain protected. Whilst these are unprecedented times for our membership, the Joint Shop Stewards Committee for JCB UK remains extremely proud of this sacrifice and the professional attitude of all those affected. ”

Gordon W Richardson
Works Convenor
JCB World HQ

Job losses continue at JCB…

January 12, 2009 General, News

JCB today announced a further 684 redundancies in the UK primarily as a result of the lack of credit available from banks to fund machine purchases and continuing low confidence. Production in the UK in the first three months of 2009 will be around 75 per cent lower than at the same time last year and an anticipated upturn in the second quarter now shows no sign of materialising.

JCB Chief Executive Matthew Taylor said: “Back in November we forecast a moderate second quarter recovery in 2009 based on the fact that Governments around the world had pumped a huge amount of money into recapitalising financial institutions and had committed to stimulus packages which included significant spending on public construction projects.

“Two months later, despite the recapitalisation, customers are still struggling to buy machines because of a lack of available credit. And with Government-funded construction projects not moving forward quickly enough, this means the anticipated second quarter recovery simply won’t happen.
“The ongoing reluctance of the banks to provide credit is aggravating an economic downturn which is now becoming much steeper than we could have ever envisaged. This unprecedented situation needs to be addressed with some urgency so that confidence and stability can return; otherwise irreparable damage will be caused to the UK’s manufacturing industry.”

JCB’s Staffordshire plants affected by the redundancies are: the World HQ, Rocester; JCB Heavy Products, Uttoxeter; JCB Compact Products, JCB Earthmovers and JCB Cecilly Mills Operations, Cheadle and JCB Cab Systems, Rugeley. JCB Transmissions,Wrexham and JCB Power Systems, Derbyshire are also affected.

In October GMB members voted for a shorter, 34-hour working week, a move which continues to protect a further 332 shopfloor jobs. Last week – when there was no production at JCB – the company undertook its biggest-ever training initiative in its history, with more than 2,000 employees completing a programme which will result in achievement of NVQ and City and Guilds qualifications.
The latest job losses affect 593 shopfloor and 91 staff positions and are in addition to 1,000 redundancies announced since July. JCB employs around 7,900 globally, with around 4,800 in the UK. JCB has more than 4,300 employees in Staffordshire.