Construction National

FWB's switchboard operator retires at 80 after 27 years' service

It is with warm wishes that FWB announce the retirement of Margaret Sant, their Switchboard Operator, at the age of 80 after 27 years of loyal service.

Margaret joined the company in 1990, and since then has been the first point of contact for many of FWB’s customers. Her commitment to the role, and her friendly and caring approach will be greatly missed.

Read more: FWB's switchboard operator retires at 80 after 27 years' service

60 Minute Recovery for Stolen JCB Worth £30,000

A stolen JCB 2CX Streetmaster Backhoe Loader worth £30,000 has been successfully recovered within an hour of being reported stolen, thanks to the installation of a state-of-the-art tracking device from AMI Group.

The JCB was stolen from a site in Eaton, Cheshire, and upon discovering it had been stolen, AMI’s customer immediately notified AMI and the company’s monitoring station was able to instantly access the company’s web-based Nexis platform to establish where the stolen machine had been taken by the plant thieves.

Read more: 60 Minute Recovery for Stolen JCB Worth £30,000

Energy switching project wins top prize at Housing Innovation Awards

An innovative energy switching project completed by Kensa Heat Pumps and Hanover Housing Association has won the title ‘Most Innovative Retrofit Scheme’ at the Housing Innovation Awards.

Celebrating the ‘leading lights’ in the housing sector with ‘pioneering spirit and inventive and original schemes and services’, the Housing Innovation Awards honoured Hanover and Kensa’s first joint project at a glittering ceremony in Covent Garden on the 8th February 2017.

Read more: Energy switching project wins top prize at Housing Innovation Awards

Ecobuild 2017 – regeneration is the name of the game

Ecobuild returns in March (7-9) with an overarching theme of regeneration, which will be brought to life through an immersive exhibition and conference programme that will redefine sustainability, identify future growth sectors and tackle the housing crisis. 

The leading show for built environment professionals, Ecobuild 2017 will see ExCeL London transformed into a ‘city’ – complete with a main street, distinct destinations and special feature attractions. Central to the experience will be Regeneration Drive, a boulevard running through the centre of the exhibition floor, linking different aspects of the show and enabling visitors to experience the very best examples of innovation and creativity from across the built environment.

Read more: Ecobuild 2017 – regeneration is the name of the game

Pioneering construction: celebrating innovation in the UK

Pioneering construction: celebrating innovation in the UK, is a free eBook which celebrates the amazing work going on in health and safety in the UK construction industry. From technology to mental health,pioneering cons and from training to diversity – there is a huge amount of innovation to be shared. Following on from the safest Olympics in history in London 2012, huge projects like Crossrail, Thames Tideway and HS2 are continuing a legacy of forward thinking construction. Here, a panel of experts share their experiences, opinions and best practice.

Read more: Pioneering construction: celebrating innovation in the UK

New CISRS Scaffolding Training Centres open in Oman

Safety & Access would like to announce the opening today of two new CISRS registered training facilities in Oman. The new centres situated in Nizwa and Muscat represent a very important strategic base providing support to the major oil related industries in Oman.

The new centres are opened in partnership with Oman based industrial service provider Technical Training Institute (TTI) and Training Specialist provider Knowledge Grid (KG) and offer CISRS scaffold related training including scaffolder skills, scaffold inspection and scaffolding supervisor. 

Read more: New CISRS Scaffolding Training Centres open in Oman

Lavendon Group appoints Wayne Smith as MD of Nationwide Platforms

Lavendon Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Wayne Smith as Managing Director of its UK subsidiary, Nationwide Platforms. He replaces current Managing Director, Jeremy Fish, who leaves the organisation at the end of February.

Mr Smith joined the Group in May 2016 from Aggreko undertaking the role of Corporate Strategy Director. Prior to Aggreko he undertook several Executive level roles with LaFarge in China, South East Asia and North America.

Read more: Lavendon Group appoints Wayne Smith as MD of Nationwide Platforms

York Handmade plays pivotal role in Westgate Centre redevelopment

The award-winning York Handmade Brick Company has played an important role in the radical redevelopment of the Westgate Centre in Oxford.

York Handmade, based at Alne, near Easingwold, supplied 115,000 bricks for the exterior of the flagship John Lewis store, one of the anchor tenants of the new-look Westgate Centre.

Read more: York Handmade plays pivotal role in Westgate Centre redevelopment

Record year for concrete specialist Oscrete

Bradford-based concrete admixtures specialist Oscrete fills two key management roles following major new product launches and a record year in business.

2016 proved a significant year for Oscrete, a division of Christeyns UK, with sales up by a record 22% over the previous year, marking the fifth year in succession in which Oscrete has recorded sales growth of over 20%, year on year.

Read more: Record year for concrete specialist Oscrete

Midland Lead to announce new 25-year sandcast lead guarantee at Ecobuild

Leading British lead sheet manufacturer Midland Lead is set to announce a newly awarded 25-year guarantee on its sandcast lead from the Lead Contractors Association (LCA), at this year’s Ecobuild.

The company will be on stand C129 to discuss the new guarantee throughout the event, running from 7-9 March at Excel London.

Thanks to the new guarantee, Midland Lead – the UK’s only lead manufacturer to offer a complete range of lead sheet options, including sandcast, machine cast and rolled lead – is now able to offer a guarantee across all three of its lead sheet types.

Read more: Midland Lead to announce new 25-year sandcast lead guarantee at Ecobuild