CIWM Awards 11/11/09

This years CIWM awards are being held on 11/11/09 at the Dorchester Hotel in London and there is still time to get your entry in.

Awards that will be of interest to the demolition sector are:-

Construction and Demolition: Product Use
This award will recognise the use of sustainable materials in construction projects of any size and nature.

Construction and Demolition: Site Management
Rewarding the management of materials of materials during demolition and construction, based around the newly implemented site waste management plans.

Apply by visiting www.ciwmawards.com and download an application form. Closing date for entries is 28 August 2009.

Remember, you cannot win if you don’t enter.

Another preventable demolition death

The IIRSM newsletter is reporting that a company from Omagh has been fined £30,000 for breaches of Health & Safety Regulations.

The case was brought against PFG Plant Hire Ltd after Oliver Rutledge died when part of a wall that he was demolishing fell onto him. Another employee sustained minor injuries.

The accident happened at a construction site in County Tyrone in January 2008.

The HSE Northern Ireland (HSENI) said that the company had not completed a sufficient risk assessment and that they had not developed an adequate safe system of work for their employees.

“It is vital that all companies properly identify and address hazards within the workplace and implement systems to minimise and control risks” said Kevin Campbell of HSENI. “These systems need to be communicated to the workforce, implemented, maintained, and updated when necessary”.

CDM 2007 was supposed to help to reduce fatalities but once again we have a death that could have been prevented by use of trained, competent labour and a full understanding of their CDM duties by a principal contractor.

And the IDE Autumn Seminar speakers are...

The IDE has announced the guest speakers for the Autumn Seminar to be held on September 25th at One Great George Street in London’s Westminster.

The confirmed list includes:

- Ruud Schreijer of Ruusch Super High Reach Machines is coming over from Holland to talk about the World’s biggest High Reach machine and how they see High Reach moving forward.

- Stuart Marchand of Wentworth House Partnership will be talking about demolition from a structural engineer’s viewpoint.

- Rainer Cremer is coming over from Germany to talk about chimney demolition by robotic machines.

- Dick Green is making a welcome return to talk about demolition by explosives in India.

- Peter Jones will offer an alternative viewpoint in the disposal of composite panels

Arne Marx will also be in attendance.

If you would like to attend tickets are available now by visiting www.ide.org.uk

Working Wednesdays for NFDC and NDTG members

The September 2009 Working Wednesday mini-seminar details have been announced with the following line-up:

14.30 to 16.00 - BRE workshop on the disposal of Ozone Depleting roof sheeting
16.00 to 17.00 – NFDC solution to the issue of utility service disconnections

The seminars are free to members and will be held at Resurgam House in Hemel Hempstead on 16 September.

If you wish to attend contact training group manager Sophie Francis either by phone or e-mail:
E-mail: Sophie@demolition-nfdc.com
Tel: 01442 217144

Bloom Plant Limited Charity Chimney Blowdown

Bloom Plant Ltd of Askham Road, East Markham, Newark, NG22 0RG are hoping to raise thousands of pounds for charity by selling tickets to “push the button” to demolish a chimney by explosives.

The NFDC company are carrying out the blowdown of two 170 ft chimneys at their site at Haworth, next to Haworth Colliery on Friday 28th August at noon.

Money raised is to go to Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and it is planned that one chimney will be “blown” by a patient from the hospice with the other chimney “blown” by the lucky ticket owner.

Tickets are £20 each or a book of 5 for £100 and are available from Bloom Plant by post or email.

Cheques should be made out to Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

Further details can be found at by emailing Bloom Plant joechilds@bloomplant.co.uk

If you don’t win the raffle why not go along to see the blast as there are plenty of public viewing areas available on the day when a collection will be taken for loose change to increase the amount of money raised.

Shropshire Star highlights John as a favourite tweeter

The Shropshire Star has chosen our own John Woodward as one of their favourite tweeters and decided to feature him on their website.

If you want to get a bit more information about the man behind the tweets take a look at the paper's "Meet the demolition man" article.