Demolition News Radio

Through global pandemics, political turmoil and economic upheaval, 2020 has been a God-awful year for just about all of us.   But it has also been a year of learning opportunities. And we will be applying those lessons in 2021 and beyond.   Will you?

You could be mistaken for thinking that technology is the solution to all our work challenges and concerns. But is that the reality? That’s the subject up for discussion on the latest episode of Demolition News Radio.

If a near miss is a learning opportunity, why is it that one industry wears its near-misses on its sleeve while another remains determined to keep them away from prying eyes? That is a question we will examine next, on the NEW Demolition News podcast.

Last night, I listened to a Content with Media podcast that talked about how the construction industry charity - The Lighthouse Club - is attempting to help workers and their families impacted by the Coronavirus whilst trying to plug a financial hole in the charity's coffers also caused by the pandemic.     Today's episode of the Demolition Daily LiveStream is my reaction to that po...

In today's episode, we look at the industry's response - or lack thereof - to the COVID-19 threat and the ongoing failure to close all non-essential sites. We also welcome guests Mike Kehoe of &D Consultancy and David Cant of Veritas Consulting to discuss the health and safety implications of the Coronavirus and how this outbreak might change attitudes in the future.

We have a bumper edition of the Demolition Daily LiveStream for you today with no less than three (count them, THREE) guests. This episode features Danny Kearney of Prosafe Consultants who talks about the likely mental health impact of the current COVID19 lockdown upon demolition and construction workers.  We speak to self-employed and self-funded excavator operator Nigel Williams who yesterd...

Although this episode suffered an attack of the gremlins halfway through, the content of our latest daily LiveStream is still worth a listen. Our guest - operator Nigel Williams - was cut-off in the midst of all this so we will be revisiting him soon.

In direct response to the COVIFD-19 outbreak, DemolitionNews has committed to producing a daily LiveStream to help keep the industry informed during this unprecedented criss. The first issue is reproduced in audio-only format here ( you can watch the video edition here ). We will be broadcasting live on our Facebook page each day at 3pm (UK time).   You can watch, comment and even appear...

The National Federation of Demolition Contractors was born out of the Second World War; the industry coming together for the greater good to make safe buildings damaged in the Blitz on London. And now, as the country finds itself facing the COVID-19 threat, that same spirit is driving a campaign to source vital PPE for front-line NHS staff. That campaign is led by Paul Ford of DE Group, and by Can...

Expecting major and Tier 1 construction companies to adopt and abide by a fair payment scheme that truly benefits their sub-contractors and suppliers is like asking turkeys to vote in favour of Christmas and Thanksgiving. In truth, the only way that SMEs - which make up around 85 percent of the UK construction industry - will see an improvement in payment terms and an end to slow payments and rete...

On 17 March 2020, the demolition world's favourite demolition TV show returns to Quest TV. Scrap Kings returns bigger and better then ever before.   Ahead of the new series, we caught up with series producer Nigel Gainsborough to find out what the new series has in store.

It was a short month, plagued by atrocious weather.   The Coronavirus was giving economists the jitters around the world.   And the UK construction industry ignored all of that to notch up more than £7.0 billion in new contract to build upon the £7.8 billion logged in January 2020. Builders's Conference CEO Neil Edwards looks over the figures as the Demolition News Radio Busine...

It is four years since the boiler house collapsed prematurely at the Didcot A Power Station.   That is 208 weeks since the worst demolition accident in living memory.   1,459 days since Ken Cresswell, John Shaw, Michael Collings, and Christopher Huxtable were ripped from the bosom of their respective families, never to return.    But we are no closer to discovering th...

From the development of driver aids and in-cab technology to the implementation of changes to the training and legislative landscapes, much of what we consider "progress" is carried out without the input of those that will ultimately have to live with it - The machine operators. In this brand-new episode, we speak to CPCS blue card operator Nigel Williams about everything from GPS accreditation to...

If you're an Institute of Demolition Engineers member living or working in and around the Midlands, gaining your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points is as simple as attending one of the many regional meetings held locally.   If you live and work elsewhere, however, CPD points are less easy to come by. But there is an alternative.   And while it does carry a cost, t...

Chances are, you know how much it will cost to get your latest demolition contract across the finish line.    But do you know how much it has cost to get it to the star line?

In the second episode of the all-new Demolition Promotion podcast, we look at why your accreditations, qualifications and certifications might just be the most important items on your company's website and why they should be featured front and centre. Demolition Promotion is exclusive to the Demolition News Radio network.

The history of your company is an enormous source of pride, I am sure.   But they year in which your company was founded is of little or no interest to potential clients and has no place on the home page of your website. Welcome to the first-ever edition of the all-new Demolition Promotion podcast, exclusive to the Demolition News Radio network.

Buying and selling equipment at auction offers an excellent alternative for the discerning demolition company.    And, if you know what you're doing and what you're looking for, there are bargains to be had. In this exclusive episode - which features guest presenter Peter Haddock - Ritchie Bros' sales director Rupert Craven offers some timely advice on buying and selling at auction;...

Training Talk is BACK with a new sponsor, now format, and a funky new logo. The first episode of Season 2 features the show's new sponsor - ProTrainings - which is pioneering the use of "blended training" to make training more engaging and more accessible for students, and more cost effective for demolition companies.

Following a spate of high profile scaffold collapses in the UK demolition sector, Richard Dolman - managing director of AR Demolition and vice president of the Institute of Demolition Engineers - has spoken out about how scaffolding is utilised within the demolition environment. In this exclusive interview, he expresses his fears and concerns.

When I met up with Robert Young, he had just been promoted to the position of development director at Downwell Group; so he had every right to be positive, upbeat and even ecstatic. But he wasn’t. In fact, as you will hear from the conversation that follows, Robert has some very serious concerns about the state of the UK demolition industry; about the procurement process; and about pricing. And we...

An extended interview with Holly Price, newly-elected president of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors that covers everything from Brexit and mental health awareness to industry diversity and training.

Regular readers of the Demolition magazine will know that, earlier this year, I was at Caterpillar’s training and demonstration area in Malaga, Spain for a major international press launch of a number of new products including the new Cat 340 SB straight boom demolition excavator. As ever, Caterpillar was the consummate host. The equipment was impressive, the weather was warm and the hospitality w...

Telematics don’t get a bad press. In fact, in many instances, it gets no press at all. You see, the problem is, advances in this area tend to get lost amongst details of new machine launches. Which is a shame, because telematics is perhaps the most dynamic part of the demolition and construction equipment market right now. It is developing faster than any other aspect of the plant industry, and it...