Demolition News Radio

When it comes to the electrification of demolition equipment, Volvo Construction is thinking outside the box and inside the building.   In this exclusive interview with Timur Abied, we discuss the potential application of electric mini excavators as a replacement for the manual labour involved in the soft stripping of structures prior to demolition and a whole lot more besides.

Volvo Construction Equipment has nailed its colours to the sustainability mast with its Change starts here initiative.   In this exclusive interview with Bill Law that was shot at the world-famous Nurburgring race circuit, we hear how the company is putting emissions reduction and sustainability at the very heart of all that it is doing.

One of the companies making the biggest splash at the recent Bauma 2022 exhibition was unquestionably Hyundai Construction Equipment Europe.   The company staked its claim as an innovation leader, showcasing its first hydrogen-fuelled excavator, electric mini excavators and even a demolition specification wheel loader.   In this exclusive interview, DemolitionNews' Mark Anthony caught up...

Equipment manufacturer Sennebogen used the Bauma 2022 exhibition as the international launch-pad for its latest demolition excavator: The 830E.   In this exclusive interview, we caught up with Sennebogen's head of Business Unit Deconstruction & Demolition Machines Alexander Sturm to find out more about the new model and what marks Sennebogen demolition machines as unique in the industry.

You never know quite where life and your career might lead.   And that is certainly true of former construction demolition man Paul Latham .  Having been diagnosed with a potentially fatal brain tumour, Latham's life took a sharp left turn.   This conversation is among my favourites of this part year - It is horrific yet life affirming; scary and yet somehow funny.   ...

The demolition and construction industry is developing at a faster pace than ever before.   New equipment, new technology and new forms of fuel are revolutionising the sector and changing the very landscape of the industry.   We have created an entirely new audio and video podcast series to chart that progress, and to help keep you abreast of these rapid and revolutionary changes. &...

The mental health crisis that has gripped the UK demolition and construction industry has divided the sector into two distinct camps. There are those that speak of their awareness; who post well-meaning social media posts on World Mental Health Day; and who appoint mental health first aiders to place a big tick on the mental health checksheet. And then there are those that take actual, tangible ac...

In the rail sector, an accident has been thoroughly investigated, findings published and recommendations announced in under a year.   In the demolition industry, we have been waiting almost seven years to learn the cause of an accident that claimed the lives of four men.   Why is there such a disparity? If you enjoyed this episode, if you got value from it or if you would like to help su...

An internal investigation, a Health and Safety Executive investigation and a corner's court enquiry have each failed to determine that cause of an accident that would ultimately lead to the death of a demolition worker.   So what really happened at Ironbridge Power Station on Valentine's Day 2021?

To mark World Mental Health Day 2022, we look at how the demolition and construction industry has chosen awareness over action; and how tis mistake is set to be repeated in the fight against on site drug and alcohol abuse.   Useful links:     The Lighthouse Club charity:  https://www.lighthouseclub.org/ Bill Hill interview:  https://youtu.be/V6zff-GIMjo Awareness vs A...

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has placed accident reporting at the very heart of its activities; and that information is now used to hep develop training.      The global demolition industry would do well to follow the access industry's lead.

We are constantly told that the UK demolition industry is suffering from a skills shortage; that we need to find another 50,000 people each year for the next decade to meet workload demands; that we need to attract more young people into the sector.    So why is the industry giving the run-around to willing workers?

In the third and final instalment of "The Boudoir Trilogy", we look back at why I was late for dinner at Gleneagles, why elderly Americans don't do black pudding, and how canny Scots hang on to their cash. If you enjoyed this episode, if you got value from it or if you would like to help support this podcast, then please consider buying the author a coffee...or two. You can do so here .

You might think the question "has the National Federation of Demolition Contractors quit Build UK" would require a simple yes or no answer.  Apparently not. If you enjoyed this episode, if you got value from it or if you would like to help support this podcast, then please consider buying the author a coffee...or two. You can do so here .

In the second episode of "The Boudoir Trilogy", I recount how a trip to Cornwall almost ended with me owning a second boxer dog and being charged with assault; and how all that led to me owning my first mobile (car) phone. If you enjoyed this episode, if you got value from it or if you would like to help support this podcast, then please consider buying the author a coffee...or two. You can do so...

This is the story of how - with a sprinkling of good fortune and thanks to a teacher that could see what I could not - I became a journalist. This is the latest instalment from Beyond the reporter's notebook.   And this is the first instalment in what I am calling "The Boudoir Trilogy". If you enjoyed this episode, if you got value from it or if you would like to help support this podcas...

Demolition and construction competence cards are on sale illegally across a variety of social media platforms.   And they're not even hiding in plain sight - They are blatantly advertising a fraudulent short-cut to card holder status. With the rise in the cost of living, it is likely that more and more industry operators and operatives will be driven towards the scammers in pursuit of th...

In this exclusive interview, DemolitionNews caught up with J2R Demolition managing director Jonathan Williams to trace the origins of his company and to analyse the specific challenges facing a regional demolition contractor in the modern age. If you enjoyed this episode, if you got value from it or if you would like to help support this podcast, then please consider buying the author a coffee...o...

Books about heavy equipment are – unfortunately - few and far between.  And good books about heavy equipment are about as common as hen’s teeth.   But a new book is about to be added to the industry pantheon.   It is written by David Wylie, an author who already has two previous equipment-related books under his belt.  The new book – Earthmovers in Europe and Australia – compri...

Gaz Evans is a former demolition equipment operator who clearly has a passion for machines and attachments.   So much so that he now works full-time producing some of the most detailed and desirable plant and attachments in the world. You can find out more here . If you enjoyed this episode, if you got value from it or if you would like to help support this podcast, then please consider buyin...

On the evening of 29 September 1913, a 55-year old man boarded the SS Dresden steamship in Antwerp, Belgium bound for London. He took dinner on board the ship and then retired to his cabin at about 10 pm, leaving word to be called the next morning at 6:15 am. But in the morning his cabin was empty.   The man was never seen alive again. That man was Rudolf Diesel, inventor of the engine t...

How the greed, stupidity and short-sightedness of the demolition and construction industry's training regime is potentially costing the sector experienced workers. You can read Demolition Duality here . If you enjoyed this episode, if you got value from it or if you would like to help support this podcast, then please consider buying the author a coffee...or two. You can do so here .

How the stress of an excavator operator training course had an unexpected effect upon a candidate.

If climate experts are to be believed, then the wildfires that swept across vast swathes of the south of England yesterday should serve as a warning; a foreboding glimpse of a potentially Hellish future. But is the demolition and construction industry prepared?

"...If the demolition and construction industry creates a climate of fear in which experienced workers are afraid to speak out lest it impact upon their career prospects, then we will have surrounded ourselves with “yes men” that will gloss over genuine safety concerns in return for ongoing employment, access to the next rung on the career ladder, and a future pay rise..." If you enjoyed this epis...