Crusher bucket specialist Dig A Crusher has added a magnet to its growing range.

We have featured products from Dig A Crusher on these pages before. In fact, Dig A Crusher managing director Sean Heron was among the first to volunteer to be featured in a Demolition News audio podcast. But we do like to keep an eye on companies that are constantly innovating, either with new products or better ways to utilise existing products.

Take for example the company’s new Dig A Magnet, an electro-magnet retrofit attachment for the existing Dig A Crusher 900 crusher bucket, that facilitates efficient segregation of steel scrap from demolition waste stream, making it ideal for metal reclamation, separation and salvage applications.

Sean Heron has just added a new video of this product in action which you can view by clicking here. We’d love to know what you think.

According to a new study, a third of all UK demolition contractors are operating at a loss; and around 250 will struggle to survive the current recession.

The latest edition of the respected Plimsoll Report into the major players in the UK demolition industry is out now. And while we haven’t managed to get our hands on a review copy (rest assured, we ARE trying) the headlines do make interesting if not worrying reading.

According to the brief synopsis we have seen so far, the study analyses emerging threats and opportunities in the UK demolition market, and has named 255 aggressive firms that you will need to be aware of in 2009.

Having apparently analysed some 850 individual companies, the report also identifies:

• 255 aggressive companies are chasing sales at the expense of prudence

• 179 of these companies are perfect takeover targets

• 251 demolition contractors are in financial danger and will struggle to survive

• Competitive pressure is now so intense, a third of companies are making a loss

This brand new edition of the report not only analyses each company in detail over two pages, but each company is valued too. Each company in the report is rated on their attractiveness as an acquisition showing at a glance the best prospects in the market as well as those rated danger.

Normally priced £350+VAT, this brand new report is available to order now, priced just £300+VAT for a PDF version.

To order a copy, please email Clair Sherwood-Parkin at: c.sherwood@plimsoll.co.uk or call on Tel: (01642) 626400

We’d love to hear your comments on this worrying report; please use the Comments tool below to let us know what you think.

We have secured some additional footage from Erith’s mammoth site in Northfleet

Kent-based Erith Group, one of the UK’s leading demolition contractors, is currently in the midst of what is believed to be Europe’s largest demolition project at the former Lafarge cement works at Northfleet. In this exclusive video, Demolition News provides an insight into the sheer magnitude of the site and gets a few words from Erith’s managing director and National Federation of Demolition Contractors president, David Darsey.

A free online game challenges demolition engineers to tackle some infuriating explosive tasks.

Warning – What we’re about to tell you might just undermine your productivity! We have just stumbled across a free, online game called Demolition City in which you use your mouse to place explosives to bring down a series of increasingy complex structures.

Although hardly lifelike, levels are achieved and money is earned by bringing down structures to below a prescribed level; and in latter stages, players must avoid neighbouring structures.

We would advise everyone not to play it if they actually want to get any work done; but of you do ignore our warning, we’d love to know how to beat Level 12!

Erith Group is currently working on Europe’s largest demolition site; and Demolition News has been granted exclusive access.

Erith Group, one of the UK’s leading demolition contractors, has started work on what is believed to be Europe’s largest demolition project at Lafarge’s former cement works at Northfleet, Kent. Covering an area of some 34 hectares, the demolition is scheduled to take two years. The site comprises more than 70 buildings and structures and presents a multitude of challenges.

The cement works was opened by Blue Circle Industries in 1969, although the site can trace its cement production heritage back almost 200 years. At the height of production, the cement site was capable of producing around 3.6 million tonnes of cement clinker each year. In April last year the cement site was closed having exhausted the use of chalk reserves and Erith was awarded the highly prestigious demolition contract.

In this exclusive video, Demolition News provides a brief insight into the contract and shows footage of a pair of new Sandvik hydraulic breakers purchased specifically to tackle this monster contract.

Demolition News interview with Westquay’s Garry Adey on the new Rockhawg 1475.

Warrington-based Westquay Trading recently unveiled the new Tesmec 1475 Rockhawg. Demolition News was on hand to discuss the new machine, and Westquay’s plans for introducing it to the demolition market with commercial manager Garry Adey.

Click the play button (below) to listen now or visit iTunes to download this exclusive podcast to your iPod or iPhone device.

The new website of excavator modifier Kocurek has gone live today.

The launch of a new website isn’t normally the kind of thing we’d get excited about here at Demolition News. However, given that this new site has been produced for Kocurek, the market-leading supplier of high reach front end equipment for demolition excavators, and that the website was produced by Paul Sawyer, the web developer behind www.demolitionnews.com, we couldn’t just let it go.

A new white paper from DustBoss highlights the specific dangers of dust in the workplace.

According to DustBoss, very few of the recent magazine articles on dust control discuss the specific hazards that can be caused by airborne particles. But a white paper originally presented at a recent IDE (Institute of Demolition Engineers) regional meeting takes on the task with a concise description of particle classification, health risks and mitigation techniques.

Co-authored by three industry professionals — Purdue University professor Mark Shaurette, past president of NFDC (National Federation of Demolition Contractors) David Clarke and Dust Control Technology CEO Edwin Peterson — the paper delivers an informative overview of dust particle sizes and what happens to them when they are inhaled. Included are discussions of silicosis, respiratory irritations and histoplasmosis, an infectious disease caused by fungal spores.

The full paper can be found here.

Demolition health specialist Nichola Elvy is urging demolition workers to book flu vaccinations.

If you would like Building Health to vaccinate your staff in October please contact Nichola by email: nichola@buildinghealth.co.uk or on Tel: 07973 470792 for a quote.

Vaccines will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and Building Health will require a signed order confirmation to secure the booking.

“Vaccinating your staff this year could well save you money by preventing staff being off sick over the winter,” Elvy concludes. “I would strongly urge all NFDC members to take advantage of our flu vaccination service this year.”

Caterpillar has made available a range of free equipment safety and maintenance checklists.

Those good people over at Caterpillar have underlined their commitment to equipment safety by offering customers a free-to-download range of equipment maintenance and safety checklists.

They cover the entire range of Caterpillar equipment – although they’re equally applicable to machines from other manufacturers – including demolition excavators.

Click here to see the full list.