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Full article here. http://press.hse.gov.uk/2016/timber-frame-firm-fined-for-fire-safety-and-traffic-offences/ Some interesting snippets: Okay, just what were they supposed to have done? installed a fire alarm and sprinkler in the part built houses? I have worked on many timber framed houses and apart from workers doing the obvious things to take care (blowlamps being the most obvious risk) just exactly what did they fail to do?

So apart from a few F&B colours, most manufacturers use the NCS codes so that you can potentially use different brands and get the same "colour" as you can't trademark the actual colour itself The problem comes when you try and use different suppliers as their chemical concoction will be slightly different so they are subtly different - check e-paint out if you want to see what I mean and search a colour. It will show you all the options for that colour and how they differ.

I got outline permission for a two storey replacement dwelling for my bungalow first. I then did some drawings and took them to the planners to get their reaction. Then submitted full application and got the first of three refusals before going to planning committee and getting unanimous approval. Whether you get permission or not depends more on the planner considering your application. If they like the look of it you're successful otherwise not and they'll quote lots of ambiguous policies to back up their refusal.

Hi ProDave Sorry but I do not have the docs refered to. From memory a lot was common sense! No/minimal hot works, no smoking site, site security against arson, sensible/separate storage of combustible materials (polystyrene or similar insulation), ongoing checks and inspections to look for potential problem areas, emergency escape routes/plan, site fire safety plan keep a tidy site. Sorry can only manage 8 of the 16! A quick google however gives this - hope the link works. http://regions.aps.org.uk/visageimages/Documents/PDFs/regional_cpd/Northern_England/16_steps_to_timber_frame_fire_safety.pdf Ian

Nope. Not in our database so our supplier has never formulated it or mixed it. So as @Tennentslager said pop it to your local paint shop that has a spectrometer and they'll match it.

So I had my Anglian water inspector around. He had absolutely no problems with my standpipe. So my version made from ScrewFix bits at less than £30 has just as good as the pre-assembled one at ~£300. Note my WB don't allow a bibcock tap, but they're a lot cheaper so I've just filed off the thread. The other wrinkle was that he said that we had to have a separate stop cock and double-check valve in our own boundary box within our site boundary, so we bought one at ~£120. My builder then said: waste of money; the crew will refuse to install it. So the groundworks crew came along and installed our water main this Sat and finished the re-tarmac'ing on Monday. The crew boss said: that's a bloody waste of money; there's no point in having a stopcock when there's another a foot away in the pavement. I refuse to install it; take it back and get your money back. You builder will be putting in the house supply as soon as we're gone anyway. When they left and my builder came to site, he said .... Anyone want a nice boundary box / MDPE 25mm stopcock / double check valve?

This may have been petty bureaucracy gone mad, or there may have been some underlying valid concerns that triggered this action. We just don't know and we can't guess. What I have observed and continue to observe is that there is a prevalent culture in the building industry -- certainly amongst all of the crews that have worked on my site -- to ignore sensible HS and use of PPE. I really just can't understand why this is case. Why do building workers seem to have a wish to be deaf, have crappy lungs and eye problems in their later years? A few examples that irritate me or have irritated me: The frame erection crew was working on our second floor around the unguarded staircase void which was a 5m drop onto a concrete slab. I had to insist that they put up a temporary safety rail. Our builder's scaffolder has no concept of safety on access paths -- unprotected bolts and poles sticking out dangerously. Most of these could be avoided with 10 seconds thought or at least mitigated with protection, but no: 10 seconds of brain-work and 30 seconds of extra effort is an ask too far. I've asked for clear access paths to be kept to and from our build and around it, and when I turn around there's a new bag of graded stone in the middle of one -- it was a convenient space to use, so why not use it? Cutting and hammering without ear defenders, eye protection or dust masks. I could go on but I'll leave it to others to give examples. I don't know about spreading culture in the building trade but I do within the IT industry. You can't to this by taking punitive measures against the workers on the ground; you have to have to do this top down with firm consistency and continuous education. In the case of a large scale timber construction, it has specific issues / risks that need to be addressed: proper fire compartmentalisation across the site; proper enforcement of practices which minimise fire risk being a JiT style-operation, there needs to be clear storage and movement policies for framing components, etc.; being a rapid build technology, workers can quickly end up working at height, so height and fall safely need to be integrated into the working practices; ditto use of heaving lifting gear / cranes. As I say, we just don't know in this case, but I do think there are lots of areas where I could see a poor management and safety culture resulting in H&SE action.

Oh, and for the record......why wasn't this plastered all in one go? Why the damn crack?

Hi 8 First job is to assess the repair. Don't just go whacking filler in straight away as you don't want to make any high points any higher. Get a good straight edge, a 600mm spirit level / similar, and put it centrally across the crack. One end on one ceiling and t'other on........t'other. Drag the level from one end of the crack to the other and see what the height differences are, where they're worst and identify any plaster that is creating high points. Mark them with pencil as you go along. Remove any high points by scraping or sanding with 40 grit paper until you get to a point where the level shows you a reasonably even transition from left to right. Get a brush and some PVA ( 50% PVA - 50 % water ) and thoroughly coat the crack and about an inch of the plaster each side. Wait until that dries almost completely and then coat just the crack with neat PVA. Allow to go tacky and then load up with filler. I'd use Gyproc Easyfill tbh as it doesn't shrink or crack as it dries, and is really easy to sand back. It's my preferred bulk filler, with Toupret as the smaller application / finisher filler. Use one of these filler applicator 'knifes' and it'll be easier to get a smooth coat in one go. Get a decent quality sanding paddle like this and go against the crack, not in line with it. Don't try to get this right first coat, but build in layers. Make the first just shy of the plastered surface and leave to dry. Give a quick rough sand to get rid of trowel /knife marks and then prime with the diluted PVA mix and load up with filler again, this time slightly proud. Leave to dry fully and then sand as stated above. Be gentle as this stuff sands back quickly. If your arms start to hurt a little from all these processes then your doing it right

Reminds me of when I was a young boy. There was a building site near us and at weekends we used to love exploring the part built houses. One weekend, they had left the starting handle with the dumper. So what do young boys do? put the handle on the shaft and give it a spin. I don't think any of us expected the dumper to start and of course none of us knew how to stop it, so we just scarpered.