The founder of stone conservation and restoration company Stonehealth has warned specifiers and building owners of the risk of using imitation machinery.

Brian Crowe said that since the latest iteration of the company's Doff III machine launched earlier this year, a photo has surfaced showing an alternative machine being used on a project carrying a Doff sticker in an attempt to appear authentic.

“For the past 30 years we have created a reputation as the leaders in our field,” said Mr Crowe. “So while in a way it’s a compliment to have impostors pretending to be us, it’s not one that we welcome.

“What we are often finding is that our products are specified for projects but then, to save costs, inferior machinery is used by unqualified personnel. While this is a serious issue for our business – we risk suffering damage to our brand – we have a major concern about the impact of our heritage buildings.

“If damage is done, it’s irreversible. If you remove the surface of stone or break then you can’t get it back.”

Mr Crowe, who founded Stonehealth in 1989, said education was key to ensuring that buildings continued to be properly treated.

“Our intention is to make architects, surveyors and other specifiers – including conservation officers – aware of people working with something different to what’s been specified or approved. Any queries on whether the contractors and machines are genuine should be directed to us. We know where our machines are and the personnel who are trained to use them.

“We place great emphasis on training the contractors who use our equipment, as well as ensuring that our machines are properly specified.

“Our reputation has been earned over decades of innovation and care for our industry and we won’t tolerate abuse of it, or the risk of unsatisfactory results from impostors harming the likelihood of our products being specified again.”

To help ensure that only bona fide contractors are considered and awarded contracts, Stonehealth has set up its Approved Rosette Contractors Scheme.

Approved contractors must meet stringent criteria including: full training in use of Stonehealth equipment, reviewed every year; use of only genuine Stonehealth parts and materials; annual inspection and servicing of machinery by Stonehealth; provision of at least two customer testimonials per year to maintain Rosette status.

Specialist KBB recruitment agency and online training provider, Simon Acres Group Limited is working in collaboration with the Worktop Fabricators Federation (WFF) to support WFF members grow and future-proof their businesses.

WFF is a non-profit organisation that supports those who use industrial fabrication methods to make worktops from natural stone and similar man-made materials. The Federation aims to advance professionalism in the worktop fabrication and stone masonry industries, promoting best practices and workplace health and safety policies. As a unified voice, the WFF represents the industry and guides its members on matters of significant importance.

Through the new partnership, Simon Acres Group will work closely with WFF to provide its members with advice on recruitment including finding the right candidates, the importance of ongoing training and how to hire an apprentice. Simon Acres Group aims to improve the skills shortage within the KBB sector and is therefore a huge advocate of apprenticeships. The group encourages this as a route for employers to nurture fresh talent, bring diverse perspectives and future-proof the industry.

Simon Acres, managing director, Simon Acres Group, says: “Within the KBB industry, it’s important that we work together, encourage and support each other to hire more apprentices for a stronger, more secure future. Partnering with WFF gives us an opportunity to explain the benefits of apprenticeships, and the ease of hiring an apprentice, with members of the organisation.

“Recruitment and succession planning are vital aspects of running a business and by joining forces with WFF, we aim to help alleviate the pressure and support members to strive towards future-proofing the industry overall.”

Nigel Fletcher, COO, WFF, adds: “Succession planning is something that our members really need to focus on. Now, with the support of Simon Acres Group, they have access to direct advice on how to hire an apprentice, the importance of onboarding and much more. At WFF, we drive quality and professionalism amongst fabricators, and we’re pleased to have the backing of Simon Acres Group to ensure that our members navigate recruitment in the best ways possible.”

For more information on Simon Acres Group, visit: simonacres.co.uk

Roccia Machinery has announced that its distributor agreement with GMM SpA will terminate on 24 December 2024. The announcement follows the purchase of GMM SpA by Biesse SpA in January of this year. This news will affect customers with the UK and Ireland.

A statement by Roccia reads: "All enquiries for new machinery, service and spare parts should be directed to Biesse UK Limited from 1 January 2025. We will update customers with contact information for Biesse in due course. Finally, we wish to thank all of our GMM customers over the last 15 years for their custom and support."

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has awarded the first Paul Dockerill Award to Dr Scott McGibbon to develop a new silica safety toolkit, expected to launch in 2026.

This innovative resource aims to protect construction workers, clients, and residents by raising awareness about the dangers of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust, a prevalent but often overlooked risk in the construction industry.

The toolkit, made possible through a £10,000 funding boost from the CIOB, will provide both digital and printable resources to inform and equip users with best practices for working safely with silica. It will cover essential guidelines for minimising exposure to RCS, found in materials like concrete, brick, and cement. Long-term exposure to silica dust can cause debilitating conditions such as silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer, making it the second-highest risk to construction workers after asbestos.

Dr McGibbon, a former stonemason who now leads his own construction consultancy, feels a strong personal commitment to the project, having witnessed colleagues develop severe health issues due to silica exposure. “Despite the risks of silica dust being known for thousands of years, the impact of high exposure is irreversible, and mitigation can be achieved easily,” he said. “I’ve seen the devastating effects of RCS first-hand—on both individuals and their families—and that has driven me to develop this resource.”

The CIOB established the Paul Dockerill Award in memory of its former trustee, who passed away in 2022. Dockerill was a well-regarded figure in construction, known for his passion for building safety, skills development, and resident engagement. This award, launched to support projects in line with Dockerill’s values, provides up to £10,000 for initiatives focusing on innovation and safety in construction.

Bradley Price, director of policy and public affairs at Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis, endorsed the project, highlighting the urgency of raising silica dust awareness. “Too many lives are devastated by silicosis despite it being preventable,” he said. “Many who work with silica dust aren’t fully aware of the dangers it poses. Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis welcomes this initiative to educate and inform. We’re here for everyone affected by pulmonary fibrosis.”

The toolkit will be accessible to a wide audience, including construction professionals, clients, and even residents undertaking DIY projects, equipping them to handle silica safely. By offering expert guidance on preventative measures, it aims to ensure that construction work is carried out with a deeper awareness of potential health risks. 

Penrhyn Quarry Hospital, also known locally as Ysbyty Brynllwyd, was built in Bethesda village in the late 1840s by former quarry owner Colonel Pennant for the rapid treatment of quarrymen injured at work, as well as injured visitors to Snowdonia.

Facilities included three four-bed wards, a surgery, waiting room and nearby mortuary, as many of the quarry accidents were fatal. It was the site of the first successful operation under anaesthetic in north-west Wales – a mid-thigh amputation in 1847.

However, the much-loved hospital closed in the mid-20th Century and all that remains of the Scheduled Monument now are crumbling walls in woodland near the Lôn Las Ogwen cycle track which connects Port Penrhyn to local communities, the slate landscape and mountains beyond.  

Welsh Slate, part of the Breedon Group who currently operate Penrhyn Quarry, have donated a significant number of slate products to aid the conservation work by Recclesia, a contractor experienced in historic building conservation, for Cyngor Gwynedd and Cadw, as part of the Llewyrch o’r Llechi Levelling Up scheme which is funded by the UK Government.

The project includes stabilising and consolidating the deteriorating condition of the standing walls, masonry and pointing mortar, introducing stone copings and flaunching to the wall heads to reduce water ingress, conserving the remaining architectural and historic details within, and managing vegetation growth.

The materials being donated by Welsh Slate were identified by conservation architects Donald Insall Associates during a programme of recording and emergency works involving vegetation clearance and masonry work carried out earlier this year.

The Welsh Slate products include 125m of 400mm x 750mm x 25-30mm wall copings from sharp, palfia or hard block cut to size and hand split to protect the exposed wall heads, and 50 2000mm x 200mm x 250mm lintels with natural jointing/riven faces from quarry pillars to support the openings.

Barry O’Connor, general manager, Welsh Slate, Special Aggregates, Circular Economy, at Breedon Group, added: “We are thrilled to be part of the work to conserve Penrhyn Quarry Hospital. We understand the fondness for the site locally and as landowners want to ensure it is maintained as sensitively as possible.

“As a proud partner in the project, we are delighted that our contribution of materials towards the work will enable funding to go further towards the sensitive conservation of the structure.”

The initial conservation work is expected to take around seven months, and open days will be arranged during that time to allow members of the public to see firsthand what is going on. HistoryPoints* QR codes beside the footpath enable people to read about the hospital on their smartphones.

Councillor Nia Jeffreys, Cyngor Gwynedd’s cabinet member for Economy and Community said: “This essential work will safeguard the monument for future generations, facilitating better opportunities for access and interpretation of this much-loved site. Cyngor Gwynedd is pleased to be a partner in this project and is looking forward to working with Welsh Slate and Cadw on the scheme.”

Elgan Jones of Donald Insall Associates said: “The removal of the vegetation highlighted the fragile condition of the building fabric and without this intervention would likely deteriorate at an accelerated rate, rendering the structure unsafe and eventually result in its collapse. We are thrilled to work alongside a passionate project team with a shared goal to safeguard the fabric and conserve the architectural and historical details, which tells us of its former use and role within the wider slate landscape.”

Lord Dafydd Wigley, chair of The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales World Heritage Site Partnership Board, said: “The story of health and welfare within the slate valleys is a vital and fascinating part of its history. The quarrymen were trailblazers when it came to social care, and these hospitals led the way in many of the treatments and medication we rely so heavily upon in today’s health service.

“Safeguarding this structure is vital in telling the story of healthcare across the World Heritage Site, so to ensure that Penrhyn Quarry Hospital is able to relay the story of its location by securing the structure and including interpretation is a fantastic prospect.”

For more information on Penrhyn quarry hospital, go to Ruins of quarry hospital, Bethesda - History Points, and for a video on the restoration work, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjRXXGjomZ4.

*HistoryPoints was established in 2012 to exploit mobile internet technology as a means of delivering historical information to the public as they visit featured locations in Wales. By 2018, it had created QR codes for display at more than 1,400 places of interest across the country.
 

Lapicida has been chosen to partner with English Heritage to create an exclusive collection of limestone floors in three formats inspired by the different flooring found in the buildings cared for by English Heritage.

Each stone is available in three formats: 400mm x 400mm square; 500mm x random flag; and 400mm x 400mm octagon with inserts. All are hand-finished with diamond brushing by the team at Lapicida for improved durability and gives each stone a distinctive character and an aged appearance:

• Blackfriars Cream was inspired Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester which dates back to the thirteenth-century and is one of the most complete surviving Dominican friaries. 
• Belsay Blue Beige takes inspiration from the Pillar Hall at Belsay Hall in Northumberland. Completed in 1817, it designed by the then owner Sir Charles Monck, inspired by the sites of antiquity he had seen on his honeymoon in Greece. 
• Brockhurst Blue was inspired by Fort Brockhurst in Hampshire that was built in the mid-nineteenth century, to defend England’s shores from a possible French invasion. 
• Built in the 1720s, Marble Hill in Twickenham was the inspiration for Marble Hill White. A Palladian-style building on the banks of the Thames in Twickenham, it's one of London’s finest historic houses.

Alexandra Bovey of English Heritage said: “English Heritage is delighted to collaborate with Lapicida. We identified them as the leading expert in high-quality natural stone flooring and it’s been a pleasure working with them to create a collection which takes inspiration from places in our care.”

Bookings are now open for the Stone Federation's Natural Stone Awards taking place Friday 6 December at London's Leonardo Royal Hotel Tower Bridge.

The event will honour some of the best natural stone projects and is a highlight for many – uniting more than 300 architects, designers, contractors, clients, and natural stone industry companies – who take the opportunity to celebrate and network. 

This event is always popular and the Stone Federation are encouraging booking early to avoid disappointment. There will be a limited number of Gold and Silver table packages, which will be allocated on a 'first-come-first-served' basis. 

Individual places start from £155 + VAT while a table (seating 10) starts at £1,550 + VAT. To book your table or places, please email awards@stonefed.org.uk.