Environmental knowledge will be added to the current Health and Safety test to increase standards for employees in the building construction industry. Respiratory hazards, questions on the environment and extended behavioural case studies are amongst the subjects that have been added to the current syllabus of the construction industry’s health and safety test. The re-named Health, Safety and Environment test will replace the former health and safety test in an attempt by CITB-ConstructionSkills to raise standards and optimise performance. added Mr Little. MORE >>

I get on contractor’s butts all the time for not answering their phones. spend hours trying to figure out ways to get their phones to ring, and what do they do? They send the call to voicemail. Well guess what, people don’t want your voicemail, they want to talk to you about how you can fix their problem. If you are OK with that, then get off my blog! If throwing away opportunity is what you consider good business practice, then go in peace. You are destined to live a meager life. But, I understand if you truly can’t take that call. And I have a solution for you. New Feature! MORE >>

If you’re looking at hiring a website designer or SEO provider, beware! The stories we hear from fellow business owners on how they’ve been treated by these businesses defies description. You think you have heard bad stories about contractors being flaky or bad. So what should you do before hiring someone to get your website up and running, and hiring someone to help you get found on the web? Make sure you understand the basics first. We have an article on how websites work on our website here – [link]. Look for a website designer just like you should look for a contractor. MORE >>

Solar thermal brewing systems are becoming attractive to brewers (photo: Flickr). If you don’t know by now,  I have a soft spot for the brewing industry. On weekdays, I tread through green building projects and disputes, but on the weekend, I spend time designing and crafting beer. Local craft brewers Big Al Brewing and Hales Ales are now finding ways to be green in the brewery. Months back, I chatted about the first solar thermal brewing system in the Seattle area. South Park neighborhood’s  Big Al Brewing  took on a sizable investment in a relatively innovative energy system. Seattle’s  MORE >>

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday formally called for a national ban on the usage of cell phones — whether used hands-free or not — while driving. The safety board’s recommendation does not carry legal weight, although as the governmental authority on driving and road safety, their word clearly has the power to help shape legislation. Currently, individual states govern the legality of talking or texting while driving — 35 states ban texting while driving, and 10 states ban drivers from talking on the phone at all. This should be a cause for concern. MORE >>