Contractors and construction clients in the UK are being called upon to support a new Europe-wide crane operators’ licence to help improve safety and ease skills shortages across the continent. Graham Anderson reports

They might not do to tool & plant hire what Aldi and Lidl have done to the supermarkets, but the arrival of two of mainland Europe’s giants in the UK is sure to have an impact. Phil Bishop reports

GTI Hoists, a newcomer to the hoist rental business, has just installed its first machine – also the first of its kind to be used in the UK. Jim Simpson reports

Liebherr has shown its hand ahead of its Stage V crawler excavator launch next year. Phil Bishop reports

Are plant managers missing out on a simple way to reduce the total cost of ownership? One supplier of lubricants thinks they are

A massive crane – claimed to be the most powerful in the world – is on its way to Somerset where it will help on the Hinkley Point C power station project.

The damp-proofing and timber preservation industry is fighting a desperate battle to retain the right to use chemical products that many conservationists claim are useless and can even damage old buildings. David Taylor reports