Diamond drilling and concrete cutting specialists, Core Cut, based in Broxburn are now expanding their operations to include 'passive fire protection'.

The business's contracts manager Charlie Armour explained: "We consider passive fire protection an integral part of steel and concrete construction and our expertise in this area adds a 'cutting edge' to the overall service we offer.

"We intend to offer the same levels of quality, reliability and service our clients have come to expect from our concrete cutting division. Our operatives are product trained and qualified, and this specialist work is certified as compliant with current regulations and statutory law. All of our specialist services are covered by the ISO 9001 Quality Assurance Scheme and will carry third party accreditation where required."


Every hole that Core Cut drills has a pipe or service installed in it. If the hole has been made in a fire rated wall then the hole must be sealed to provide the same level of protection as the rest of the wall. If the firm does the concrete cutting work, and the fire protection, it can lead to significant cost and operational benefits to the client who only needs to deal with one contractor who is already on site.

Core Cut director Finlay Crocker has been planning to set up the Passive Fire Protection Division for some time.

He said: "It is a mark of the financial stability of our company that we can launch this new venture during a time when the construction industry is facing a challenging future.

"We have a strong client base and I am confident that they will see our new division as a possitive step towards their own cost effective use of contractors, and of course continuing to offer them the level of service that they have become accustomed to from Core Cut."

Core Cut is a family owned and run business which last year celebrated 30 years in the concrete drilling and cutting industry. They have achieved ISO9001 accreditation, one of the few companies in Scotland to do so.

(GK/BMcC)