It is about time that the on-site cutting of plasterboard was brought into the 21st century. And that is just what Artex, in conjunction with Gryproc Professional Tools, has done with the launch this month (August) of the aptly named BladeRunner. The new tool is designed to enable a new, safer plasterboard cutting method aimed at reducing the estimated 5,000 injuries annually associated with this particular activity. <br><br>The BladeRunner is a hand-held, manual device that simultaneously cuts both sides of the plasterboard. Rob Crane, Artex’s senior market manager, explains: “The blade scores both sides of the plasterboard at the same time, then the section can be cleanly snapped away. So it’s easy to use and particularly effective when cutting curves and circles. “Cutting plasterboard is a labour intensive element of the first fix. Compared to the standard utility knife approach, BladeRunner achieves a neat, professional finish twice as fast, saving time and resources, and reducing wastage and dust levels.”