First CISRS training centre opens in Russia

CISRS has approved the first Overseas Scaffolding Training Scheme (OSTS) centre in Russia.

SIMIAN International working in collaboration with Prostaff LLC, part of the Polati Group, a Russian scaffolding supplier and contracting company, have opened the training facility in the Moscow suburb of Mytishchi.

A successful accreditation audit last week has allowed the centre to now offer CISRS OSTS training.

Polati Training Centre has been running their own scaffolding training programme for some time, and originally opened their centre in 2017. They also deliver other associated courses such as Rope Access, confined space and rescue training.

They were, however, very keen to gain third party approval with CISRS as they see it as the leading international training standard for tube and fitting scaffolding.

Initially, the Centre will offer CISRS Level 1 and 2 Training for Scaffolders in Tube and fitting, Basic Scaffold Inspection and Supervisory programmes.

The centre is looking to build upon their CISRS portfolio going forward, possibly incorporating Soyuz a ring-type system which they use and supply, plus other scaffolding systems.

Dave Mosley, CISRS Managing Director, said: “The centre is fitted out to the highest specifications, with brand new materials, tools and PPE. There are several classrooms but one is particularly impressive as it houses both an independent and a hanging scaffold actually within the classroom.”

SIMIAN International Managing Director Ian Fyall added: “We are delighted to be partnering Prostaff in this venture and moving both SIMIAN and CISRS’ footprint into another part in the world. We are looking forward to training and assessing their instructors and giving advice and guidance going forward.

“It’s been 12 months in the making due to Covid but we eventually got there”

The centre also makes use of a miniature modelling system called BabyScaff, which is an exact replica of the ring-type scaffold system and is used to explain assembly, loadings and stability of scaffolds.

Training Centre CEO Evgenii Guseinov said: “We are extremely pleased to be working with SIMIAN International and very proud to have opened the first CISRS centre in Russia. We have been delivering our own successful training programme for several years, however, gaining third party approval from CISRS which is recognised as the international standard for Tube and fitting scaffolding training, is another step forward and will set us apart from our competitors.”

Polati are a very large Scaffolding Supplier and Contracting company with around 3,000+ scaffolders in Russia and surrounding countries. In 2017 they worked on the Lakhta Tower project in St Petersburg, at 448m it was the largest building in Europe which involved around 250 Scaffolders using over 700 tonnes of Layher Allround Scaffolding in extreme weather conditions.

They have several depots across Russia and are looking to open additional CISRS OSTS approved facilities in the near future, including one in Kazakhstan.