The best read news website & magazine in Scaffolding
Welcome to the UK’s most popular and informative Scaffolding & Access Magazine
Our website is a hugely popular digital scaffolding resource. Launched back in 2009, ScaffMag has grown in popularity to become the industry’s leading source for the latest independent trade news, current affairs, scaffolding jobs and profiling the very best from our sector.
ScaffMag gives businesses and brands an unrivalled opportunity to advertise their products or services 24 hours a day 7 days a week to a highly targeted audience.Our readership includes main and sub-contractors, manufacturers, consultants, scaffolders and many others. We offer print and digital advertising opportunities across desktop, mobile and tablet channels.
During 2023 we welcomed over 250,000 individual users to the site, generating over 760,000 pageviews. We remain amongst our industry the most followed and liked company on social media with more than 132,000 followers on Facebook alone.
– Daniel Norton, Editor of ScaffMag
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As a natural progression for both our loyal readership and our scaffold sector advertising customers, we have launched the ScaffMag magazine – a fresh, slick, modern, vibrant and engaging product to enjoy and to back up our ScaffMag.com community and social media following, which advertisers in the magazine can tap their brand into.Created with both the scaffolder and contractor in mind, The ScaffMag Magazine gives businesses and brands an unrivalled opportunity to advertise their products or services 24:7:365 to a large, rapidly expanding and highly-targeted audience. It’s a unique proposition in digital and print.
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ScaffMag continues to dominate the social media networks within our industry with the most liked/followed Facebook page in the sector. At the time of writing this, ScaffMag’s official page has 135,000+ followers and 81,000+ likes.
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Two men have been seriously injured after steelwork collapsed onto scaffolding erected on a town hall at a construction site in West London.
Dozens of police, fire and ambulance vehicles attended Hammersmith town hall in King Street after the incident at around 5.30pm on Wednesday.
According to reports, both men had suffered ‘life-threatening injuries and were rushed to a major trauma centre “as a priority”.
The Metropolitan police have said the men were taken to a central London hospital, and the Health and Safety Executive had been informed.
A source told Scaffmag: “The steelwork collapsed and took the scaffolding down with it, when the steelwork failed it knocked over the cherry picker the steelworkers were working on.”
It is believed that one of the steel erectors was thrown 30m from the cherry picker and the other was still attached by his harness.
The London ambulance service said: “An investigation has been launched after two men were injured after scaffolding attached to Hammersmith town hall collapsed late on Wednesday afternoon.
“Officers from the Metropolitan police attended along with firefighters.”
Tube-Lock® can revolutionize the way you are designing and erecting scaffolds. By combining simplicity and strength, Tube-Lock holds many benefits over traditional tube and fitting scaffolding.
Tube-Lock® tubes are regular 48,3mm scaffolding tubes, fitted with two cast iron Tube-Lock pieces. Because of the Tube-Lock ends, tubes can be connected with each other by a twisting motion, visibly locking them in place. No tools nor additional parts are required to make or secure the connection.
This provides many advantages.
Because the two tubes can be joined by a twisting motion, it is a fast and easy way to connect tubes together. This leads to faster erection and dismantling times for the entire scaffold.
Furthermore, no additional parts nor tools are needed. No longer needing sleeve couplers and joint pins means that there are no spare parts that need to be transported. Additionally, you don’t have to invest in sleeve couplers and joint pins as you no longer need them.
This also eliminates the risk of sleeve couplers breaking, getting lost or getting stolen. And you don’t have to service the sleeve couplers anymore. Tube-Lock connections are completely maintenance-free.
Another logistical advantage is that Tube-Lock comes in standard lengths from 1 meter or 4ft up to 4 meters or 13ft. Because of this flexibility, it prevents the necessity of cutting the tubes to length.
The maximum length of 4 meters means the maximum weight of a Tube-Lock tube is 16 kg. This leads to less strain on scaffolders, which is essential because of the strict Occupational Health and Safety regulations.
Additionally, there is no need to stagger joints, Tube-Lock is as strong as a continuous tube. The connection may even be submitted to pull force. Using Tube-Lock tubes leads to a smooth tube connection over the full length of the tube. This makes it possible to use couplers anywhere on the tube. Even on the Tube-Lock connection.
Van Thiel United Ltd. can make Tube-Lock tubes out of your (used) scaffolding tube!
In their innovative production facility, they can turn your (used) scaffolding tube to Tube-Lock tubes! This means you can update your own material without enormous investments. Even the repair of existing Tube-Lock stock is possible. And they now offer a special discount on the conversion of your scaffolding tube!
NASC has updated its TG30 system scaffolding guidance to include a new range of birdcage configurations for cup, wedge and rosette systems.
The update expands the TG30 eGuide to cover 5 birdcage setups, including several configurations that NASC says were not previously available through TG30 or manufacturer user manuals.
Until now, contractors using these layouts would usually have needed a bespoke design.
NASC said the change is intended to reduce the time and cost involved in planning compliant birdcage scaffolds, while giving contractors a recognised route for standard solutions.
TG30 is NASC’s guidance suite for the safe design, supply and compliance of system scaffolding. It includes an Operational Guide, a Design Guide and an eGuide for generating compliance sheets.
All 3 are available through the NASC ePortal.
The new release covers freestanding birdcages, birdcages tied or butted in 1 direction, birdcages decked at the top 2 lifts, fully decked birdcages, and birdcages decked at the top lift with perimeter decking at all other lifts.
The configurations are available across cup, wedge and rosette systems.
NASC said the Operational Guide has also been updated to support the new configurations, giving users practical guidance alongside the new compliance sheets.
Mark Collinson, Head of Technical at NASC, said: “This update will make a genuine difference to scaffolding contractors working with system scaffolding.
“Many of these birdcage configurations were not previously covered anywhere, which meant bespoke design was the only option.
“Having them available as TG30 compliant solutions removes that burden, saves time and cost, and ensures contractors can proceed with confidence that they are working to the recognised industry standard.”
The full TG30 guidance suite and compliance sheets are available through the NASC ePortal.
Everything is now in place for ScaffChamp 2026, the international scaffolding championship that returns to Vilnius, Lithuania, on 5–6 June.
Now in its seventh year since 2019, the contest brings together 20 teams from across Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas to compete on speed, accuracy and safety, all watched live by a global audience online. Reigning champions Lithuania’s RNDV will be back to defend the title.
Here is everything you need to know, from the line-up and the format to where the venue is and how to watch from home.
When and where is ScaffChamp 2026?
ScaffChamp powered by Layher 2026 takes place over two days, on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June. The main competition and awards fall on the Saturday, with the build-up, registration and briefings on the Friday.
The event is held at the Baltic Scaffolders Association headquarters on Salinink? g. 82 in Vilnius, the same site that has hosted recent editions. It is co-organised by Layher Baltic and the Baltic Scaffolders Association, with support from Layher Germany.
What actually happens at ScaffChamp
ScaffChamp is a live skills competition rather than a trade exhibition. Teams are set the same scaffolding structure to erect against the clock, working to a supplied design and under close supervision, before the build is inspected and scored.
The competition runs on Layher’s Allround system, so every team works with identical equipment and the result comes down to planning, technique, communication and discipline under pressure.
The opening day typically covers team registration, an official welcome and a technical briefing in which competitors are walked through the design, the judging criteria and the safety requirements before they build.
How the competition is judged
The 2025 edition ran to a two-round format, with 10 teams competing in each round. Each team is timed during the erection phase, after which referees scrutinise the finished structure and apply penalties for any faults or safety breaches.
Speed alone does not win it. Teams are assessed on a combination of time, technical accuracy, teamwork and crucially safety, with design reading and clear communication often proving decisive. That balance is why a fast build can still be beaten by a slower, cleaner one.
Who is competing in 2026?
ScaffChamp confirmed its full 20-team line-up in February, after roughly five months of registrations. The 2026 field features a record number of new regions.
Australia and Peru will make their first appearances, while the United States returns to the competition. Europe sees the largest expansion, with new entries from Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Greece and Spain.
Returning European teams include Romania, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, Italy, the UK, Ireland, Sweden and Estonia, the last of which has not competed since the inaugural 2019 event. Asia is again represented by Mongolia, a returning side that has proved popular with spectators.
No African team will take part in 2026, although organisers said discussions had been held with teams from the region and that they hoped to see Africa represented in future. Layher Baltic’s Oleg Abramov said the selection process had been deliberately rigorous to keep the contest fair and professional. The individual company names behind each country had not been released at the time of writing.
The reigning champions
Lithuania’s RNDV go into 2026 as defending champions. At ScaffChamp 2025 the team took the overall title and the Health & Safety Award, a double honour earned through a disciplined, methodical build.
It was not a one-off effort assembled for the competition: RNDV’s championship squad is drawn entirely from its day-to-day operational staff, and the team had finished fourth on its debut in 2024 before refining its approach to design interpretation, time management and working under pressure.
What is at stake: the belt and the awards
The headline prize is the ScaffChamp championship belt, awarded to the overall winning team. Alongside it sit a small number of category awards, four main awards in the 2025 edition, including the Health & Safety Award, which recognises the cleanest and safest build rather than simply the fastest.
For competing companies, the appeal is as much reputational as it is the silverware. ScaffChamp has become a recognised benchmark for technical standards across different countries, and a strong showing is widely treated within the trade as a mark of professional credibility.
The venue
All of the action is concentrated at the Baltic Scaffolders Association HQ in Vilnius. Capacity is limited by the site and by crowd-safety requirements, and organisers warned that tickets could sell out, so anyone planning to attend in person is advised to book early. Tickets are sold online through Paysera, and discount codes are expected to be released through event partners in the run-up to the competition.
Vilnius: the host city
Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, is a compact and walkable city of around 600,000 people in the south-east of the country. Its medieval Old Town is one of the largest surviving in Northern Europe and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its baroque churches, narrow cobbled streets and the hilltop Gediminas’ Tower overlooking the centre. The self-declared “republic” of Užupis, a bohemian quarter just across the river, is a popular detour for visitors.
For practical purposes, Lithuania is in the eurozone, so the currency is the euro, and card payment is accepted almost everywhere. English is widely spoken, particularly among younger people and in hospitality. Early June is one of the better times to visit: days are long and mild, with temperatures typically in the high teens to low twenties Celsius, though it is worth packing for the odd shower.
Getting there and getting around
For UK readers, the most straightforward route is a direct flight to Vilnius International Airport (VNO). Ryanair and Wizz Air both fly direct from London, principally from Luton and Stansted, with a flight time of around two hours and forty minutes.
Direct fares are often very cheap if booked early. From elsewhere in the UK, or if direct flights are sold out around the event, connecting options run through hubs such as Riga with airBaltic, Frankfurt or Munich with Lufthansa, and Warsaw with LOT.
Vilnius airport is unusually close to the city, only about four miles south of the centre, which makes transfers quick and cheap. A train links the airport to the central station in roughly eight minutes for under a euro, and there are also regular buses. Taxis and ride-hailing apps (Bolt is widely used in Lithuania) are readily available from outside arrivals and are inexpensive by UK standards.
The competition venue sits on the southern side of the city, on the same side as the airport, so it is easily reached by taxi or ride-hailing in a short hop. If you are staying in the Old Town, allow a little extra time on the Saturday morning, as competitors and spectators will be heading to the site ahead of the 10:30 broadcast start.
The stream covers the full event, including team presentations, commentator analysis, interviews, partner segments, the results and the awards ceremony. The live broadcast has become one of the few platforms where the wider trade can watch competitors work under pressure and compare standards across countries; the 2025 stream drew more than 10,000 viewers worldwide.
How ScaffChamp grew from a regional contest
ScaffChamp began in April 2019 as the First International Scaffolders Championship, with nine teams from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland. The planned 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, before the contest returned in 2022 with six teams and around 200 guests.
The event was rebranded as ScaffChamp in 2023, when it drew 15 teams and more than 400 guests, and it has continued to widen its international reach since. The 2025 edition brought together 20 teams from 17 regions, with competitors travelling from as far afield as Mongolia, Chile and the United States.
The full two-day agenda
All times are Baltic (EEST). Lithuania is two hours ahead of the UK in June, so for British Summer Time, subtract two hours — the Saturday broadcast start of 10:30 is 08:30 in London.
Friday 5 June — first day
11:00–11:45 — Registration and opening
12:00–12:10 — Official start, greetings and introduction to the event
12:10–14:00 — Activities and contests for participants and guests, run by partners
14:00–14:30 — Team presentations
14:30–14:35 — Dr Alan Osborn’s donation fund for men’s health
14:35–15:00 — Teams draw
15:00–15:30 — Participant briefing and introduction to the structure and tasks
15:30–16:30 — Free time and partner activities
Saturday 6 June — ScaffChamp day
09:30 — Team registration, equipment inspection and safety briefings
10:30 — Start of the broadcast
10:35–10:50 — Team parade and presentation
10:50–13:00 — First round of 10 teams
13:00–13:15 — Short break and partners’ section
13:15–15:25 — Second round of 10 teams
15:25–15:35 — Dr Alan Osborn’s fund section
15:35–16:00 — Results and awards
16:00–18:00 — Afterparty with DJ
ScaffMag will be following ScaffChamp 2026 throughout the weekend, with coverage of the results and reaction once the belt has been decided.
Layher has received the PLUS X AWARD’s Best Brand of the Year 2026 title in the scaffolding systems category.
The German scaffolding systems manufacturer, based in Güglingen-Eibensbach, was recognised by the award jury for its technical development, engineering and system-based approach to scaffold construction.
The jury said Layher had combined “engineering skills, innovative strength and system intelligence” while setting international standards for the industry.
The award adds to Layher’s long-standing position in the global scaffolding market, where its systems are widely used across construction, infrastructure, industrial maintenance and access projects.
Layher Managing Director Wolf Christian Behrbohm said the company was pleased to receive the recognition.
“We are delighted by this accolade,” he said. “It encourages us in our efforts to make scaffolding construction easier, faster and safer.
“Our focus is on the people who use our products in tough day-to-day work at construction sites. Our goal is to help them achieve more in terms of efficiency and safety, and make their working lives both easier and more profitable.”
Layher said the award reflects its focus on system intelligence, where new product development is designed to work with existing material stocks and remain usable as standards and regulations change.
Sales Director Andreas Beck said this was a core part of the company’s approach.
“With Layher innovations, our customers set the standards on the market, with maximum safety for their investments in material stocks,” he said.
“And that’s regardless of how often standards or regulations change. The benefits of the Integrated Layher System still remain.”
The PLUS X AWARD describes its Best Brand of the Year title as a recognition given to brands that achieve the highest number of approval seals in their product group during the year.
For Layher, the award will support its wider brand message of “More Performance. More Possibilities. More Value. With Layher.”
Advanced scaffolder and ultra-endurance runner Conor O’Brien is preparing to run 84km overnight across Bali to raise money for children’s education.
O’Brien is taking part in the 2026 Bali Hope Ultra, an overnight coast-to-coast event supporting the Bali Children Foundation.
Funds raised through the event will support education work in North Bali, starting with the renovation and revitalisation of SDN 5 Gobleg Elementary School.
The wider project will also support local kindergartens, schools across Gobleg and tertiary scholarships for young people.
O’Brien, who works in scaffolding project management and is an advanced scaffolder, has described the event as a personal goal with a wider purpose. He said he was running “to help transform education in North Bali” and called on supporters to help create lasting change for children in the area.
Posting ahead of the race, he said the route would cover 84km “coast to coast through the night” in hot conditions and high humidity.
O’Brien has been building up to the event with a heavy training block. Earlier this year, he said he had completed 100 consecutive days of outdoor running, covering 730km.
He said the race “means a lot” to him after taking part in the 2024 event, when runners raised funds for communities in North Bali.
The Bali Children Foundation says the 2026 fundraising campaign will help improve school facilities in Gobleg and extend education support across North Bali.
O’Brien has encouraged people across the scaffolding and access sector to support the fundraiser. You can donate here.
He said: “Every donation, no matter the amount, can make a real difference.”
Connolly Scaffolding is organising a charity football tournament in memory of Wayne Connolly, its Managing Director and former NASC President, who died suddenly shortly before Christmas last year.
The event, named The Connolly Cup, will take place on 18 July 2026 and will raise funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
According to the fundraising page, Connolly Scaffolding is entering a number of teams and is inviting clients and suppliers to take part. The company said the tournament will bring people together to play football, celebrate Wayne’s life and raise money for the charity.
Wayne was described by the company as its Managing Director, mentor and friend.
“Wayne was a big believer in giving back, and raising money for charity was one way he was able to do that,” Connolly Scaffolding said on its JustGiving page.
The MND Association supports people affected by motor neurone disease in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It also funds research and campaigns for better care.
Donations made through the JustGiving page will go directly to the MND Association.
At the time of writing, the page had received its first donation, with £100 raised online plus Gift Aid. The page is listed as being in memory of Wayne Connolly.
The government is set to introduce a new Bill today that could bring major changes to payment practices across construction, including a proposed ban on retentions under construction contracts.
The Small Business Protections Bill, introduced to Parliament today, is intended to tackle late payment and give small businesses stronger protection when dealing with larger firms.
For scaffolding and access contractors, the most significant part of the Bill is the proposed action on retentions.
Retentions have long been a source of frustration for subcontractors across construction, with money often withheld for long periods after work has been completed. For smaller firms, this can place pressure on cash flow, wages, supplier payments and day-to-day operations.
The Bill also proposes a 60-day cap on payment terms for large firms paying smaller suppliers.
Late payment interest would become mandatory, set at 8% above the Bank of England base rate.
The government said the reforms would give the Small Business Commissioner stronger powers to investigate poor payment practices, adjudicate disputes and fine persistent late payers. Ministers said potential penalties for repeat offenders could be worth tens of millions of pounds.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said small businesses were being forced to spend too much time chasing money they were already owed.
“Too many small business owners are spending hours chasing money they are owed and when payments don’t come through, the cost is personal,” he said.
“It’s about whether you can pay your staff, keep the lights on, or invest in your future.”
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said late payments cost the UK economy £11bn each year and were putting firms at risk.
“Through this landmark Bill we are delivering the toughest payment reforms in over a generation, to give the UK the strongest legal framework in the G7, and back small businesses with the certainty they need to grow and thrive,” he said.
The government said late payments are responsible for 38 business closures every day.
The Bill builds on the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act 1998 and follows pressure from small business groups for tougher rules on poor payment behaviour.
The Federation of Small Businesses said the reforms were a significant step for small firms.
FSB Policy Chair Tina McKenzie said: “Tackling late payment is one of the biggest things the government can do to help small businesses grow.”
She said giving audit committees a clear role in payment practices would help change late payment culture.
Under the proposals, boards or audit committees of persistently late-paying large companies would also have to publish explanations of poor payment performance and set out what they are doing to improve it.
The construction industry has faced repeated calls for reform over retentions, with specialist contractors often arguing that withheld money damages smaller businesses and shifts risk down the supply chain.
The Bill will now pass through Parliament, where further detail will be needed on how the proposed retention ban would work, when it would apply, and whether any exemptions would be included.
CITB’s New Entrant Support Team helped 5,913 apprentices join the construction industry during the 2025-26 financial year, new figures show.
The total covers apprenticeship starts across England, Scotland and Wales and is a 43% rise on the previous financial year.
The Construction Industry Training Board said its NEST service also worked with 20,579 employers during the year to discuss apprenticeship recruitment needs.
That is 6,559 more employers than in the previous year, a rise of 47%.
NEST gives employers practical help with recruiting new entrants and apprentices, accessing grants and funding, and providing ongoing support and mentoring once apprentices are in work.
The figures come as construction continues to face a major labour challenge.
CITB’s Construction Workforce Outlook says the industry will need more than 47,000 extra workers each year to meet demand by 2029.
For scaffolding and access firms, the issue remains familiar. Many contractors continue to report pressure around recruitment, training capacity and the need to bring younger people into the trade.
CITB said services such as NEST are intended to make apprenticeship recruitment easier for employers, particularly smaller firms that may struggle to navigate funding, training routes and paperwork.
Its Industry Picture 2026 report has warned that construction risks a widening gap between project demand and its ability to deliver if the sector does not change its approach to skills and training.
LC Lucas Construction said NEST had helped the company take on a new apprentice and was now making it consider employing another.
“NEST has allowed us to take on our new apprentice without having the impact of having to pay for the apprenticeship, and it has meant we are now considering employing another one,” the company said.
“The team was a great support to us in among a minefield of information, I didn’t know where to start but they walked me through everything and ‘kept me right’ every step of the way. They simplified the process for me for which I am very grateful.”
Deb Madden, CITB’s Executive Director for Customer Engagement and Operations, said the figures showed the service was making a clear difference for employers.
“It’s great to see our New Entrant Support Team making such a difference and supporting so many employers,” she said.
“NEST helps employers navigate the skills system, making the whole process, from recruitment to retention, easier for employers and new entrants by providing them with practical, hands-on guidance.
“We remain committed to continuing our work in supporting employers to build the resilient and skilled workforce that the construction industry needs.”
CSCS has upgraded its Smart Check platform to collect more detailed data from construction sites, in a move aimed at improving workforce planning and skills evidence across the industry.
The change adds 3 new fields to the Smart Check API: GPS coordinates showing where a card was read, a site ID or name, and a read reason.
That read reason can show whether a card check was carried out for pre-induction, induction, re-induction, a routine check, site entry or another purpose.
The new fields are now live for employers and approved IT partners that have integrated Smart Check into site access, workforce management and induction systems.
Smart Check is used to verify cards carrying the CSCS logo, including CISRS cards used across the scaffolding and access sector.
CSCS said the upgrade will give the industry a clearer view of the carded workforce on live sites, rather than relying only on wider labour market estimates or survey data.
The platform can verify all 2.3 million cards displaying the CSCS logo. CSCS says it is already used by some of the largest contractors in construction to check that workers have the right card, training and qualifications for the work they are doing.
The extra site-level data will also feed into the CSCS Alliance’s Workforce Insights tool, which uses anonymised information from more than 2.3 million cardholders across 37 card schemes.
Taken together, CSCS says the tools can provide a more accurate geographic picture of occupations, skill levels and workforce volumes across the UK.
That could help industry bodies, government and public authorities make better decisions on training funding, regional skills gaps and future workforce demand.
Sean Kearns, Group Chief Executive of CSCS, said: “Smart Check has always been about giving the industry confidence that the people on site are who they say they are, and properly skilled and qualified for the work they’re doing.
“With these enhancements, it becomes something more: a source of national workforce intelligence.
“If we know the skills and training levels on the ground in each geography, we can help industry, government and public authorities make informed decisions about where to invest in training and where the real gaps lie.”
CSCS is also contributing to the Construction Skills Mission Board through a newly created data working group.
The organisation will attend UKREiiF from 19 to 21 May, where it plans to outline its digital infrastructure capabilities to contractors and local authorities.
For scaffolding and access, the upgrade matters because CISRS cards are among those checked through Smart Check.
The change should give the sector a stronger evidence base on where scaffolders are working, what card levels are being presented on site, and where training demand may be building.
A Portsmouth scaffolder has begun an 860-mile charity run from John O’Groats to Land’s End to raise money for families affected by neuroblastoma.
Charlie Chandler, 34, started the challenge on Sunday, 10 May, and is aiming to complete the route on Sunday, 24 May.
The run will see him cover about 54 miles a day, roughly the same as 2 marathons, as he travels the length of Britain.
Chandler is raising funds for The Amelia-Mae Foundation, a children’s cancer charity set up in memory of Amelia-Mae Davies, who was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in 2012 and died the following year.
The story was first reported by Portsmouth.co.uk, which spoke to those involved in the challenge and has the full background.
Taking place on 14 May each year, the day aims to raise awareness of the sector’s contribution to construction, infrastructure, maintenance and major projects around the world.
This year’s theme is: “Recognising the industry. Supporting its people. Shaping its future.”
The initiative is focused on several key issues facing the sector, including public recognition, skills and recruitment, safety and compliance, innovation, and the future sustainability of scaffolding and access businesses.
For contractors, manufacturers, training providers and industry bodies, the day provides an opportunity to showcase the work carried out across the sector and highlight the importance of competence, planning and safe delivery.
Scaffmag is inviting companies and individuals to share team photos, project images, training centre updates and short messages to mark the day.
A selection will be featured in a follow-up industry round-up.
Images and updates can be sent to [email protected] or shared by tagging Scaffmag on social media.