Hinkley Point C workers evacuated after scaffold fire

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Hinkley Point C workers evacuated after scaffold fire
Trades working on the construction of Hinkley Point C were evacuated after a fire broke out on scaffolding erected at the site. According to reports fire crews tackled the blaze on Monday, July 18 at around 8.48pm on the construction site near Unit 1. Hinkley Point C said “workers were evacuated” and “there were no reports of injuries”.
The company also added that “an investigation will take place to establish the cause”. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service crews were also in attendance with special appliances. A spokesperson for Hinkley Point C said: “Fire crews from Hinkley Point C and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue attended a scaffolding fire on the construction site at Unit 1 shortly before 9pm last night (July 18). “Workers were evacuated from the area and the fire was put out shortly after. No one was injured. An investigation has been launched into the cause.” A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 8.48pm and sent five fire appliances plus special appliances.”

MSA safety hits the road with UK and Europe Roadshow

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MSA safety hits the road with UK and Europe Roadshow
MSA Safety a leading global manufacturer and supplier of safety solutions has announced the return of its UK and Europe Roadshow, designed to connect face-to-face with customers and industry peers to offer an interactive safety training experience. The MSA Roadshow is travelling across Europe providing demonstrations, training and hands-on previews of safety products. Specifiers and customers have the opportunity to use and try all types of safety equipment first-hand for an extremely versatile and exciting learning experience. The truck will be seen at many of the leading health and safety shows throughout Europe, as well as distributor and customer demonstration days, and MSA would love to hear from anyone who would like a visit from the truck. Supported by MSA’s experts in the field of industrial safety solutions, it is a great aid to supporting training courses. A range of real-situation training and demos From fall protection and head protection, to portable gas detection and confined space entry solutions, the Roadshow will demonstrate MSA’s 360 approach to safety. Visitors can also view MSA’s industrial M1 SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) and experience safety products in a virtual environment across roofing, confined space and oil and gas. Alfonso Fernandez, Marketing Manager (Europe) for MSA, comments: “We are delighted to get our safety truck back on the road – there is no substitute for hands on experience, and the tour gives us a unique opportunity to talk to the industry about recent safety trends and how we can continue to overcome safety challenges. We hope to see at many people as possible at each stop.” If you would like to request a visit from the MSA Roadshow click here  

ITP has all needs covered for historic church restoration

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ITP has all needs covered for historic church restoration

ITP supplied its Powerclad Keder KR1100 sheeting as a temporary roofing solution assisting the renovation of Central Methodist Church, a Grade II listed building in the city centre of York.

Specialist heritage restoration and conservation contractor, Pinnacle Conservation Ltd, was awarded the works to repair the external fabric of the historic building on St Saviourgate, which features an impressive Ionic portico reflecting the classical style created by its designer, James Simpson. The church was constructed in 1840 and subject to a series of extensions between 1861 and 1909, including the rebuilding of structures destroyed by fire on two occasions. Pinnacle Conservation are being supported by CSL Scaffolding Services with the provision of weather protection and containment throughout the project, utilising a temporary roofing structure which features Powerclad Keder KR1100. Powerclad’s robust covering is ensuring that the roofing and structure below are fully protected from the elements during the repair work. ITP Account Manager, David Gilmore, said: “Sensitive restorations of this nature require care, expertise and reliability throughout the supply chain. Pinnacle Conservation offer the wealth of experience required to refurbish historic buildings like Central Methodist Church and CSL Scaffolding Services have the all-round technical capability to manage a complex scaffold solution incorporating a substantial temporary roofing structure. ITP were pleased to bring our own specialist attributes to the table with the manufacturing and supply of strong, high-performance sheeting as a vital element in the successful delivery of this project.” Powerclad Keder KR1100 sheeting is one of a wide range of options within ITP’s range of scaffold and containment products.  

StepUp Scaffold continues European expansion

Daniel Norton
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StepUp Scaffold continues European expansion
AN AMBITIOUS growth plan continues as major scaffolding supplier StepUp Scaffold acquires the second company in the Scandinavian market. Glasgow-based StepUp Scaffold UK, a subsidiary of the StepUp Scaffold Group in Memphis (US), that sells scaffolding and access equipment in the UK market, has successfully completed the acquisition of MP House ApS based just outside the Danish capital of Copenhagen. The acquisition by StepUp for an undisclosed sum was completed on 1 July 2022. MP House is a market leader in supplying Danish scaffolding operators with a wide range of tools, equipment, and accessories. The company contributes to both the product scope and customer service commitment of the existing StepUp Scaffolding platform in Denmark. StepUp Scaffolds European Director, Knud Højland told Scaffmag that he has been following the positive track record of MP House for ‘several years’ and is pleased to welcome the new addition to the StepUp family. “Taking over MP House makes good sense as we implement our ambitious expansion plans in Europe. It is our second successful acquisition in two years, and it allows us to move quickly into a Danish market position of one-stop-shopping for scaffolding operators”, he said.
StepUp Scaffold
StepUp Scaffold has been present in the Danish market since 2020 (Photo: StepUp Scaffold)

Ambitious plans to enter major European markets

“We have a burning ambition of becoming the most significant partner for European scaffolding operators, laying out new steppingstones from our pioneering position in the UK, via our recent strategic acquisitions in Scandinavia, and onwards into other major European markets”, Knud Højland revealed. The commitment by the American parent company to investing in the European market is underlined by StepUp Scaffold joining the European Scaffolding Association UEG last year, and recently becoming a full member of NASC to have its OCTO® and Ringlock products accredited by the NASC. StepUp has been active in Europe through its Glasgow-based subsidiary since 2016. More recently, the firm purchased the production and sales arm of the OCTO® System Scaffolding from Turner Access in 2020 after the firm pulled out of the system scaffolding market.  

GKR Scaffolding wins Specialist Contractor of the Year award

Daniel Norton
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GKR Scaffolding wins Specialist Contractor of the Year award
SCAFFOLDING and access specialists GKR Scaffolding Ltd has scooped the award for Specialist Contractor of the Year at this year’s CN Awards. The multi-award-winning business based in London picked up the highly desired accolade at a glitzy event at the Grosvenor House Hotel in central London last night (14 July). A huge panel of esteemed judges from across the UK construction industry picked GKR Scaffolding for becoming the first scaffolding firm to be certified as carbon-neutral (set to achieve net-zero by 2023) and for relaunching its training academy in a bid to be neuro-inclusive to reflect different learning styles. Judges also noted some of GKR’s challenging and high-risk mega projects on iconic buildings like its Battersea Power Station project. It was at the time, the largest construction project in Europe of its kind, GKR Scaffolding was contracted by Mace to provide specialist scaffolding and access to restore the main Power Station and renovate the iconic building into commercial, retail and high-end residential space. The firm supplied a full external scaffolding around the entire height and perimeter of the building. And provided a safe access solution to the 4 iconic wash towers which required complex engineering. CN Judges said, “A commitment to being carbon-neutral, efforts to develop a neuro-inclusive training academy and a commitment to innovation in safety and wellbeing of its workforce marked the firm out as the worthy winner.” Helen Gawor, Strategy Director at GKR Scaffolding said on Linkedin, “Congratulations to our whole team at GKR for winning at the Construction News Awards. Incredible achievements in the last year becoming the first Carbon Neutral scaffolding contractor, building a new Academy to train by learning styles for neuro-inclusion, starting and completing some epic projects and keeping the business stable post-pandemic.” “Very proud of the team we have built that delivers this for us.”    

St Helens Plant’s new COMBI System gets approved by NASC

Daniel Norton
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St Helens Plant’s new COMBI System gets approved by NASC
St Helens Plant has recently announced that its new COMBI System has been fully NASC audited and approved. The approval from scaffolding trade body the NASC follows after St Helens Plant established a strategic partnership contract with Germany-based COMBI System manufacturer MJ Gerüst earlier this year. MJ Gerüst is a powerhouse manufacturer that uniquely produces the COMBI System in a completely robotic way in Plettenberg, Germany using the latest in robotic technology. The COMBI System is a unique Ringlock-type, system scaffolding designed with the ability to be used in conjunction with other types of Ringlock. St Helens Plant said, “Our new partnership gives the customer the advantage to purchase the new COMBI System and utilize it with their current Ringlock stock. Alongside being safe in the knowledge that their COMBI system is fully supported by a complete care, repair and maintenance package.” The new COMBI System is only available from St Helens Plant, they are the official UK supplier of the system and provider of all care, repair and maintenance.  

Met Office issues rare extreme heat warning

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Met Office issues rare extreme heat warning
The UK Met Office has issued an extreme heat warning for large areas of England and Wales as temperatures are set to rise over the weekend. Exceptionally high temperatures are possible on Sunday 17th and Monday 18th of July and could lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure. The amber warning can mean there is the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts – and even potential risk to life and property. People are being advised that changes in working practices and daily routines are likely to be required. The warning is being enforced for the whole of Sunday and Monday across the east Midlands, east of England, London, south-east, north-east, north-west, south-west, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber. Met Office forecasters said some models predicted maximum temperatures in excess of 40C in parts of the UK over the weekend and beyond.    

Altrad expands with 2000 new employees after completing acquisition

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Altrad expands with 2000 new employees after completing acquisition
Altrad has added a further 2000 new employees to the business after the successful acquisition of the Sparrows Group, which was concluded on 11 July 2022. Sparrows is a global provider of engineering, inspection, operations and maintenance services to the offshore energy, renewables and industrial sectors. The company operates across the Americas, UK and Europe, Africa, Middle East, Caspian, India, Asia Pacific and Australia, complementing Altrad’s extensive international footprint. The transaction, which includes Sparrows’ wind energy business Alpha, enhances Altrad’s service portfolio and further diversifies its presence across multiple sectors, particularly in the high-growth renewables market. It is an important development in Altrad’s ambition to invest in businesses that share its excitement, vision and values to offer enhanced services to its clients. As part of the wider Altrad Group, Sparrows will benefit from a larger network of expertise and resources to deliver additional services across more geographical locations. Ran Oren, Altrad’s Co-CEO said: “We are delighted to welcome Sparrows and its 2,000 strong team into the Group. As the world’s leading lifting and handling specialist its level of technical expertise and experience is an extremely valuable addition to our capability. We are committed to investing in Sparrows to support its continued growth so together we can play our part in supporting industry to ensure safety and transition towards a more sustainable future.” Stewart Mitchell, Sparrows’ CEO added: “This is a pivotal moment for Sparrows, the acquisition presents many advantages for us and our clients as we continue on our growth trajectory. We are a people business and being part of the Altrad Group delivers even more opportunities for our people to develop fulfilling careers. By working together to share our skills and knowledge we will be able to support each other’s growth aspirations while our combined service offerings will allow us to deliver integrated solutions to global clients.” Over the last 12 months, Altrad has completed a significant number of acquisitions, adding over €1.4 billion to its turnover worldwide. In the coming years, the Group will continue to invest in new companies while generating value and developing and diversifying its portfolio of services and products.

Bilfinger UK priming for growth with recruitment drive

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Bilfinger UK priming for growth with recruitment drive
Engineering and maintenance provider Bilfinger UK has launched a recruitment drive to hire over 40 engineers nationwide as the business prepares for further growth delivering some of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects. The new roles range from entry-level posts to senior engineering positions across the firm’s portfolio of renewables, chemical and petrochemical, utilities, oil and gas and food and beverage manufacturing contracts. Successful candidates will support various projects, from providing fabric maintenance and construction services at Hinkley Point C to working on systems at National Grid transmission sites. The recruitment drive follows the merger of Bilfinger’s two UK entities, Bilfinger UK and Bilfinger Salamis, in January 2022 to create a turnover business employing more than 4,500 people with 13 onshore locations across the UK’s key industrial hubs. In addition to supporting future growth, the business, which is headquartered in Warrington, Cheshire, is creating new capacity to bolster its services in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), where the firm provides clients with one interface as the lead contractor on major construction projects. Jane Atkinson, Engineering and Automation Executive Director at Bilfinger UK, said: “The markets we operate in are changing rapidly as the UK accelerates its energy transition and this is creating new, exciting opportunities to support our customers across the asset life cycle, from consulting to decommissioning. “These roles offer the prospect of working at the forefront of industrial change across some of the UK’s most important infrastructure projects, with one of the industry’s largest tier-one contractors. “Learning and development sits at the heart of our operations. In addition to our UK programmes, we lean on our international network as part of the Bilfinger Group to supplement our leading development schemes, providing our engineers with learning opportunities and placements with our teams across Europe.” To apply for the roles, please visit: www.jobs.bilfinger.com

Construction impacted by cost of living crisis, inflation, and supply chain issues

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Construction impacted by cost of living crisis, inflation, and supply chain issues
The UK construction industry is being adversely affected by the cost of living crisis, inflation, and continued disruption caused to supply chains, says leading construction industry intelligence provider Barbour ABI. In its latest monthly Snap Analysis report, it highlights the uncertainty caused by the cost of living crisis, 25% inflation for building materials, and the conflict in Ukraine and ongoing pandemic issues as major factors. The report compiles data from each sector of the construction industry in the UK and from each stage of the construction pipeline, from planning application to contract award to provide a holistic picture of the industry in the short, medium, and longer term. Tom Hall, Chief Economist at Barbour ABI, said: “June was a good month in terms of the value of contracts awarded with a 15% increase on May’s value to £6.4bn. However, the levels seen in Q2 are well below the record levels seen in Q1 and could reflect the uncertainty caused by the cost-of-living crisis, inflation of 25% in the cost of materials and disrupted supply chains. “June’s positive news on the value of contracts awarded is tempered by the fact that not all sectors performed well. Infrastructure construction was really the only sector to be showing positive potential with others giving cause for concern. The concern deepens as we look at the picture shown by planning applications and approvals. Nonetheless it is good news that new work is progressing, albeit at lower rates than previously.”    
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