Scaffolders and other offshore trades working in the North Sea are set to take unofficial strike action on Thursday.
Crews of offshore workers employed by energy services firms Wood, Bilfinger and Stork are calling for workers to down tools at 1pm on 8 September. They are angry that their pay continues to decline while oil companies make sky-high profits.
According to reports, a group to coordinate the strikes has been set up. They are demanding that their pay be brought in line with that of onshore staff and are unhappy with the current Energy Services Agreement (ESA) calculation, given the surge in oil and gas prices in recent months.
The Offshore Oil and Gas Workers Strike Committee said, “The collapse of the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) was nothing but a power grab by the oil companies.They decimated our terms and conditions then dressed up the new terms under the ESA as a game changer. Total and utter rubbish.The ESA is an agreement on minimum pay and conditions covering 5,000 offshore workers agreed between the GMB, Unite and the RMT unions and 14 employers. Its purpose is to maintain “stability and certainty on a substantive cost element for the industry and investors”.
Workers were offered a 3 percent pay rise from July. The statement added, “Since 2001 our wages have been hit extremely hard. We are currently around 22-23 percent behind inflation with our wage.“We have had derisory pay offers which give us nothing but the equivalent of a hard slap in the face.”“The wildcat strikes that are being talked about and planned are a result of years of inaction from the unions and our employers and have made us feel like we can only get things done by taking things into our own hands. “We provide the energy to keep everyone’s lights on yet seem to be the last to have our say. The time for action is now.”
North-West-based scaffolding firm, Teal Scaffold continue a strong year of growth after securing a contract with clients, Sovini Construction on their £19m social housing development.Teal Scaffold who are part of The Sovini Group is set to deliver a bespoke access solution service to support their client’s largest development to date, building over 145 affordable homes.
Clients Sovini Construction are seeking to create thriving and inclusive communities through its development framework. With an aim to combat high housing costs, through the delivery of good quality, affordable homes – they will deliver over 1,000 new homes within the next five years.
Teal Scaffold, secured the substantial contract in July and have started work on the nine-acre development the final week in August.
Located in Netherton, Bootle, the project will provide employment opportunities to local work-at-height professionals.
The scaffold will be erected to a full height, to create a safe, compliant structure with multiple configurations with additional safety precautions enabling multiple tradesmen to work on the new build apartment block.
Commenting on the contract announcement, Anita Harrison-Carroll, Managing Director of Teal Scaffold said: “We are incredibly proud to be supporting our partners Sovini Construction on the Groups largest social housing project to date. This project demonstrates the breadth and depth of Teal’s offering, and our ability to handle ever-larger projects”.
Steve Parrington, Managing Director of Sovini Construction added: “As proud partners of The Sovini Group we are delighted to be able to utilise the groups full supply chain. We have witnessed Teal Scaffold’s expertise and industry knowledge first hand, so it was a no-brainer to bring them aboard for this major project with us”.
Operating regionally from its Knowsley headquarters, Teal Scaffold are set to continue their monumental growth with plans to expand, adding a second base to their portfolio.
Head of Operations at Teal Scaffold, Dan McGregor added: “It is a pleasure to be involved in Sovini Constructions largest development to date. We are thrilled to add them to the long list of new projects and clients we have secured since our inception to the industry in 2018. This project has created opportunities for our local colleagues to develop their expertise, whilst also tackling the social housing shortage within the ever-growing city of Liverpool. Our growth across the North-West continues, and is a testament to the quality, expertise, and industry knowledge of our workforce. We look forward to seeing the development take shape over the coming months”.
UK scaffolding and access trade body the NASC & CISRS have recently attended the Scaffolding Access Industry Association (SAIA) Convention & Exposition in Boston, USA.
The NASC’s involvement in the development of a European minimum standard for scaffold inspection was lauded at the global scaffolding event that was held from August 21 – 25 at the Omni Boston Hotel.
During the four-day event, Gier Ghule, President of the European Scaffolding Confederation (UEG) on which the NASC sits, delivered a presentation on safety and training standards in Europe and the work the Confederation is doing to promote standardisation across member countries.
David Mosley, NASC Director of Training and CISRS Managing Director, attended the convention, one of the largest gatherings of scaffold and access industry professionals in the world.
He said: “It was a great event and an excellent opportunity to meet with members of the SAIA and other organisations, make new acquaintances, look for common ground, share ideas and hopefully work more closely in the future.“Conferences like this enable delegates to advance skills, gain new knowledge, discuss issues specific to scaffold and access, learn about the latest industry innovations, and collaborate with peers.“We’re proud of the ways in which the NASC and CISRS contribute to a safe and compliant scaffolding industry in the UK, and jointly with UEG in Europe, and were delighted to share this with other convention attendees whilst also remaining open to learning from them how we might further improve our outputs and activities in the future.”
During his time at the convention, David met with incoming SAIA President Tracy Dutting-Kane and Immediate Past President Mike Paladino and hopes to keep these new lines of communication between the NASC and SAIA open.
In the spirit of cooperation, copies of NASC guidance and CISRS scheme literature have been sent to the SAIA offices in USA.
Specialist scaffolding contractor, Millcroft, has begun scaffolding works to support the construction of the piers for the Colne Valley Viaduct – a project being delivered by the Align joint venture (JV) as part of HS2 Phase One.
Once complete, the viaduct will be the longest railway bridge in the UK at 3.4 kilometres, passing over a series of lakes and waterways across the Colne Valley.
Deploying its specialist HS2 team for the project, Millcroft has already successfully handed-over the scaffolding on the first of ten piers of the viaduct; a project which is expected to finish in 2023.
In preparation for deployment, personnel at Millcroft completed a Safe Working in Water (SWIW) two-day course, delivered by Rescue 3 Europe, which provided classroom and swimming-pool based safety training, offering self and co-worker rescue capability techniques for working in water.
The Colne Valley Viaduct will stretch for more than two miles, carrying high-speed trains 10 metres above water. In this section of work within the Colne Valley, the Millcroft team had to work in boats to erect scaffolding. The viaduct itself is being constructed by the Align joint venture, comprised of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and Volker Fitzpatrick.
Senior Contracts Manager at Millcroft, Darren Hayward
Senior Contracts Manager at Millcroft, Darren Hayward, explains: “This is definitely a unique project – it’s not every day you see scaffolders working out of a boat! And on this particular job, the health and safety risks we are normally presented with were unusual – as operatives worked with life jackets on instead of harnesses.“Wearing a harness would in fact put their lives in danger if they were to fall into the water and become entangled within the straps, as it poses a drowning risk. We recognised the need for water training for this project as it was such a unique deployment for our team.”
The water training course included modules in identifying hazards, rescue tools, cold water considerations, lifejacket and buoyance aid safety.
As part of the project, a total of 1,000 concrete segments will form the deck of the 3.4 km viaduct, each one weighing up to 140 tonnes. The deck segments are supported by 56 piers resting on concrete piles, inserted up to 180ft (55m) into the ground.
The Millcroft team will be working on erecting 6 ft-high scaffolds around 11 of these piers for the viaduct. These particular piers house tower cranes and required additional construction to extend the jetties allowing for construction of walkway access to the cranes.
Darren continued: “This is a challenging project as we are working in different shifts on various dates to complete the piers on programme. Our in-house design team has been heavily involved to provide tailored solutions that meet exacting safety standards.“Our commitment to HS2 is growing and this unique project builds on our proud track record in working with the HS2 delivery partners, in this case the Align JV. We continue to deliver a flexible and responsive service to the client while keeping our people safe.”
With the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles to be banned in 2030, larger companies like Royal Mail have taken steps to transition towards a fully electric fleet. With the cost of living crisis at the forefront of everyone’s minds, it presents the question of whether tradespeople and small businesses will also be able to make this switch.
The government has a number of plug-in grants available for vehicle dealerships and manufacturers, which allows them to offer discounted prices on new low-emission vehicles. This includes small vans under 2,500kg and larger vans up to 4,250kg. Businesses can claim a total of 1000 grants and the limit resets each year. The grant will pay for 35% of the price of smaller vans up to £2,500 and larger vans up to £5000.
Senior Editor, Dan Powell of used-car dealership AutoVillage gives his advice on the four main options available to those seeking to purchase an electric vehicle: Leasing, Contract Hire, Personal Contract Purchase and Hire Purchase. Below, he explains each option and the associated pros and cons.
Overview: The key benefits
In the wake of the cost of living crisis, many businesses are trying to reduce their overheads. The main advantage of EVs is the low running costs. Petrol currently costs an average of 170.97p per litre, meaning refuelling a 80-litre van costs drivers on average £136.78. In contrast, EV owners can recharge their van at home for just £15. Particularly in the current cost of living crisis, the low running costs are attractive to business owners.
Option 1: Leasing
‘Leasing’ is essentially a long-term vehicle rental that is split between two and four years. You usually pay an up-front fee, plus monthly payments for the length of the lease. The management and maintenance of the van is handled by the leasing company. There is no depreciation to worry about, either. At the end of the contract, you return the vehicle to the manufacturer or finance company.
Leasing deals can be one of the cheapest ways to finance an EV, but there’s usually no option to buy the van at the end of the contract. Most leasing agreements will also limit the number of miles you can drive in a year, so high-mileage drivers will need to factor this in or they may find themselves hit with excess mileage fees.
Option 2: Contract Hire
Similar to Leasing, a Contract Hire agreement is a long-term vehicle rental. The term is typically between one to five years and often has a mileage limit for the period of hire. These agreements are attractive to small businesses due to the fact that they only require a small initial outlay. This makes it a lot more accessible and gives them the opportunity to expand their fleet with limited resources.
Maintenance is often included in the contractual agreement, however, the van must be returned in reasonable condition and any damage will result in excess fees. As you do not technically own the vehicle there are no depreciation costs and the monthly payments are allowable against tax. This is a flexible agreement that takes into account fluctuating workloads, and lets companies expand and decrease their fleets with ease.
Option 3: Personal Contract Purchase (PCP)
PCPs are very popular. Instead of paying off the entire value of the vehicle over the term of the agreement, you only pay off the depreciation. As a result, the deposit and monthly payments tend to be lower than a traditional hire purchase agreement.
A PCP will let you spread the cost of the finance over a number of years. Payment is split between an initial deposit, followed by monthly payments over the term of the contract and an optional ‘balloon’ payment at the end (which you pay if you want to keep the vehicle).
The advantage of PCP is the options you get at the end of the contract, which lets you buy the vehicle, swap it for a new model (and new PCP agreement) or walk away.
Paying the ‘balloon’ payment means you can keep the vehicle and this can be split over two or three years if you cannot afford the lump sum. Alternatively, you can return the van to the dealer and put any equity towards the deposit for a different vehicle or walk away from the agreement altogether.
As with any finance agreement, a PCP will require you to commit to the finance agreement for three or four years. You will also be asked to agree to a mileage limit that will range from 6000 miles a year to 10,000 miles per year. You’ll also be charged a fee if you hand the van back with any damage.
Option 4: Hire Purchase
In a Hire Purchase contract, the cost of the van is split into a deposit and monthly instalments, plus interest, which is paid over a number of years. The loan is secured against the van, so you do not own the vehicle until the final instalment is paid.
Hire Purchase is similar to a PCP, but the full cost of the van is spread across the contract. There is no ‘balloon’ payment, but the monthly costs tend to be higher. The same risk applies to both hire purchasing and PCP; if you cannot afford the payments, you will have to return the vehicle.
Financing an EV breaks down what can be a significant purchase into manageable chunks. Long-term contracts can make a variety of vans attainable, provided you can afford the monthly payments.
There are lots of affordable electric Light Commercial Vehicles on the market right now, with the Renault Kangoo E-Tech, Volkswagen ABT e-Transporter, Ford E-Transit and Mercedes-Benz e-Sprinter being good options.
Two construction business partners have been fined after a sub-contractor suffered multiple fractures when he fell from an unsafe scaffold.
In December 2018, sub-contractors were installing a roof light on a boot room extension as part of the refurbishment of a house on St James Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
They were not provided with a safe route to the work area from the scaffolding, as there was a board spanning a large gap and step up from the first lift of a scaffold on to the boot room roof. The board was not secured in place.
An investigation by the HSE found the scaffold had not been inspected by a competent person every seven days and there was insufficient edge protection around the work area to prevent people falling a distance liable to cause serious injury.
Two of the partners of Orchard Construction in Kent pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974.
At Maidstone Magistrates’ Court, Martin Hayes was fined £2,066 and ordered to pay costs of £7,500. Timothy Hayes was fined £2,800 and similarly ordered to pay costs of £7,500.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Nicola Wellard commented: “This incident could have been so easily avoided by simply ensuring that the scaffold was inspected by a competent person every seven days and any noted deficiencies rectified.“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those who fall below the required standards.”
JMAC Scaffolding says working on a new landmark development will both build its reputation and provide a foundation for its apprentices’ careers.
The Stockton-based firm is one of a dozen Northeast businesses involved in the construction of the four-storey 6 Centre Square in the heart of Middlesbrough.
When it is finished early next year it will become the regional HQ of insurance giant AXA UK and 450 of its staff will move there.
They will join around 1,000 office workers who are already based in Centre Square’s two completed buildings.
Work on the new multi-million-pound building began in January. The main contractor is Bowmer+Kirkland and the combined value of contracts awarded to sub-contractors, such as JMAC, is nearly £5m.
JMAC Construction Director Aaron Kitson said securing the Centre Square contract represented a major breakthrough for his company: “We’d wanted to work with Bowmer+Kirkland for a long time and we were also determined to be involved in one of the biggest projects in Middlesbrough, which is right on our doorstep.”
JMAC was founded by James McCarthy Senior in 1981. His grandson Luis is the current managing director for JMAC Group, which includes JMAC Scaffolding and JMAC Safety Systems. The group employs 170 people from the Teesside area, including five apprentices, and plans to recruit a further five apprentices later this year. JMAC are looking to increase the apprentice intake to 15 per year.
“Our best scaffolders are ones that we’ve homegrown. We bring them through, we train them ourselves and within five years we shouldn’t have any problems with a shortage of skilled labour,” said Mr Kitson, who joined the company as a scaffolder and rose through the ranks to become a director.All of the apprentices start their careers with a stint at JMAC’s yard. There – as well as beginning their training – the company makes sure they demonstrate the right attitude and work ethic. “We can’t teach that,” said Mr Kitson.
“You have to enjoy what you do, otherwise it’s a long day – particularly in the winter.” With the most workplace deaths caused by falling from a height, safety training for the young scaffolders is a priority.”
The new recruits spend time with different teams of experienced scaffolders working across JMAC’s residential, industrial and commercial contracts, such as Centre Square.
Eighteen-year-old apprentice Tom Payne from Hartlepool said: “You’re learning something new every day.” Louie Peebles, also 18, who lives in Stockton, said: “It’s outdoors. It’s very physical. The people and supervision are nice and friendly. I get on with them really well and they’re willing to teach you.” Cameron Blyth, 17, from Billingham, said: “I wasn’t that keen on heights when I started, but I’m getting used to them now.”
The Centre Square development was launched six years ago by developer Ashall Projects in partnership with Middlesbrough Council.
Managing Director Mark Ashall said: “The benefits are already being felt – from the young scaffolders starting out on their careers to the firms of professional services and consultants looking forward to growing their businesses after moving into Centre Square.“We are creating high quality and sustainable office environments which are proving highly attractive to employers who have quickly transformed Centre Square into the business hub of Teesside. They are providing well-paid jobs and that new spending power will also benefit the shops and restaurants which are just a short walk from the offices.”
Although AXA has taken much of the space in 6 Centre Square, 14,000 sq ft is still available. Details of the next phase of the development are due to be announced soon. Outline planning permission is already in place.
KAEFER UK & Ireland has secured new maintenance contracts with EP Kilroot Ltd. and EP Ballylumford Ltd. to provide both electrical and scaffolding services to their power stations in Northern Ireland.
Kilroot is a dual-fuelled power station on the east coast of Northern Ireland, and Ballylumford is the largest power station in Northern Ireland, consisting of two Combined Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT) and two OpenCycle Gas Turbines (OCGT).
Together both power stations provide over 45% of Northern Ireland’s electricity demand.
During the two-year contracts, KAEFER UK & Ireland’s Belfast office will support both sites with electrical and Scaffolding services including access solutions, electrical installation, electrical maintenance, fault finding and engineering services to support the operation of both stations.
Richard Dee, KAEFER’s Business Development Manager for Ireland said, “These contract wins further strengthen and underpin our relationship as a key supplier and partner to EPUKI in Ireland & the UK.”
Jessica Barrass EP UK Investments Procurement Manager for Northern Ireland said “The teams at both Ballylumford and Kilroot stations are looking forward to working safely and effectively with KAEFER at our sites.”
KAEFER UK & Ireland is a leading provider of technical industrial services, part of the global KAEFER group of companies.
Scaffolding Association is urging the industry to have its say on whether the Scaffolder Apprenticeship end-point assessment confirms that apprentices have achieved occupational competence.
The scaffolding sector’s largest trade association, the Scaffolding Association, is urging the industry to complete two short surveys giving their views on the effectiveness of the scaffolder apprenticeship.
Each survey should take no more than ten minutes to complete, and your feedback will help ensure that the apprenticeship meets the training needs of scaffolding businesses (End-Point Assessment Stage).
It will also allow the industry to comment on whether the occupation is similar or a duplicate of other apprenticeship standards (Standard Stage).
Download the EPA Stage for the Scaffolder Apprenticeship here.Download the Standard Stage for the Scaffolder Apprenticeship here.
Your feedback will be considered as part of the assessment process and help inform the final approval decision – a process overseen by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).
Complete the EPA Stage Survey here.Complete the Standard Stage Survey here.
Robert Candy, Chief Executive of the Scaffolding Association, said: “It’s vitally important that industry takes the opportunity to feed into this process which only occurs every three years and particularly the EPA Stage, given that duplication with other standards is unlikely because of the specialist nature of this occupation”.
He added: “it is disappointing that the Scaffolder Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group has made no effort to communicate this opportunity to industry and even more so, that the IfATE do not have robust processes and procedures in place to ensure that trailblazer groups do more to communicate these opportunities to the sectors they represent”.
Robert concluded: “If it wasn’t for the association’s recently established contact with the IfATE, the largest trade association in this sector would have no knowledge of this limited consultation window. To time this with the middle of the holiday season is also unacceptable – concerns we will be raising with relevant ministers.
North West-based Teal Scaffold has been appointed as the scaffolding contractor for a major £5million improvement scheme in Latchford, Warrington.
Following a competitive tender programme, Teal Scaffold, part of the Sovini Group has begun erecting the bespoke access solution on the nine-story high Kingsway House.
The 1960’s high-rise, which contains 51 one and two-bedroom apartments, is owned by the regeneration group, Torus.
HMS- the construction and contracting arm of the Torus Group – has been appointed to conduct the remodelling of the high-rise block which will be fitted with new windows, kitchens, bathrooms, front doors, balconies, and a lift.
The building will also benefit from a new wall insulation system, with the external walls finished with non-combustible render, incorporating stone wool insulation.
Scaffolders from Teal Scaffold are in the process of installing a bespoke Tube and Fit solution, which incorporates a system staircase design and passenger hoist to facilitate the regeneration work.
Torus Asset Project Manager, Ste Simm, says: “The £5million investment in Kingsway House demonstrates Torus’s commitment to investing in our existing homes. The refurbishment will create a modern block that will not only look great, but will also help to reduce carbon emissions, whilst benefiting tenants by improving energy efficiency, and making their homes warmer. The excellent service Teal Scaffold is providing facilitates the essential refurbishment works on the building.”
Head of Operations at Teal Scaffold, Dan McGregor added: “We are delighted to collaborate with Torus and HMS on this project. Our organisations are like-minded and share strong sense of social responsibility. The Kingsway House contract demonstrates our aptitude, skills, and experience for competing at the highest level in the sector.”
Teal Scaffold has continued to secure work across the social housing sector since their inception, securing high-profile contracts along the way.
