Millcroft achieves top health and safety award from RoSPA

London based scaffolding firm Millcroft has achieved a RoSPA President’s Award for outstanding and consistent health and safety performance across all areas of the company’s operations. The RoSPA President’s Award is given exclusively to companies that have achieved 10 or more consecutive RoSPA Gold Awards for their health and safety achievements. Organisations receiving a RoSPA Award are recognised as being world-leaders in health and safety practice. Every year, nearly 2,000 entrants vie to achieve the highest possible accolade in what is the UK’s longest-running H&S industry awards. Millcroft’s health and safety advisor Richard Ramkissoon has overseen the achievement of the 10 consecutive Gold Awards awards for the company, he said: “As a company that manages hazard and risk on a daily basis as an inherent aspect of our activities, we are constantly focused on health and safety and ensuring everyone works safely and gets home safe. Our achievement in winning a RoSPA President’s Award after 10 consecutive Gold Awards demonstrates that we are successfully achieving those goals, thanks to the training and practices we have in place, the commitment of our leadership team and the safety culture throughout our business.” Millcroft not only has strict risk assessment and health and safety practices in place for every site, but the company has also embedded health and safety in every aspect of its business. With a CITB Safety Plus accredited training centre at its Greenwich HQ, Millcroft delivers health and safety training courses in-house, along with toolbox talks. The company is also meticulous about maintaining vehicles and equipment to ensure its team’s safety, and also holds a FORS safety award for fleet management. To encourage a safety-first culture across the company, Millcroft developed a traffic light system to reward members of the team for health and safety best practice, encourage near miss reporting and identify any further training needs. Team members are rewarded with a green card and a prize for going ‘above and beyond’ with safety, they are given a yellow card if improvement is needed and a red card if training is required. “Since we introduced the system, we have handed out no red cards and lots of greens,” Richard continues, “which reflects the training and safety-first culture we have here, from the boardroom to the yard. We also hand out a health and safety achiever of the month award.” The RoSPA President’s Award puts Millcroft on a prestigious list of health and safety-focused companies, which includes many of the company’s construction sector clients. Richard added: “We are very proud of winning the RoSPA President’s Award after 10 years of consistent health and safety performance and we will continue to look for opportunities for continuous improvement.” Millcroft will receive their RoSPA President’s Award at the annual ceremony at London’s ExCel on 17th May.

CISRS launches New Management & Supervisor Course plus Refresher Course for 2022

CISRS has recently released an updated 5-Day Management & Supervisor course and also a new 2-Day Refresher course. As well as Construction Design Management Regulations, H & S Legislation, Toolbox Talk delivery, Contract Commercial Essentials, Rams and Employment Law, the new course also now includes Temporary Works Supervision which CISRS felt would be a useful addition for Supervisors in the Scaffolding Industry. The scaffolding bespoke course is comparable to CITB SMSTS and is recognised by Build UK. Successful completion results in a 5-year CISRS Management & Supervisor Card. The 5-Day Management & Supervisor course is aimed at personnel providing first-line management/supervision for scaffolding contractors (i.e., Contract Managers, Supervisors, and non-working Charge-Hands.) The 2-Day Refresher Course is currently open to CISRS Management & Supervisor cardholders looking to renew. It is also available to qualified Scaffolder/Advanced cardholders who are looking to move into first-line management provided they hold a current SMSTS certificate. CISRS compliance manager Tony Barry delivered two standardisation webinars to CISRS Instructors to update them with the revised course topics and contents. A scheme spokesperson said that the webinars were well attended and outlined the requirements for consistency for both the teaching and course standardisation required to cover the vast wealth of topics over the 5-day course. CISRS Management & Supervisor delegates will be provided with a course folder, including CISRS modules and NASC Guidance Notes which will help prepare them for the course end project, it said. For further information about the new CISRS Management & Supervisor Courses, please contact your nearest approved CISRS Training Centre. https://cisrs.org.uk/training-centres/

National Grid Award Taziker a Long-Term Access Contract

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Taziker has been awarded a place on a long-term, multi-million-pound framework for the provision of scaffolding with National Grid, covering multiple locations around the UK. Taziker’s Industrial Services division was established in 2018 to capitalise on major industrial works in the power and process industries. The specialist division supports the construction, maintenance, de-commissioning, and replacement of major industrial assets across the UK. National Grid owns the electricity transmission network in England and Wales. With 330 substations to manage and maintain, the supply and erection of access scaffolding within the structures is essential for safe working practices. Craig Walker, Managing Director – Industrial Services, Taziker, said: “The award of this contract demonstrates to the industry that Taziker Industrial Services is capable of undertaking work of this nature for high profile clients. “Since introducing Industrial Services into Taziker’s offering in 2018, we have grown our capabilities and client relationships. Our services include access scaffolding, rope access, thermal insulation, industrial cleaning, surface preparation and protective coatings, as well as confined space rescue. “The National Grid contract will give us the strength to grow the business further, expanding our Industrial Services team and reach across the country.”
Craig Walker, Managing Director – Industrial Services, Taziker
Steve Corcoran, CEO of Taziker, said: “The ambitious growth plans we have for the business are being realised everyday with new project wins, additional frameworks and contracts signed.  We are delighted to have been chosen by National Grid to undertake these works which is a testament to our people and their commitment, knowledge, and skills.” The National Grid system is made up of approximately 7,200 kilometres (4,470 miles) of overhead line, 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) of underground cable and around 330 substations.

Scaffolding’s Road to Net Zero

GKR Scaffolding Strategy Director Helen Gawor explains how sustainability has gone from being a buzzword to a strategic target for the whole industry. The Construction industry has made a pledge to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2050, in line with the Government’s national targets. Specialists in the supply chain, including those of us in temporary works will need to contribute to this. Not only is it simply the right thing ethically for our businesses to work towards, but the cold hard fact is that having a clear, measurable sustainability strategy will win you more business. Procurement scoring will increasingly rate us for our Net Zero credentials, and all clients, large and small, will be expecting us to play our part. But how do scaffolding businesses get to Net Zero?

Understanding your carbon emissions

The first step is to understand the volume and composition of our carbon emissions. This is probably the biggest hurdle for most SMEs because there aren’t enough simple tools to enable businesses to do this easily. At GKR, we used a third party to audit our emissions under the current regulations, but many businesses will not have the budget or resources to do this. You will find calculators online that give you a steer on what your carbon footprint looks like from organisations such as the Carbon Trust and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol as a starting point. But you will also need to be familiar with some of the terminology and categories of emissions to understand what it actually means to become Net Zero Carbon.

What is Net Zero?

Carbon emissions are categorised under 3 scopes:
Scope 1: Direct Emissions   Produced from our business activities, such as our fleet and use of plant/machinery.  
Scope 2: Indirect Emissions   Secondary sources we use such as electricity in our offices.  
Scope 3: Supplementary Emissions   Sources such as those our supply chain is responsible for and employee travel to work.
  These categories of emissions need to be understood as reductions in particular scopes impact your status towards Net Zero Carbon. Net Zero Carbon is achieved when our businesses make significant reductions in all 3 scopes and we are offsetting the amounts that cannot be reduced. If you search for approved offset programmes, you will find interesting options from planting trees to supporting enterprises is developing countries. Offsets however must be used on top of continuous reduction efforts. You cannot achieve Net Zero status if you are offsetting emissions that are possible to reduce or remove from your business.

Being Carbon Neutral

At GKR, we achieved Carbon Neutral this year as our first milestone to becoming Net Zero. This means we have made significant reductions in our Scope 1 and 2 emissions and offset the remainder, with a clear plan to reduce Scope 3 emissions towards a Net Zero Carbon target date. Reaching this milestone did require a clear understanding of our carbon footprint and which reductions we can prioritise and control. Our audit showed that over 60% of our carbon emissions derived from our fleet. By switching to and securing a future supply of HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) to replace diesel, we reduced carbon emissions from our fleet by 93%. We were already using renewable electricity in all our buildings and investing in other areas of sustainability too. The challenge now is for us to prove continued reductions in all 3 scopes towards our Net Zero Carbon deadline of December 2023.

Can we be Net Zero when using steel and plastic?

The elephant in the room is that we are a steel-intensive industry. The manufacture of iron and steel is responsible for 11% of global CO2 emissions. There is a misconception that our businesses can’t achieve Net Zero Carbon whilst we use steel that is manufactured using fossil fuels. As it is outside our businesses’ control, this is not true, however, it should not be ignored. Encouragingly, a growing number of steel manufacturers have made Net Zero pledges and there is active exploration of carbon reduction and carbon capture methods in steelmaking in Europe and even in China. So, in the future we will be able to establish Green Procurement Policies and it will become possible to procure more sustainably manufactured steel products. In the meantime, our focus at GKR is on used rather than new materials to reduce the demand for extracting raw materials. Businesses in our sector will also need to eliminate waste in all the materials we use. A growing number of contractors are introducing Zero Landfill policies which our non-recyclable materials such as sheeting will not comply with. We need to increase pressure on our supply chains to manufacture and distribute sustainable alternatives that meet the standards we require. At GKR we are trialling 100% recyclable sheeting with persistent organic pollutants removed, for example

Will the scaffolding sector become a Net Zero Carbon industry?

Net Zero Carbon is achievable for scaffolding businesses. However, the roadmap to get there needs to be supported by better tools to calculate the volume and composition of our carbon footprint and provide information to empower businesses to make the changes needed to reach their target. Although some of us have charged ahead, we have done so not to be the first, but to prove it can be done and how. I’m chairing a working group at the NASC, where we are investing in building the tools and resources scaffolding businesses will need to start your Net Zero Carbon journey. The good news is that all businesses are in the same place – finding our way through the clutter of useful information and less useful rhetoric. Those that have made some progress, like us, are still learning. One thing is certain, Net Zero will remain to be a priority for the industry. The businesses in our sector who put the investment in now, will not only be future-proofing their businesses but creating a better world for future generations. This article was first published in the ScaffMag Magazine Issue 15

Scaffold sheeting manufacturer sponsors truck to transport aid to Ukraine

Scaffold sheeting business ITP Ltd is supporting war-torn Ukraine with the sponsorship of a 40ft articulated lorry transporting aid to those in need. The Easingwold-based company has teamed up with a Thirsk-based aid and fundraising initiative, Yorkshire to Ukraine, to organise a cargo of essential items taken to Eastern Europe by Yorkshire-based haulier, Bryan Yeardley Logistics. ITP has donated £3,500 to meet the cost of transportation and is inviting the local community to bring cartons of donated items to its premises on Stillington Road, YO61 3FA. Donations can be brought to ITP from Monday to Friday between 8am to 5pm until the end of the month. Over the coming weeks, ITP will be taking a series of batches to Marrtree Business Park in Thirsk, where a Yorkshire to Ukraine collection centre has been set up in unit 7. ITP’s sponsored lorry will depart from the collection centre and travel to Poland or Bulgaria, where the goods will be offloaded and taken to Ukraine.  Donations suitable for transportation include canned and dry foods, baby formula, nappies, baby wipes, towels, bedding and blankets, sleeping bags, camping mats, thermal clothes, torches, batteries, power banks, painkillers, cold remedies, pastilles, Sudocrem, first aid kits, bandages, antiseptic, sanitary products, soaps, shower gels, shampoos and other hygiene products. Non-thermal clothes will also be accepted as donations and sold by Yorkshire to Ukraine, with all proceeds going to refugee aid. ITP Managing Director, Marc van der Voort, said: “We are horrified at the devastation in Ukraine and we wanted to do something to help the people suffering out there.  Annie Drew, in our accounts department, has been leading the initiative but the Yorkshire to Ukraine truck is a collective effort, with vital contributions from various organisations. We are grateful to Bryan Yeardley Logistics and to Andy Walker for providing the Yorkshire to Ukraine collection facility. Our truck will be the sixth articulated lorry to take aid from his centre, which has already collected and dispatched 100 tonnes of aid to date.” Once the truck arrives in Poland, a firm of solicitors coordinates the distribution of donations which are taken on vans to the border. The vans will then enter Ukraine and return with refugees. Annie Drew said: “ITP are welcoming donations of all sizes from individuals, businesses and community groups. We are asking donors to mark the contents on their cartons as this will help with the distribution of items. The donations will be transported in more than one delivery, with the first load expected to go out within the next two weeks and the second load likely to go out a few weeks later to Poland or Romania. People and businesses in and around Thirsk are also welcome to deliver donations directly to the Yorkshire to Ukraine collection centre, where over 200 volunteers have been giving up their time to sort, label, weigh, manifest and pallet a fantastic amount of donations.”

JR Training reveals plans for dedicated training facility in Paisley

JR Training Services has submitted ambitious plans to create a state-of-the-art scaffolding training facility in Paisley – tackling the construction industry skills shortage first-hand. Plans for the purpose-built training centre on Wallneuk Road have been submitted to Renfrewshire Council, including details of the dedicated training rooms, office spaces and break-out areas incorporated into the brand-new building. Parking for trainees has also been accounted for, and a new scaffold area will ensure attendees can get hands-on with practical training activities. The facility will act as the home for JR Training Services, which is headed up by Ronnie Charters who has 35 years of construction industry experience, including health and safety advisor, trainer and assessor roles at the National Construction College CITB. He is currently NASC Regional Chair for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Should the plans be given the green light, the team will utilise the accredited training centre to deliver a range of industry-leading, construction industry courses to recruits from the West of Scotland, and beyond. The planned programme includes specialist CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) courses, such as a five-day scaffolding supervisor course and subsequent two-day refresher. CITB-accredited health & safety and site management courses and NEBOSH-certified courses will also be delivered via the facility. Ronnie said: “These ambitious plans could bring a dedicated, state-of-the-art construction training facility to the Renfrewshire area, giving JR Training services an accredited base to deliver some of the industry’s most sought-after qualifications – with facilities that allow classroom-based learning as well as practical skills development. “Having provided services to the construction industry across the UK for more than 25 years, The JR Group has, like myself, experienced first-hand the lack of skilled labour and training facilities in the local area and beyond. This new training facility would give Renfrewshire the opportunity to lead the way in directly tackling the issue of skills shortages, and provide young people in Renfrewshire the opportunity to develop their skills in a rewarding career. “Working with a range of partners including G&A Wilson Safety Consultants we’ll be proud to deliver practical, accredited courses, as well as shining the spotlight on the health and wellbeing of the workers themselves with dedicated courses, including Mental Health First Aid.”

Scaffolding trade association meets with Government Minister

The UK’s largest trade association for the scaffolding industry has met with Minister for Industry, Lee Rowley MP, to discuss labour and skills shortages in the scaffolding and access sector. The Scaffolding Association (SA) has met with Lee Rowley MP, Minister for Industry at the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy. Rowley has been responsible for the construction industry since his appointment in September of last year. He is also the co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC). As previously reported the scaffolding and access sector has a growing labour and skills shortage, and the Association used the opportunity to raise its member’s views as to the causes and possible solutions. The SA said that ‘a week prior to meeting with the minister, the Association had canvassed industry opinion, during a round of virtual member briefings that are held on a quarterly basis.’ Labour and skills shortages are widespread throughout the construction sector which estimates over 200,000 new workers will be required in the next 5 years to meet demand.
Robert Candy
Robert Candy, Chief Executive of the Scaffolding Association, said: “Government can support with resolving labour and skills shortages. However, industry and others have a part to play too. We are grateful to the Minister for listening to our concerns and for showing interest in helping to find solutions. We look forward to working more closely with the minister and officials from across government on this and many other issues of member importance.”

SIMIAN offer fully funded scaffolding training

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Scaffolding training providers SIMIAN is offering FREE career progression for scaffolders and trainees that live or work in the Greater Manchester area. If you live or work in a Greater Manchester Combined Authority Postcode, you could be eligible to take the next step on your career progression ladder by securing a place on a fully-funded CISRS Scaffolding training course.
SIMIAN say they have secured a limited amount of skills training funding for those who either live, work or are employed in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority area, and it can be used for CISRS Part One, Part Two and Advanced Scaffolder Training. The funding, secured via North West Skills Academy Limited (NWSA) and GMCA, will be used to upskill Greater Manchester’s workforce, and the application process is open to any individual who has a current CISRS card, ranging from CISRS COTS to Part 2. NWSA was awarded the funding by Greater Manchester Combined Authority as part of its three-year Skills for Growth programme. Skills for Growth is funded through the European Social Fund and aims to plug the skills gaps in priority sectors across Greater Manchester as outlined in the Combined Authority’s Local Industrial Strategy. For more info on the fund, search #SkillsForGrowthGM. Speaking of the initiative, Natalie Hadfield, Apprenticeship Manager at SIMIAN, said: “We’re thrilled to have been able to tap into this upskilling fund, as it gives GMCA residents and workers the opportunity to progress, with the potential of having increased earning capability. It’s a small piece of good news in what has generally been a very challenging couple of years for almost everybody.” Sam Riley, CEO of NWSA, said: “We’re excited at the opportunity of expanding our offering into scaffolding, which is a new initiative for us. SIMIAN is the largest and most renowned provider of CISRS training in the region and we’re delighted that working with them will give NWSA the opportunity to bring direct skills benefits to the employers and residents of the GMCA area.” SIMIAN stress that the funding is strictly limited to those living, working or employing in the following Greater Manchester postcode areas: BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4, BL5, BL6, BL8, BL9 M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8, M9, M11, M12, M13, M14, M15, M16, M17, M18, M19, M20, M21, M22, M23, M24, M25, M26, M27, M28, M29, M30, M31, M32, M33, M34, M35, M38, M40, M41, M43, M44, M45, M46, M50, M90 OL1, OL2, OL3, OL4, OL5, OL6, OL7, OL8, OL9, OL10, OL11, OL15, OL16 SK1, SK2, SK3, SK4, SK5, SK6, SK7, SK8, SK9, SK14, SK15, SK16 WA14, WA15 WN1, WN2, WN3, WN4, WN5, WN7 If you would like to take up the offer of fully-funded training apply via the SIMIAN website by clicking here.

About the European Social Fund

This project receives funding from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England. The Department for Work and Pensions is the Managing Authority for the England European Social Fund programme. Established by the European Union, the European Social Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support skills development, employment and job creation, social inclusion and local community regenerations. For more information visit www.gov.uk.

AT-PAC Ringlock receives DIBT approval

AT-PAC Ringlock scaffolding system has received one of the world’s most recognized approvals for scaffolding – the DIBt.   The Ringlock brand has become the world’s first non-European scaffold system with the DIBt approval. In autumn 2020, AT-PAC and Doka entered into a global strategic partnership. This combined AT-PAC’s many years of scaffolding experience with Doka’s global presence. AT-PAC’s Ringlock system has been adopted and implemented by Doka as their own Scaffolding System to provide customers ‘more than formwork’. The DIBt (Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik) is a leading technical authority responsible for granting national approvals for construction products in Germany. It is one of the most recognized and regulated approvals for scaffolding worldwide. AT-PAC say its proprietary quality assurance program and rigorous quality checks and expert scaffold knowledge have been proven to be successful by securing the DIBt approval and guarantees customers a supply of high-quality scaffolding system with globally recognized approvals and certifications. Jeff Davis – CEO of AT-PAC said: “This marks a major milestone in the scaffolding strategy of AT-PAC Doka.” “The DIBt certification marks a significant milestone in our company’s history and realizes our vision over the past 10+ years to invest in the development of our products to build the basis for international growth and be recognized as one of the major scaffolding players in the market.”

TRAD Group launches new app to support workforce

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The new app is designed to give its employees instant access to H&S, wellbeing and company information. TRAD Group has launched a dedicated app to help its workforce access critical services and information and to help make sure communications reach everyone. The app offers employees a range of services to help keep them in constant touch with the business. “We felt that we needed to bring some innovation to our internal communications,” says TRAD’s Group HR Director, Ros Howe. “Our email communications often didn’t reach our whole workforce and some employees were missing out on crucial information. The app is designed to make sure that everyone can access news, updates and our wellbeing services instantly wherever they are.” The app has sections dedicated to health and safety, wellbeing, news and the company’s Personal Engagement Programme. There’s also a space for employee suggestions and for the Group’s charity and CSR focus – this year, it is aiming to raise £22,000 for the Anthony Nolan Trust in memory of former TRAD director, John Paterson. “TRAD is recognised as an innovative company,” says Des Moore, CEO. “This doesn’t just apply to our products, but to the way we run our business, and the new app is a great example of this. Our culture is all about including our people at every stage and making sure that everyone feels they are ‘at home’ when they work for us. I’m really looking forward to seeing the impact that the app will have across the Group.”