140+ Tonnes of PERI UP enable major bridge repair scheme
For any complex structure, innovative temporary works solutions help to reduce imposed loads on permanent structures helping to bring various elements of the project together.
The A52 Clifton Bridge, ‘a major National Highways upgrade project’ in Nottingham, is one of these complex structures, which is undergoing repair works inside and underneath the bridge to strengthen the concrete with the installation of new steel cables. Spans 4 and 5 are critical structural sections of the bridge as they sit directly above the River Trent, making access to this section more technical than most. By working closely together, and understanding the project’s requirements very early on, PERI proposed a full integrated scaffolding and formwork solution to main contractor VSL Systems UK. The design was subject to stringent checks by National Highways and VSL prior to the build. This involved detailed planning and demonstrating how the suspended access would be installed to the underside of this section of the bridge, which spans over 100m. The scaffolding provider also worked alongside specialist contractor Newco Scaffolding to ensure continuity throughout the installation of various applications, encompassing on-site demonstrations and product system support prior to and during the build.
Over 140 tonnes of PERI UP scaffolding has been used on the project to support a range of access requirements, keeping the temporary load of the solution to a minimum throughout each phase. This has involved incorporating the lightweight PERI UP 75 Flex Stairs where possible for greater flexibility, with its range of stair lifts accommodating changes in working height throughout the build. Other systems included birdcage scaffolds with high load capacity to store large amounts of material on opposite sides of the river leading up to the suspended scaffolding and walkway to the underside of the bridge.
Access to material was enhanced by integrating the 40kN-capacity PERI UP loading bays on site, as they provided ideal storage space at the required levels and could be accessed via the main working platforms.
One of the key benefits of PERI’s involvement was its supply of essential formwork products in the early stages of the project and how it integrated with the PERI UP Flex system to prevent clashes throughout the build.
3D planning and the benefits of system integration enabled the lightweight DUO formwork, GT beam formwork and VARIOKIT to work around the scaffolding structures with ease, resulting in a unified temporary works solution.
“We wanted to provide a clear walkway to allow repair works to be carried out seamlessly with minimal interruptions to the interface and existing structure. We have been able to achieve this through detailed 3D planning of the vision we had proposed to VSL in the early stages of this project in conjunction with our in-house design team.
This has proved beneficial for the site team and our designers as we were able to carry out a clash detection exercise with our formwork and scaffolding to deliver a secure and obstruction-free working area suspended above the ground.
We are looking forward to continuing our working relationship with VSL and other customers in similar challenging infrastructure environments,” says Business Development Manager for PERI UP, Charles Stratford. Inspection Blitz: HSE to crack down hard on dust
HSE’s inspectors across Great Britain will be targeting firms within construction in a month-long inspection blitz.
Starting Monday 4 October 2021 the HSE are to check that businesses health standards are up to scratch. This year inspections will focus on respiratory risks and occupational lung disease, the HSE will be looking at the control measures businesses have in place to protect their workers’ lungs from construction dust including silica, asbestos and wood dust. This is part of HSE’s longer-term health and work strategy to improve health within the construction industry. Although the primary focus will be on health during this programme of inspections, the HSE says if an inspector identifies any other areas of concern, including immediate safety risks, they will take the necessary action to deal with them. Inspectors will be looking for evidence of employers and workers knowing the risks, planning their work and using the right controls. If necessary, they will use enforcement to make sure people are protected. The initiative will be supported by HSE’s WorkRight campaign, aimed at influencing employer behaviour by encouraging workers to download free guidance and advice, increasing knowledge and capability to protect workers’ health. More than 3,500 builders die each year from cancers related to their work, with thousands of more cases of ill-health and working days lost.
HSE’s chief inspector of construction, Sarah Jardine, said: “Around 100 times as many workers die from diseases caused or made worse by their work than are actually killed in construction accidents.
“Our inspection initiatives ensure that inspectors are able to speak to duty holders and visit sites to look at the kind of action businesses in the construction industry are taking right now to protect their workers’ health, particularly when it comes to exposure to dust and damage to lungs. These are mature health challenges that the industry ought to be managing effectively.
“There are a few simple things that everyone can do to make sure they are protecting their health and their future. Be aware of the risks associated with activities you do every day, recognise the dangers of hazardous dust and consider how it can affect your health. We want businesses and their workers to think of the job from start to finish and avoid creating dust by working in different ways to keep dust down and wear the right protective equipment.”
HSE is being supported by the Health in Construction Leadership Group (HCLG) and Tier 1 industry contractors. Throughout October 2021, HCLG members will carry out more than 1,000 site visits to assess the effectiveness of measures in place to controls workers’ exposure to respiratory risks from dust.
Findings from site visits and a survey will allow the industry to feed into HSE’s broader commitment to improve the health of construction workers by providing HSE with a wider dataset to evaluate ongoing practices across the industry.
HSE and industry Insights will support HSE’s strategic plan to broaden the range and depth of future regulatory health interventions. Company fined after brickies fall from height
A construction company has been fined £200k following an incident where three bricklayers fell from height suffering serious injuries.
North Somerset Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 18 July 2018, three bricklayers fell approximately 2.5 metres onto a concrete floor sustaining serious injuries ranging from a broken back, a broken sternum to a swollen knee. The three workers fell through a temporary stairwell cover, which gave way underneath them because it had not been correctly fitted. An investigation by the HSE found that St Modwen Homes Limited did not have a robust system in place to ensure that the temporary stairwell cover was identified as a temporary working platform and treated as such. It failed to coordinate matters relating to the safe use of the temporary platform and it failed to plan, manage and monitor the installation, inspection, maintenance and use of the temporary working platform. St Modwen Homes Limited based in Birmingham pleaded guilty to breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £13,332. Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stephan Axt-Simmonds said: “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known. “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. Temporary stairwell covers need to be inspected the same as any other working platforms. “Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”Former manager ordered to pay back £6K after defrauding scaffolding firm
A former branch manager at MG Scaffolding has been ordered to pay back all the money he gained from fraudulently selling scrap metal.
The 34-year-old had been employed at the Cheltenham based scaffolding firm between September 2017 and October 2018 his job was to oversee the contracts manager and other staff at the company. Gloucester crown court heard that the man’s fraudulent activity came to light soon after he left the company and the value of the metal that he sold without permission was calculated at just under £6,000, reports Punchline. Prosecutor, Alec Daymond said: “The amount of fraud was tiny in comparison with the company’s turnover, however it is still detracted from the turnover.” “The company generated very little scrap metal over the years and this consisted mainly of damaged scaffolding poles or ones that had been cut and no longer met regulations. “During 2016 the company generated 780kg of scrap valued at £70, the following year it was 1,240kg which generated £119 and in 2019 the company scrapped metal that was valued at £700. “The normal practice would have been that the metal would have been saved up and taken to scrap metal merchants when there was enough to transport. “The fraudulent activity came to light after he had left the company on July 30, 2019 when the office manager overheard a conversation between the workmen that there was no need to collect a docket to take with him to the scrap metal merchants. “The workman explained that he’d previously taken around 40 small amounts to the merchants, but there was never any paperwork involved. “When the workman arrived at the merchant’s he was asked if the account details was still the same. However, on investigation, it turned out that these details were in fact the bank account belonging to the former scaffolding branch manager. “The scrap metal merchants revealed that there had been 24 transactions between July 2017 and September 2018 that totalled 59,369kg for which the branch manager had received £5,840.20 into his bank account. “He abused his position of being branch manager to dupe the scrap metal merchants into paying into his bank account. This was an abuse of trust which was sustained for a period of 18 months.” In his police interview, the branch manager claimed that there was a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ to allow this to happen. The scaffolding company denied this was the case. He later accepted that what he was doing was fraudulent.
Matthew Harbinson, defending, said: “When he arrived at the company he was proactive in cleaning up the yard. In doing so he collected up a lot of scrap metal.
“He said most of the metal was offcuts and he decided that as these lengths didn’t meet regulations he would send them for scrap for his own financial gain.
“He is prepared to pay the company the amount he gained financially back in full.”
The former branch manager admitted fraudulent activity in that between June 2017 and September 2018 he dishonestly obtained scaffolding tubes belonging to MG Scaffolding and sold them as scrap.
Judge Ian Lawrie QC told him: “You really need to examine your sense of integrity in the light of your offending.
“However, I am pleased that you have found new employment in a completely different career. You do need to be punished, however, for the gross betrayal of trust.
“You will repay the amount you fraudulently gained back to the company.”
The judge ordered that he pay £5,840.20 compensation to MG Scaffolding and be subjected to an 18-month community order that includes 200 hours of unpaid work He also ordered him to pay court costs of £1,822 and a victim surcharge. Engineers benefit from PERI’s first CPD event
PERI held its first CPD (continuing professional development) event earlier this month to give engineers from Richter and 48.3 Scaffolding Design Limited insight into its scaffolding range and innovative and sustainable applications.
Among the attendees were graduate engineers who had recently joined the construction industry from university.
The event was held at PERI’s new £15 million facility in Brentwood, allowing attendees to get closer to the temporary works systems they are used to working with on screen.
The agenda involved a blend of product knowledge and practical exercises, which gave the engineers a better understanding of how scaffold and formwork designs impact the end user and the construction process on site.
Graduate Engineer at Richter, Huda Lohiya, commented: “I found the workshop really useful; any time I had a question I didn’t feel embarrassed to ask it, which is really important, especially as a woman in engineering.
Being able to implement the components and put them together during the practical exercise has helped me to understand some of the struggles on site. So now, when I think about designing a project, I’m thinking of ways to simplify the process and how I can make it easier for those building the system.”
Charles Stratford, Business Development Manager – PERI UP, said: “In today’s world, it’s really important that we share our knowledge and work collaboratively with the whole supply chain. The days are gone where you stand alone in winning major projects and promoting safe working practices. We feel it’s important that engineers have a full appreciation of weight, buildability, and the integration with other systems to be able to put the best design forward.
We’ve had a lot of positive feedback around the event, and we look forward to hosting more days like this where we can support the next generation of industry workers as we strive to make the construction process more efficient and safer.”
Charles Stratford, Business Development Manager – PERI UP, said: “In today’s world, it’s really important that we share our knowledge and work collaboratively with the whole supply chain. The days are gone where you stand alone in winning major projects and promoting safe working practices. We feel it’s important that engineers have a full appreciation of weight, buildability, and the integration with other systems to be able to put the best design forward.
We’ve had a lot of positive feedback around the event, and we look forward to hosting more days like this where we can support the next generation of industry workers as we strive to make the construction process more efficient and safer.” Swansea Arena site to inspire city’s next generation
Swansea Arena hosted careers advisers from schools on Thursday (16 September) to show off the hundreds of different roles involved in construction.
Careers advisers from schools in the Swansea area heard how pupils interested in any subject can find a role suitable for them in the sector.
They were given first-hand accounts of how schoolwork can lead to well paid, structured careers as bid writers, designers, drone operators, lawyers, conservati
The first in a series of visits to sites for careers advisers across Wales, titled Building IOK (Industrial Occupational Knowledge), the event involved a demonstration of the Go Construct website, specifically set up by the construction industry to demonstrate the hundreds of roles available, including how to start an apprenticeship.
Pupils from the advisers’ schools would also be offered work experience covering all aspects of construction, while have-a-go equipment can also be brought into school premises.
Andrew Wonklyn, team manager at Careers Wales who attended the event, said: “Site visits like these are really valuable to our advisers so they can continue to have the most up to date knowledge of career paths available and continue to provide the best service possible to the people of Wales. There are many stereotypes about the types of jobs available in the sector so this is a great myth-busting initiative and one that all regions in Wales can benefit from.”
Schools participating included Birchgrove Comprehensive School; Bishop Gore School; Bishop Vaughan RC School; Bishopston Comprehensive School; Cefn Hengoed
Building IOK is an initiative between Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) Wales and Careers Wales and will continue with careers advisers and schools from all over Wales visiting local building sites.
Rob Davies, CITB Wales Senior Customer Engagement Manager, said: “This is a great way to show that there’s something for everyone in construction, whatever you’re interested in. Due to a labour shortage the sector is crying out for new entrants right now, and offers so many paths into a highly rewarding career, from apprenticeships to Further Education and more.”
Rob Davies, CITB Wales Senior Customer Engagement Manager, said: “This is a great way to show that there’s something for everyone in construction, whatever you’re interested in. Due to a labour shortage the sector is crying out for new entrants right now, and offers so many paths into a highly rewarding career, from apprenticeships to Further Education and more.”
The landmark 3,500-capacity Swansea Arena is being built by Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd. This is part of the £135m Copr Bay Phase One regeneration being developed by Swansea Council.
Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, said: “So much construction is taking place in Swansea at the moment as we transform our city into one of the UK’s best places to live, work, study and visit.
“Not only will the combination of these schemes create a far better city for our residents and businesses, but they are also generating construction jobs for local people while inspiring our schoolchildren to explore careers in the construction sector. With schemes like Copr Bay phase one also attracting further private sector investment in Swansea, the construction sector is set to continue to play a key role here in coming years.”
Susan Jones, Buckingham Group Major Projects Social Value Manager, said: “With an increasing average age of 42.5 in the industry, we need more young people to see the benefits of working in construction so they choose it as their career path. Without this, the skill shortage will become critical within the next few years.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Careers Wales and CITB where we have been able to introduce future prospects to pupils, and offer a more rounded understanding of construction career opportunities.”
Find out what construction career you’re best suited to at Go Construct.
Changes to Supervisory Gold CSCS Cards
In a bid to simplify the card application process CSCS have made changes to its Gold Cards.
The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) no longer require applicants applying for the Supervisory Gold card with an OWS N/SVQ to submit additional evidence demonstrating competence in their occupation.
The change comes after consultation with the National Working Group (NWG) for Occupational Work Supervision (OWS).
Applicants need only to provide evidence of their OWS N/SVQ and to have passed the Specialist Supervisor level CITB Health, Safety and Environment test within the last two years, CSCS has said.
The announcement from the National Working Group also means that CSCS will stop printing the occupational endorsement on the reverse of the card for any new card applications received from 1st October 2021.
Garry Mortimer, Operations Manager at CSCS said: “CSCS supports the findings of the National Working Group. The removal of the endorsement will simplify the card application process for our applicants.”
The NWG accepts that it is the responsibility of all employers to ensure that their supervisors are competent to carry out their duties.
The NWG for OWS has approved any of the following entry requirements for those taking the OWS NVQ or SVQ:
- the individual’s occupational industry experience prior to being registered for the Occupational Work Supervision qualification
- the individual’s ability and experience in supervising teams
- the individual is occupationally competent to at least level 2 or SCQF level 5 in construction
- The candidate provides evidence to demonstrate relevant verifiable experience and competence in their occupational area for example: qualification to N/SVQ Level 2 or SCQF Level 5, or
- A letter from the employer confirming the candidate’s suitability and a professional discussion or portfolio evidence of previous experience.
2020 saw construction charity deliver nearly £1.3M in charity giving
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has just released its 2020 Impact Report which demonstrates the vital support they provided in 2020.
Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and three national lockdowns, the charity was able to provide a lifeline to 2264 families in crisis and delivered £1.287M of charitable giving. For the first time ever, the report also details the social value created by the charity which equates to £7.48 for every £1 of charitable spend. It was of little surprise to see increased demands on the charity’s 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline resources and the number of complex cases needing multiple interventions increased by 70%. These cases were managed by caseworkers who have expertise in pulling together all the available resources to provide all-round support. 40% of calls handled by the charity’s caseworkers mentioned struggles with mental health issues and 4% of callers mentioned an attempted suicide. 21% of cases were for issues directly related to Covid-19 and the charity responded quickly to urgent requests for financial support with household bills, emergency food deliveries and helping with debt. Despite these challenges, the charity’s caseworkers leveraged an amazing £564,000 by working with 3rd party sources before releasing charitable grants, meaning more support, to a higher quality and at a lower cost per case.
The report also details major developments in the charity’s education and training programme. In response to the restrictions on face to face training, all courses were augmented so that they could be delivered online and free of charge, with over 1500 people attending courses ranging from coping with stress through to resilience and mindfulness.
The ongoing success of a major national project funded by the CITB delivered a further 41 Mental Health First Aid Instructors into the industry.
One of the highlights of the year was the launch of a dedicated free helpline number for the construction community in the Republic of Ireland and working with the Construction Industry Federation is ensuring that construction colleagues in Ireland can access the same support as their counterparts in the UK.
Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity said, “Our hard work continues and as well as detailing our achievements so far, our impact report also outlines our accelerated plans for expanding the charitable services we offer. We must ensure we continue to pro-actively support the industry’s mental wellbeing and make our services easy to access and freely available to everyone and I am proud to say that we have been able to provide life changing support to our construction community.
But our work is only possible due to the fantastic support we receive and I would like to thank every single person and company that has helped us, especially during these difficult and uncertain times. You have helped us take another step towards our mission to ensure that no construction worker or their family is alone in a crisis.”
Read the 2020 Impact Report here. Scaffolding Association publishes Clean Air Zone Tracker
