A large scaffold on a tower block in Hong Kong has collapsed onto a busy street killing a female worker and trapping others.
The bamboo scaffold that surrounded the 30-storey residential tower block collapsed this morning (8 October) after a strong gust of wind from a tropical storm hit the city.
One female worker has reportedly died in the incident while two others are still missing. A number of motorists were also injured in the collapse after the huge scaffolding fell onto cars travelling along a busy road.
The fringes of tropical storm Lionrock has lashed Hong Kong prompting the city’s highest-level ‘black’ rainstorm alert and a No 3 strong wind signal.
BrandSafway has announced the acquisition of German scaffolding business Gerüstbau Muehlhan.
Owners of Lyndon SGB and many others, BrandSafway has acquired the business in a bid to expand its scaffolding and access operations in the German market.
Gerüstbau Muehlhan specialises in advanced scaffolding solutions, operating from three locations in Northern Germany- Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Brunsbüttel.
The business is expected to be a good fit alongside the group’s existing Hünnebeck scaffold and formwork operations in the country.
Gabriel McCabe, president of BrandSafway’s International Division said: “Gerüstbau Muehlhan is a great addition to our company. Its proven expertise and emphasis on excellence in customer service, together with its strong reputation in safety, will further strengthen our market position in Germany. It is also a step toward diversifying and expanding into other end markets in the commercial, renewable energy and shipbuilding sectors.”
Martin Hemberger, vice president of Forming & Shoring International added: “Both Gerüstbau Muehlhan’s and BrandSafway’s customers will benefit from this acquisition. Together, we can offer an even wider range of customized and highly efficient scaffolding services to an enlarged customer base.”
Malte Herrmann, one of two managing directors at Gerüstbau Muehlhan said: “We are very pleased that we are now part of BrandSafway. This acquisition opens up very attractive opportunities for our customers and employees.” Co-managing director Gunnar Freier added: “While we bring our expertise and know-how to BrandSafway, our customers and employees alike can benefit from the global capabilities and resources that BrandSafway offers.”
BrandSafway has been operating in Germany since 2012, under the name Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services. With headquarters in Ratingen, Western Germany, and numerous locations on customers projects, Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services has experienced dynamic growth and serves customers in various industrial end markets, especially in the chemical, pharmaceutical, energy, food, and steel market sectors.
The Altrad Group has agreed with Interserve on a deal to buy RMD Kwikform.
In a deal reportedly worth more than £140m, the French industrial services group has agreed to buy RMD Kwikform (RMDK) a global formwork, falsework and shoring solutions provider.
Owned by previously troubled Interserve, RMD Kwikform employs more than 1,300 people and has been involved in various stages of construction at HS2, Crossrail, Battersea Power Station and Hinkley point.
Scaffmag understands the sale of RMDK is part of the planned restructuring of the Group, which has also seen the sale of businesses including Interserve Healthcare to City & County Healthcare Group and Interserve Support Services to Mitie Group plc in 2020.
RMDK is headquartered in the West Midlands and employs over 1300 people around the world including in its core markets of the UK, India, Australia and the UAE.
Ran Oren, joint Chief Executive of Altrad Group said: “We are so excited to welcome RMDK to the Altrad family. We have watched and admired RMDK’s specialist engineering skills and services for many years and strongly believe in its brand, client solutions and ability to return to growth. RMDK will enhance our portfolio of products, in line with our strategy of the geographic, sector and product diversification.
Altrad is well-financed with a strong balance sheet and the unwavering support of its stakeholders. We are able to provide investment to fuel the further growth of RMDK as part of a leading industrial group.”
Altrad’s latest acquisition deal comes just weeks after the group announced the agreement to buy the Hire & Sales division from Actavo. Previous acquisitions by Altrad include Cape (2017), Hertel (2015), Trad, BarOmix, Belle Group, Beaver 84, NSG, Generation and MTD.
Crossrail, RMD
Alan Lovell, Chairman of Interserve Group Limited said: “The sale of RMDK to Altrad Group continues the significant progress we have made selling the constituent parts of Interserve Group to best realise value for our shareholders.I have no doubt that RMDK will thrive as part of Altrad Group which will benefit both its staff and clients alike. I would like to thank all the team at RMDK for their outstanding contribution to the Group and wish them well for the future.”
Scaffolding trade association the NASC has revealed its finalists for this year’s forthcoming 2021 awards.
The NASC has announced its shortlist for the 2021 NASC Awards that saw a record number of entries submitted. The scaffolding trade association announced yesterday that the awards drew 72 submissions across seven categories.
Taking place again at the five-star Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, on Friday 19 November 2021 the NASC Ball & Awards showcases the very best scaffolding projects, processes, products and personnel.
NASC Awards Shortlist
Apprentice of the Year
Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services UK Ltd T/A Lyndon SGB – Mark Davies
City Access Scaffolding Ltd – Adam McLennan
Connect Scaffolding Ltd – Harrison Witcomb
Rose System Scaffolding Ltd – James Harrison
H&S (1-66 Employees)
CCS Scaffolding Ltd
City Access Scaffolding Ltd
Fred Champion Scaffolding Ltd
Shield Environmental Services Ltd
H&S (67+ Employees)
Actavo (UK) Ltd
Benchmark Scaffolding Ltd
Connect Scaffolding Ltd
TRAD Scaffolding Co. Ltd
Innovation of the Year
Bilfinger Salamis UK – Scaffold Portal
Connect Scaffolding Ltd – The Connect TW Clip
HAKI Ltd – HAKI BIM
Layher Ltd – Layher Allround AGS Façade System
NASC President’s Award
Lyndon SGB – Ian Hines
HAKI Ltd – Priscila Escobar
Millcroft Services Plc – Mike Wright
Apex Scaffolding (Exeter) Ltd – Robin Whatling
Project of the Year (Turnover up to £5m)
City Access Scaffolding Ltd – St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh
Connolly Scaffolding Ltd – The Liverpool Municipal Building
Crossway Scaffolding (Elland) Ltd – Saltburn Viaduct, North Yorkshire
Simon Robinson, NASC Marketing Manager, said: “The NASC would like to place on record its gratitude to the judges of this year’s awards, who dedicated a great deal of their time, expertise and effort on evaluating each and every entry.”
Two directors are on trial after a scaffolder was crushed to death in a “long-predicted” church collapse.
A court heard that Jeff Plevey, 56, from Cardiff, died when the derelict Citadel Church in the city, collapsed as he dismantled the scaffolding surrounding it in July 2017.
Stewart Swain director of Swain Scaffolding Ltd and Keith Young director of Young Contractors, the demolition firm working on the church are accused of gross negligence manslaughter.
Both directors deny the charges at the trial being held at Swansea Civic Centre.
Lead prosecutor Andrew Langdon QC told a jury that at about 14:45 on 18 July, 2017, railway workers on the nearby Splott Bridge heard a “loud crack” and “a bang, like a small explosion”.
They then heard men at the church building site shouting “run”, and telling someone to “jump” before scaffolding around the church collapsed.
The railway workers hurried across to find those who had escaped looking “distressed” and repeatedly saying “Jeff is inside”.
Scaffolder, Jeff Plevey was eventually discovered among the rubble and wreckage. He had been crushed to death, the court was told.
Scaffolder Jeff Plevey was crushed to death in the collapse.
The prosecutor said the case was about the collapse of the church wall. “Could it have been predicted? If so, why were three men working on scaffolding that abutted it?” he added.
Mark Gulley, from Penarth, director of Amos Projects Limited, who had owned the Citadel since 2006, and Richard Lyons, from Bristol, a partner of Optima Scaffold Design Solutions Ltd are also on trial for health and safety offences.
Mr Gulley had intended to refurbish the church and repurpose it into flats, but then later decided to demolish the church and sell the site to developers.
The trial was told a report commissioned by Network Rail into the building found the church to be in a “poor” state and the rear wall “in danger of imminent collapse”.
The report was sent to Mr Gulley in 2016 and shared with demolition contractors, but not with the scaffolding contractor and defendant Mr Swain. Despite the report’s warning and the “obvious” danger posed by the rear wall, the prosecution said contractors failed to carry out sufficient works to stabilise it.
Scaffolding erected around the building was then tied to the wall, making any collapse liable to take the scaffolding with it.
According to a news report, Mr Plevey and two other scaffolders had been told to dismantle the scaffolding in preparation for the wall demolition when the collapse happened.
Mr Langdon said: “It was the long-predicted collapse of that unstable wall. Unsupported and dangerous as it had been throughout, it had become even more dangerous since the demolition of the church had begun.”
The prosecution claimed no-one had taken responsibility for the project as a whole, describing the management of the site as “dysfunctional”. The court was also told that had building regulations been followed “this fatality could not have occurred”.
Two other men, Phil Thomas, from Cardiff, who was Mr Young’s health and safety advisor from South Wales Safety Consultancy Ltd, and Richard Dean, of Abertillery, from NJP Consultant Engineers Ltd, have already pleaded guilty to health and safety offences.
The prosecution was brought following a joint investigation by South Wales Police and the Health and Safety Executive.
The trial before Mrs Justice Jefford is expected to take up to 10 weeks.
Technical support for TG20:13 to be withdrawn next week, says NASC.
Scaffolding trade body the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) is reminding users of TG20:13 that technical support for the scaffolding software will be withdrawn by NASC from Tuesday 12 October 2021.
The technical support withdrawal for TG20:13 comes after the latest version of the software TG20:21 was launched six months ago.
From Tuesday 12 October the following changes will take effect:
The TG20:13 online wind map will be removed.
Licensing services will be switched off, so customers will no longer be able to activate, deactivate or move TG20:13 eGuide licences.
The TG20:13 support dashboard will be switched off.
The NASC says that the TG20:13 eGuide software is being formally withdrawn as the software platform it was developed on, Adobe Air, is no longer supported or maintained by Adobe.
An NASC statement informing TG20:13 users of the planned withdrawal was released in July.
Scaffolders on the British Steelworks in Scunthorpe began an all-out strike on Monday in a long-running pay dispute.
Over 60 scaffolders employed by Actavo walked out on Monday (5th October) and took to the picket line over a long-running row over their pay.
The workers want to be paid in line with the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI). The rates for the workforce are currently 10 to 15 per cent below these rates, according to UNITE the union.
The pay dispute began back in 2019 when their former employers Brand Energy had the maintenance contract on the site. Actavo took over the contract in February 2021 but the dispute continues. There is a difference of £2 an hour between their current pay rates and the established NAECI pay rates.
The scaffolders are responsible for the maintenance of over 500 scaffolding structures at the site.
Speaking previously about the dispute Unite regional officer John McIntyre said: “Our members play a crucial role maintaining safety on the British Steel site and deserve to be paid the correct rate for the job.”
The scaffolders will picket the British Steel gates A, D and G from 5.30-9.30am every day.
Scaffolding boss and current NASC president, Lynn Way has been re-elected as a Specialist Contractor Director of Build UK.
The first-ever female NASC president will continue to provide strategic direction for the leading construction industry body.
Lynn, who also holds the position of Financial Director and Company Secretary at Cornwall based Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding Ltd, said: “she was pleased to be re-elected by Build UK trade association members.”“In the past year, I have been privileged to represent the scaffolding industry, ensuring the needs and views of our industry are heard, as well as delivering for the construction industry as a whole and I look forward to continuing these efforts in 2022.”
Build UK is the leading representative organisation for the UK construction industry. By bringing together Clients, Main Contractors, Trade Associations representing over 11,500 Specialist Contractors and other organisations committed to industry collaboration, Build UK represents in excess of 40% of UK construction.
The new manufacturing facility will mean increased capacity and enhanced customer service, says Layher.
Layher, the world’s largest manufacturer of system scaffolding, access and weather protection equipment has revealed to Scaffmag it’s now developing a new manufacturing facility that will enable it to increase production and enhance services to its customers worldwide.
Construction of the company’s ‘Plant #3’, and associated hot-dip galvanising facility, is now well underway at its Eibensbach factory near Stuttgart in Germany.
“The extension is being built to state-of-the-art standards and technological advancements, including energy efficiency,” says Sean Pike, Layher’s UK Managing Director. The latter is enhanced by floor slabs with additional insulation, special ceiling, wall insulation and triple-glazed windows.”
The roof surfaces of the new plant will also pay testimony to the company’s commitment to environmental performance through grass coverings and a photovoltaic system which derives energy from and into the manufacturing plant.
Layher is also complying with Germany’s Federal Emission Control Act, which contains strict environmental protection requirements – for which its Plant #2’s galvanising facility has already been awarded and commended for its emissions control measures.
“The new 140,000m2 (14 hectares) plant signals Layher’s commitment to the environment, jobs and all our customers globally, despite the challenge’s brought about by the pandemic and raw materials shortages,” says, Managing Shareholders Carolin Langer and Georg Layher.
“It is a positive step and helping to assure our clients success by maintaining constant supply is at the forefront of this decision. We readily recognise that our customers’ success drives our own and, on this basis, our joint strategic partnership and product innovation with our clients remains our sharp focus.”
TRAD has already raised more than 50% of its fundraising target of £75K for the year as part of its 50th-anniversary appeal.
TRAD Group (‘TRAD’), one of the UK’s leading scaffolding and access companies, is just a week away from sending 30 of its people on a 26-mile trek across Yorkshire’s three highest peaks, to raise money for the company’s chosen charities for its 50th anniversary year.
The 30 walkers taking on the 3 Peaks challenge are made up of all disciplines across the Group, ranging from Yard Staff to Directors who will be taking part for a common cause.
The company has been collecting donations to support the walkers, and is delighted to have received donations from numerous Scaffolding companies from up and down the country.
In addition, the team has received a single donation of £2,500 from Northern Gas and Power – this brings the total fundraising for this year to around £40,000 – more than halfway to TRAD’s target of £75,000 for the year.
“It’s been absolutely amazing to have this support from the scaffolding and construction industry,” said Des Moore, CEO at TRAD. “These generous donations have been added to the money collected individually by our team of walkers, and by other events put on by TRAD Group staff – it’s an immense effort and I’m really proud to be part of this charity effort.”
The walkers will be trekking the three peaks on Saturday October 9th, and all donations are still welcome. “We’d really love to get to our target before the end of the year,” said Des Moore, who will be walking the route along with other members of staff.
“So we’d encourage anyone who wants to support the Royal British Legion, MIND and the MS Society to contribute to our fundraising if they can. With still over 1 week until we take on the challenge I’m hopeful we will receive plenty more significant contributions to help boost our donation pot! We are already over halfway of reaching our £30k target for this challenge and welcome donations from all to help us achieve our £30k goal for the three very worthy charities we are supporting this year”.Anyone wishing to donate can use this link: https://www.collectionpot.com/pot/275521/
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