Breaking: Global engineering and industrial services company Bilfinger will create a new €400 million turnover business following the merger of its two core UK entities.
Warrington-based Bilfinger UK and Aberdeen-based Bilfinger Salamis will trade under the Bilfinger UK brand, creating one of the UK’s largest tier one contractors with 5,000 employees during peak periods and 14 onshore locations across the UK’s key industrial hubs.
The merger will combine the onshore and offshore capabilities of the two businesses. It will position the company as a key contractor for delivering large renewable energy projects as the UK transitions to net-zero and expand the services and solutions it can provide to customers in oil and gas, food and beverage, chemical, utilities and pharmaceutical.
The move will also support Bilfinger UK’s diversification and growth strategy as it targets new markets for its services. The business will be led by Sandy Bonner, executive president of the UK region for Bilfinger and managing director of Bilfinger Salamis.
The merger will complete on 1st January 2022.
Sandy Bonner
Sandy Bonner said: “The sectors we operate in are changing rapidly as the UK accelerates its energy transition. Combining the strengths of both businesses will create a unified proposition to respond to the shifts in market demand.“The merger will position the company as a contractor of choice to deliver major renewable energy projects, strengthen our existing presence in our traditional markets of oil and gas and utilities and target growth in power, food and beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical.“We’ve already been working together on projects for hydrogen plants, carbon capture facilities and onshore and offshore wind, and the move will enable us to face the market as one integrated engineering and maintenance, modifications and operations business.”
Bilfinger Salamis UK is an established provider of maintenance, modifications and operations services to the oil and gas, energy, petrochemical, renewables, nuclear and utilities sectors covering onshore and offshore facilities across Europe. With bases in Esbjerg, Aberdeen, Groningen and Great Yarmouth, the business employs up to 2,000 people and has supported the energy industry for almost 50 years.
Bilfinger UK is one of UK’s leading providers of integrated engineering and technical services to the process industry, employing more than 2,500 people operating across 10 UK offices.
Both businesses are part of international industrial services provider Bilfinger.
The Scaffolding Association has welcomed a new government service that has been launched to help businesses create more apprenticeship opportunities.
Large businesses can now pledge funds to smaller businesses through a new online service making it easier for large employers that pay the Apprenticeship Levy to spend their levy funds.
These employers had previously been able to transfer up to 25% of their annual levy pot to support other employers to take on apprentices. The new service will simplify the process for employers looking to transfer funds and businesses wanting to access funding.
Figures provided to the industry trade body by HMRC earlier this month shows that businesses in the construction sector have contributed £315m in levy payments since the scheme started in April 2017 up to the end of June 2021.
Robert Candy, Chief Executive of the Scaffolding Association said “The construction industry is suffering from significant skills shortages and apprenticeships can provide an excellent start for many seeking a career in the industry.”
A recent report published by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) says that 37% of the construction workforce are over the age of 50 and estimates that 217,000 workers will need to be recruited into the industry over the next 5 years.
Robert Candy added “Attracting a new generation of workers is critical but accessing funding for apprenticeships is only part of the problem. Training content must be relevant and embrace modern innovation and technology. Qualifications gained from apprenticeships must also be recognised to ensure individuals can access work upon completion.”
The Lighthouse Club’s Construction Industry Helpline App now offers critical free Sleepstation support.
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity’s free Helpline App has now been upgraded with ‘Sleepstation’, an NHS approved service aimed at improving support with insomnia and poor sleep health.
The confidential and clinically proven support is being provided completely free of charge by the charity and is in response to callers to the charity’s 24/7 helpline reporting difficulties with sleeping due to emotional, financial or other physical wellbeing issues.
Whilst most of the restrictions relating to Covid-19 have been lifted, many are still struggling with transitioning back to ‘normality’ or dealing with major life changes as a result. This in turn can impact on a good sleep pattern and so the addition of this extra help offers yet another lifeline to those that need it.
A good night’s sleep helps us deal with stress, improves resilience and optimises our immune system but with a fifth of all work related illness in construction due to stress, anxiety and depression, it is unsurprising that many are struggling.
Sleepstation is a clinically validated sleep improvement programme that looks at all the underlying reasons why people aren’t sleeping. Known as cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi) this approach has been proven to combat even the most severe insomnia and shown to be far superior to pharmaceutical interventions in both short and long-term management of sleep issues in adults of all ages.
Dedicated support teams deliver a holistic plan dependant on the issues identified and sleep issues can be improved significantly with just four sessions.
What Sleepstation offers:
An understanding of what is normal and what constitutes sleep deprivation
A personal sleep assessment and expert analysis
Confidential advice and reports
Support from an expert team who offer personal advice.
Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity said: “I am absolutely delighted that we can now offer this invaluable service completely free of charge to our construction community. Simply by accessing our Helpline app, users can avoid lengthy waiting times and access the highest level of support without a GP referral. If someone is being affected by physical, financial or physical wellbeing issues, this too is likely to impact on their sleep, which means they are less likely to be able to cope, and the problem quickly spirals out of control. And as well as affecting mental wellbeing, for our construction workforce who often work with heavy machinery and plant, feeling fatigued could easily result in a serious or fatal accident on site. The addition of Sleepstation is yet another step in helping us achieve our mission that no construction worker or their family is alone in a crisis”.
A budding scaffolder with Downs Syndrome has been named Achiever of the Year at the Constructing Excellence South West (CESW) Awards.
The awards were held at The Marriott City Centre Hotel in Bristol on 17 September are recognised across the South West built environment as the biggest and brightest celebration of best practice.
32-year-old Todd Scanlon who is currently striving to become a fully qualified scaffolder won the Achiever of the Year award in recognition for his excellent contribution to the South West Built Environment sector.
Scanlon who works for Coles Scaffolding Ltd in Swindon has been said to be a ‘model employee, that is strong, dedicated and always on time. His boss Martyn Coles has been guiding Todd and championing him every step of the way since he started with the company three years ago.
However, Todd is no stranger to winning awards or the limelight, in 2019 Todd was awarded the accolade of Apprentice of the Year by On The Tools and has been featured in many TV interviews with mainstream media.
Speaking to Access Point about the award, Todd’s boss Martyn Coles who accepted the award on his behalf explained that it came as a surprise: “We didn’t know that Todd had been nominated, he was just invited down for the ceremony, which unfortunately he couldn’t attend so I went instead.I still didn’t know anything about it, it wasn’t until about two awards out that someone told me that I will be receiving the award on Todd’s behalf.”
Martyn Facetime called Todd so that he could be a part of the ceremony via his mobile phone.
Martyn Coles (Right) accepting Todds award with him on call. Image Credit: CESW
Martyn added: “It’s great to see Todd getting recognition for his hard work by winning these awards. The next step is getting him proper recognition by getting him qualified, but at the moment we are struggling to get our foot in the door of the traditional routes.”
A contractor has been fined nearly £20,000 after a worker fell 15ft from a scaffolding tower in the Trafford Centre, Manchester.
The TA Knox Shopfitters Ltd employee suffered multiple fractures from the fall that happened on 24 October 2019.
Manchester Magistrates Court heard that he was working from a tower scaffold at the front of the Footasylum Store in the Trafford Centre, Manchester, when the scaffold moved throwing him off balance.
He fell back against the safety rail of the scaffold, which gave way and he fell fifteen feet to the ground. The employee suffered ten fractured ribs, a fractured shoulder and a collapsed lung.
An investigation by the HSE found that the safety rail had not been fixed in place correctly, causing it to give way when the employee fell against it. It also found that the tower scaffold had not been erected by somebody with the appropriate skills, knowledge and training.
If the edge protection had been suitable and sufficient and the tower was constructed by somebody competent to erect tower scaffolds, the incident could have been prevented, says the HSE.
TA Knox Shopfitters Ltd of Hollingworth Road, Bredbury, Stockport pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £18,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,623.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Seve Gomez-Aspron said: “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities and severe injuries in this country. The risks associated with work at height are well known. This incident could so easily have been avoided by ensuring that suitable and sufficient edge protection had been used and qualified people had been on site to erect a tower scaffold.”
Members of the Armed Forces were introduced to some of the outstanding opportunities that await them on civvy street within the scaffolding industry at a military careers event last week.
Scaffolding trade association the NASC saw more than 100 current service personnel stop at its stand at the British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS) event at Tidworth Leisure Centre.
All were greeted by NASC’s Training and Recruitment Officer Henry Annafi and representatives from NASC Contractor members Severnside Scaffolding Ltd and S & K Scaffolding Ltd, also attending was NASC Information member SIMIAN.
Henry said: “It was great to see such interest and enthusiasm shown by so many serving Armed Forces personnel. Many of these people had little or no knowledge of what the scaffolding industry can offer them but were very receptive to what we had to share with them.“They were very impressed by the structured and progressive nature of the CISRS scheme – and the NASC’s Armed Forces Training Fund, which will fully cover the costs of retraining and qualifying as a scaffolder – along with the variety of the work, camaraderie and earning potential.“Whilst at the event S & K Scaffolding immediately set up interviews with three candidates and more than 40 jobseekers took our NASC Careers information away with them, which is a very positive response. I’m optimistic that many of these will take be seeking to take up positions in our industry in the near future. “I’d like to thank each of the members who gave up their time to represent the NASC and the scaffolding industry at this event, it is imperative that scaffolding employers engage in events such as this one, in order to promote the sector and inform the wider labour market us of the many vacancies we are looking to fill. “Our efforts would have been far less effective without their support. We now look forward to the BFRS virtual careers fair on Tuesday 28 September.”
One of Scotlands largest scaffolding providers has revealed how the firm erected a 24m-high circular scaffold around the Hamilton Mausoleum in preparation for major repairs.
JR Scaffold Services, a division of the JR Group has erected a full perimeter scaffold structure including a huge circular/radial scaffold around the dome of the building ahead of restoration works.
The scaffold, which was supplied on behalf of Go Wright Ltd, will stand erected until 2022, upon completion of planned stone restoration and lead replacement works.
Project Scotland reports that following a campaign from the Hamilton Mausoleum Trust, South Lanarkshire Council pledged to invest thousands into repairing the historic building.
They later commissioned repair work to combat water ingress and reverse signs of wear and tear.
Located in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, the Hamilton Mausoleum was the resting place of the family of the Dukes of Hamilton.
Built-in the grounds of the now-demolished Hamilton Palace, it’s high stone used to hold the record for the longest echo within any man-made structure in the world, taking 15 seconds for the sound of a slammed door to fade.
In recent years the Mausoleum has hosted modern and classical music performances and art installations.
JR Scaffold Services worked with Historic Scotland to erect the scaffolding project in a way that would protect the building and its history.
Speaking to Project Scotland John Jack, contracts manager at The JR Group, said: “We’re proud to be playing a part in the restoration of the Hamilton Mausoleum – one of the country’s most iconic buildings that holds a fascinating history. Over a four-week period, we built a scaffold structure around the entire perimeter of the building including the dome, along with a full-height loading bay, staircase and hoist bay. The scaffold will allow for important works to preserve the Hamilton Mausoleum, which has been showing signs of water ingress.“JR Scaffold Services worked closely with Historic Scotland throughout this process to ensure that the building and its features were protected. Vital repair works have now begun and when completed will breathe new life into the landmark, helping to safeguard its future.”
Leading power tool manufacturer Makita UK has expanded its extensive offering with two new powerful XGT 40VMax Brushless Impact Wrenches.
The new TW007G and TW008G impact wrenches offer four-speed options, so users can easily adjust the output to match the task for optimum operation.
The new tools can deliver up to 2,900 impacts per minute and reach a no-load speed of up to 2,300rpm ensuring operator efficiency.
For ease of use, both models also feature a trigger switch that allows operators to activate full speed mode at the press of a button.
To ensure user comfort, both impact wrenches have been ergonomically designed with a rubberised soft grip which means the tools can be used for extended periods of time without fatigue.
In addition, the new LED job light means the work area is always illuminated for clear visibility and safety.
Finally, the TW007G and TW008G feature an electric brake which quickly stops rotation for increased operator safety.
Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita said: “At Makita we are dedicated to offering trade professionals across any sector a wide range of machines that they rely on to complete tasks quickly, efficiently and safely. The latest products added to the line-up give tradespeople even more choice so they can always find the right tool for the job.”
To find out more about Makita’s XGT line up visit: www.makitauk.com
Proptech startup SearchLand has launched a new tool to allow developers to search for permitted development (PD) sites.
SearchLand is used by developers, investors, architects and anyone else looking for sites to develop on. It layers disparate sources of data, from land ownership and boundaries to planning permissions and prices paid, on top of satellite image maps, with intuitive search functionality.
The new upgrade to its software-as-a-service platform makes it quicker and easier for users to find sites that have PD rights. This means certain building works and changes of use can be carried out without the need for a full planning application.
PD rights were introduced by the UK Government as part of its target to ensure 300,000 new homes are added to the national housing stock every year. The Government says that in the five years to March 2020, change-of-use PD rights created 72,687 new homes.
PD rights are designed to be temporary, allowing the government to correct imbalances in the property market. For instance, in the case of Class MA (mercantile to abode), this PD right is an attempt to take brownfield stock from languishing high streets and convert into much-needed residential property.
SearchLand aims to increase the number of developers accessing PD sites and, in turn, boost housebuilding activity in order to address the UK’s housing crisis – its class MA permitted development tool currently has 27,599 opportunities identified. The update comes as SeachLand continues to break ground in its mission to disrupt the site sourcing process through automation and the more intelligent use of data and technology.
SearchLand’s PD tool works by cross-referencing a range of datasets, including use class, planning constraints and internal measurements to identify sites that meet predefined criteria. It automates and thereby significantly accelerates developers’ search for viable plots of land.
Hugh Gibbs, co-founder of SearchLand, said: “The addition of the PD tool is a really exciting moment for SearchLand. Our site sourcing solution is already providing many developers with a competitive edge, but the ability to now rapidly pinpoint PD sites through our platform is another significant step forward.“Planning permissions are a major stumbling block for developers. PD sites lower that risk, hence they are so highly sought after. So, as well as helping developers hunt down that proverbial needle in the haystack, SearchLand is pleased to be aiding the UK’s housebuilding efforts.”
Founded in 2020, SearchLand is working to automate the entire site sourcing workflow, from site identification to landowner engagement. As site finding becomes increasingly competitive, being able to speed up the process is going to be essential for site finders to remain competitive in the coming years.
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.
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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 
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 
