It’s three steps to scaffolding success for school leavers looking to construct a career in scaffolding thanks to a leading companies well-designed training programme.
Skill Scaffolding are certainly leading the way in training right from the basics to working on-site and completing formal courses. In terms of their skill academy, there are three levels for trainees to master before they become fully-fledged operatives in the field.
The first level begins in the yard and accounts for the very basics including the wearing of PPE, components used in scaffolding and a thorough grounding in health and safety; culminating in preparation for the HS&E Touchscreen Test, and COTS course.
Upon successful completion, students will begin training on-site under the supervision of fully trained scaffolders ready to become mentors. This part of the training will get them used to the weight of materials and the practical side of life on any scaffolding project.
On reaching the third level trainees will be booked onto their first CISRS scaffolding course in preparation to work their way through the system – at the end of all this, they’ll become fully trained scaffolders.
Lee Marshall, Head of Health and Safety at Skill Scaffolding, explained: “Over the last few years, we have seen a drop in the number of the younger generation coming into the trade, so last year we decided to start our Skill Academy.“The trade is facing a huge skills gap so putting the support in place to help the future generations learn the correct way of doing things is the best way to ensure our clients keep getting the top-quality service they deserve.“Finding a career in scaffolding is not something that usually comes naturally to the younger generations, they are actively encouraged to follow many different career paths at school and college, but scaffolding is rarely one of them. We can clearly see that it is vital that this changes, and we want to be involved in making that happen.”
Alongside direct recruitment, Skill Scaffolding are utilising the government kickstart scheme as an additional source to funnel recruits into the skill academy.
The innovative scheme aims to create a number of new six-month job placements for young people currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. The job placements are aimed at supporting the participants to develop the skills and experience they need to find permanent work after completing the scheme.
Skill Scaffolding has taken on numerous kick starters in the past few months, with many successful enough to progress to stage two of the academy.
Recruitment Drive
What’s more, the firm is looking for experienced people to become part of up to five full scaffolding gangs. These include experienced labourers, Part ones and Part twos; alongside advanced scaffolders. And in addition, up to five Rhino Deckers – all to service projects within the areas of Dorset, Basingstoke and Chichester.
Skill offer competitive rates of pay, plus a van, with immediate long term and permanent work to the right candidates. Management opportunities to exemplary employees.
Appropriate training will be provided where required, as well as full PPE.
Interested applicants can contact our office on 02380 777 750, and ask for either Karl Mcleod or James Wall.Emails can also me sent to either: [email protected] or [email protected]
A search is underway for a specialist scaffolding firm to erect major scaffolding works for the restoration of HMS Victory in Portsmouth.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) is looking to appoint a scaffolding contractor or contractors to support a major conservation programme of works planned for HMS Victory in Portsmouth.
The programme which will commence in late 2021 will see much-needed conservation work to ensure the long-term preservation of the World – Class Historic Vessel and an exemplar of a Royal Navy capital warship from the Age of Sail.
The NMRN is seeking scaffolding companies that ideally have experience in working with heritage/conservation projects and incorporating and working alongside visitor access to the ship.
A Prior Information Notice was made public on the MyTenders website for the job with a value of £2m.
The NMRN is seeking contractors to provide a multi-level (or variable level) tented access and work platform to support the removal and replacement of planking and a weather-tight enclosure for essential conservation work to be undertaken.
The Museum also requires the construction of site office and welfare facilities for the scaffolding construction personnel within a secure area to allow public access to the museum and ship.
Work is anticipated in four stages, each of approximately 3 years, the notice reads.
The scaffold design must incorporate provisions for internal and external visitor experience. And also include ventilation systems and fire detection and suppression systems, including fire curtains and sprinklers to prevent damage to the ship while the works are carried out.
HMS Victory is a 104-gun ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1765. She is best known for her role as Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar.
You can read the full Prior Information Notice that includes contact details and further information by clicking here.
New research shows the rates of suicide in the construction industry have increased.
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity commissioned Glasgow Caledonian University to carry out research on suicide statistics from 2015 to 2019.
Alarmingly, its findings show that suicides within the construction industry have in fact increased.
Analysis of suicides by workers occupation revealed the number per 100,000 for construction workers rose from 26 to 29 in the four years to 2019.
The data shows no change in historical ratios, with those in the construction industry three times more likely to take their own life than in other sectors.
The findings also identified variations between certain occupational groups. Those working in non-manual occupations, such as managers and professionals, have lower rates, which have also seen an overall drop in rate from just under 7 in 2015, to just under 5 per 100,000 in 2019.
However, unskilled workers, such as labourers, have seen their rate rise from 48 to just over 73 suicides per 100,000.
The research, led by Professor Billy Hare has also helped develop a ‘dashboard’ that identifies measurable data on construction safety, health and wellbeing. It will be updated yearly, allowing industry organisations, policymakers and researchers to view trends, track the progress of industry initiatives, and inform future decision making.
Bill Hil, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity said, “It is worrying that our support is not reaching the ‘boots on the ground’ workforce. This could be because about 53% of our workforce are self-employed, agency or zero-hour contractors and we are simply not getting our message down the supply chain.Even more worrying, is that these statistics are pre-pandemic so the full impact of this won’t be revealed until further data is released in October of this year.”
Professor Hare said, “This occupational group (unskilled workers) is usually higher than average for suicides, but the sharp rise and widening gap over the period analysed, in contrast to their non-manual colleagues, is concerning and may indicate recent initiatives are not reaching these more vulnerable sectors of the industry.In 2017 the Thriving at Work report commissioned by the government and undertaken by Lord Stevenson and Mark Farmer highlighted poor mental health in construction. Since then, the industry has been engaged in many initiatives to improve the overall wellbeing of the sector. But sadly, this latest research highlights that mental wellbeing initiatives aimed at protecting our construction work may not be reaching those who need it the most.”
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has been providing free emotional and wellbeing support through three main channels including their free 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline, a supporting helpline app and free wellbeing training, But in immediate response to the research findings the charity is redoubling its efforts with even more pro-active initiatives to ensure that no construction worker or their family feels alone in a crisis.
Help Inside the Hard Hat Awareness Campaign
The charity’s current campaign to raise awareness of mental wellbeing in our industry, Help inside the Hard Hat encourages the construction community to think about what is going on inside the hard hat and signposts to all the support available from the charity. Posters and hoardings artwork are free to download.
Lighthouse Beacons
The charity is developing a nationwide network of ‘safe places’ for the construction community to talk in a confidential environment about their issues. These will be volunteer-led and will deliver a network of self-help groups run by facilitators that have lived experience.
Supporting Apprentices
Piloting a mental wellbeing support programme with London Colleges to instil a positive appreciation of mental wellbeing at the start of a construction career. The charity will be providing mental health awareness training to 1000 apprentices and mental health first aid training to 100 tutors. The charity is also collaborating with the Rainy Day Trust to offer free tool kits and laptops to apprentices that are failing their apprenticeship due to affordability of tools or IT equipment.
Mind Builder
A new project with Building Mental Health and Samaritans, funded by the CITB. Mind Builder will deliver a central hub of high-quality wellbeing assets and learning. This project will also link up with the Supply Chain School for enhanced learning.
Bill Hill added, “We are ensuring that there are no barriers to accessing our charitable services by making them all free, including all of our MHFA training and Wellbeing Masterclasses. But, this is a collective responsibility and the industry as a whole must pull together to ensure that every person in our construction community knows where to turn to for support. We need to stop people feeling so desperate that they feel they have no other alternative than taking their own life”.
Elevated prices and the shortage of construction materials including timber, cement and steel is set to continue throughout the rest of the year.
The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has warned that the ongoing construction materials crisis and the availability of some key products hadn’t improved at all during the month of June.
The demand both in the UK and globally continues to dramatically outstrip the supply of construction products and shows few signs of slowing.
CLC co-chairs John Newcomb, chief executive of the Builders Merchants Federation and Peter Caplehorn, chief executive of the Construction Products Association said in a recent statement, “Record sales of building materials coupled with strong pre-orders and full pipelines of work are all putting enormous pressure on the supply chain which, in some sectors, has not fully recovered from the impact of Covid.”
They warn that high demand coupled with tight supply will sustain elevated prices throughout the year.
A shortage of truck drivers is also fanning the flames and is a “critical nationwide problem” the CLC said, that is causing more delays and impacting project programmes.
Experts say the UK has lost 15,000 European drivers this year due to Brexit, and 30,000 UK driver tests were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has exacerbated the driver shortage.
Kent-based scaffolder Lee Camden and his son Frankie are constructing a charity fundraising project to help the Oliver Fisher Neonatal ward at Medway Hospital buy vital equipment.
It’s a personal mission fired up from the day medical staff saved his newborn son’s life, at a time when he wasn’t expected to get through the first 24 hours. Two weeks overdue Frankie had six probes attached to him as he fought for life. In fact, Frankie was just 20 minutes away from being stillborn. Both parents were told he might not be able to walk, talk or even hear, but somehow he pulled through.
Six years on from that fraught and fearful day, Frankie is turning into a strong and vibrant youngster, though he does need hearing aid devices.
It’s just a reminder of what a lot of love, determination and skill from those amazing NHS staff can achieve even in the darkest of hours. And don’t bet on Frankie eventually following his dad into the scaffolding business, as he’s already becoming highly skilled at organising very special toy scaffolding at home. It’s all part of a fascinating family story as Lee explained:
“It all goes back to my own dad, Phill Camden because, from the moment I became aware of what was going on around me, I wanted to be a scaffolder. He got me a kit very much like Meccano, except it was toy scaffolding. It was fantastic putting structures together and it taught me such a lot at a young age.“The scaffolding bug never left me, so it was no surprise I eventually ended up in this wonderful industry. I still had the toy kit in the loft and Frankie knew about it – he kept asking me to get out Grandad’s kit. Soon Frankie was creating some impressive mini scaffolding around the house especially on the stairs.”
So far Lee and Frankie have managed to raise more than £1,000 for the hospital – there’s no specific target – just to get as much money as possible, so the ward can buy what it needs to keep improving their services. They don’t get any special budget from the NHS, so a lot of equipment is provided through donations.
The Oliver Fisher Baby Unit is a tertiary neonatal facility caring for babies who require intensive care. They care for babies from Medway and the surrounding South-East Thames region including Dartford, Gravesend, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells. It’s a 36-cot unit.
Lee began making toy scaffolding sets in order to sell them with £10 profit on each set going to the unit. They include a sprinter half back, tube, fittings, boards, one ladder and yard fencing. Enough to build a 20 x 30 structure.
He added: “To be honest it would be great to get a work clothing range we can sell to make more money for the hospital. We’re already carrying out research and hope to be able to put the plan into action very soon.“We’ve also been talking about arranging a soapbox race day involving scaffolders and builders. We’ll do whatever possible to keep the fundraising going. The Ward staff certainly saved my son’s life and a lot of others since, so I’m passionate about helping them as much as possible especially during such difficult times.”Frankie’s toy scaffolding is becoming quite a social media hit across the UK – in fact, Lee might just have created a new trend. More importantly, it’s building funds for a vital unit in the heart of the NHS, saving lives at the same time. So why not play your part in this wonderful story?
You can donate to Frankie’s charity fundraising project by visiting their GoFundme page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/toy-scaffolding?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer
John Brocklehurst brings his extensive experience in scaffolding business and practices to spearhead Avontus’s global sales efforts.
Scaffolding software firm Avontus that’s headquartered in the USA, has appointed John Brocklehurst as the company’s new Global Sales Director. John, who is based in the United Kingdom, has expertise in scaffolding business around the world, with a specialty in sales, engineering, and design. He brings with him over 30 years of experience working for multinational companies on both onshore and offshore projects.Avontus serves scaffolding businesses all over the world from its offices in the US, UK, Australia, and South Africa. With 19 years in the industry, the scaffolding technology company develops innovative software solutions such as Avontus Quantify, Avontus Designer, and Avontus Viewer. Looking forward, the company plans to further expand its product range to transform scaffolding businesses worldwide. John said: “I am thrilled to join the Avontus team during this exciting new phase. I have a passion for innovation and strive to introduce new ways of working to further grow and expand both Avontus and its customers’ business. My background in engineering, project management and business development has prepared me well for this role and given me a unique perspective on the innovative way forward for the global access community and I look forward to taking the company to the next level of its global expansion.”
Brian Webb, Founder of Avontus Software added: “With more growth and innovation on the horizon at Avontus we welcome John’s experience and knowledge to further support and develop our global sales presence. Avontus continues to enhance its software service and grow globally, and John will play a key role in these efforts.”
GKR Scaffolding has become the first scaffolding specialist to become Carbon Neutral after introducing a number of sustainability measures including moving their entire fleet to HVO fuel.
The business has been working with Engie to fully audit their carbon footprint and put in place a robust roadmap to become Net Zero Carbon by December 2023.
GKR identified that 63% of the business’ carbon emissions were attributed to its fleet of lorries as it was phasing in new Scania L-Series cabs which are also 5-Star Direct Vision.
The first of GKR Scaffolding’s new fleet has hit London’s roads fuelled with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). However, the remainder of the existing fleet can also use HVO as an alternative to diesel.
The business had already moved to using UK generated 100% renewable electricity in all its offices and facilities and has worked with Engie to identify suitable carbon offset programmes.
The offset project being used is a Plant A Tree – Protect A Tree initiative that plants trees in the UK and also protects trees in the Brazilian Amazon via an ‘avoided deforestation programme’. So, for every tree planted in the UK, a tonne of carbon will be saved on another continent.
Roadmap to Net Zero Carbon
Engie’s audit for GKR has established their Net Zero Carbon strategy of which becoming Carbon Neutral is the first milestone. Being Carbon Neutral means that the business’ remaining carbon emissions are balanced by offsets.
The target now is to be net-zero by 2023 where no carbon emissions will derive from the business and therefore offsets are not required.
GKR’s roadmap incorporates trialling composite materials to replace plastics such as tube end caps, using electric forklift trucks and implementing a green policy on steel purchasing to lower requirement on raw materials.
The move to HVO fuel to drive carbon neutrality
The Scania L-Series is the first of the investment in moving GKR’s fleet over to 5 Star Direct Vision cabs to contribute to both safer streets whilst reducing CO2 emissions.
HVO fuel is being used due to analysis showing it reduces CO2 emissions by 91% without affecting the performance of the Euro VI engines.
HVO fuel is manufactured by hydrotreating waste fats and vegetable oils from sustainable and renewable sources. The HVO supplier used by GKR has the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification.
Being 100% hydrocarbon, HVO has better performance and stability than other biofuels and is a popular green alternative available at the pump in many countries in Europe such as Sweden and Finland.
The construction industry is working together throughout the supply chain to reduce carbon emissions.
GKR will be proactively supporting the sustainability targets of the principal contractors they work with as part of their supply chain.
Jason Millett, Group Board member at Mace, said: “Adopting and trialling HVO fuels across our construction sites is a green initiative that we’re driving as part of our bold carbon reduction ambitions set out in Mace’s 2026 Business Strategy. Working together with our supply chain will be vital in realising the benefits of using this hydrocarbon and encouraging its widespread adoption as a green alternative to other polluting fuels. We can achieve much more by collaborating than we could achieve by working alone and our goal is to share these low carbon innovative solutions with the rest of the industry. To pursue a sustainable world, it’s important for the industry to continue working together with our supply chain partners, driving forward innovative low carbon delivery solutions and completely transforming the way we create project and programmes.”
Cleaner and safer streets
As well as its sustainability credentials, the new fleet will also be 5 Star Direct Vision which enhances protection for vulnerable road users such as cyclists.
The Direct Vision Standard is a requirement of all heavy goods vehicles over 12 tonnes travelling through, or operating in, Greater London. The star rating indicates how easily the HGV driver can see directly through their cab window and has been put in place to protect all road users.
The initiative forms part of the Mayor of London’s Vision Zero plan to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries on London’s transport network by 2041.
Neil Rowswell, Managing Director at GKR Scaffolding, stated: “Our move to 5 Star Direct Vision plays a huge part in addressing our responsibility to keep people safe on our roads. We have also been committed to finding sustainable solutions, even before we planned our Net Zero Carbon strategy. We are still researching electric as battery technology improves, but in the meantime, HVO is an excellent alternative allowing us to reduce carbon emissions in a sustainable way. The construction industry is quite rightly being held accountable for the impact we have on the environment and the communities we operate in. We intend to play our part.”
GKR will be signing up as a Business Champion for the Construction Leadership Council ConstructZero programme and has already signed the Pledge To Net Zero commitment for businesses.
NASC Contractor members have recorded their second-lowest figure for accidents and injuries in 2020 according to data revealed in the NASC 2021 Safety Report.
NASC one of the UK’s leading scaffolding trade bodies has published its most comprehensive annual Safety Report to date containing accident statistics, analysis and plans to further improve scaffolding industry safety standards.
The 2021 Safety Report shows NASC Contractor members that employ more than 16,000 operatives collectively, reported just 81 incidents in 2020 which is the second-lowest figure recorded. The previous year (2019) saw an all-time low of just 74 incidents.
The NASC says this means that in 2020 99.5% of its member-employed operatives went through the year accident and injury-free. Data also shows there were no operative fatalities within its membership, for the eighth consecutive year.
For the 2021 Safety Report, the NASC collected more detailed accident information than ever before from its Contractor members. This enabled the NASC to delve deeper into the statistics, identifying a number of trends and common causes of accidents and injuries.
The report shows, for example, that the main causes of slips and trips were human error (55%), followed by poor site housekeeping and poor ground conditions (both 19%), and that 69% of all recorded operative falls from height were suffered by those in the 31-40 age bracket.
Read the full report here: NASC 2021 Safety Report
Armed with this new data, the NASC is now working towards addressing the various issues identified.
Robin James, NASC Managing Director, said: “The 2021 Safety Report shows NASC Contractor members continue to work to the highest standards – with just 81 incidents reported. It should be remembered that during 2020 members were faced with challenging Covid-19 related working conditions, with operatives forced to significantly change the way they worked on site. “Members rose to this challenge, not only continuing to operate wherever possible – in line with Government guidance – but also ensuring safety standards were not compromised.”
Lynn Way, NASC President, added: “Whilst we’re proud of the headlines figures contained within this year’s Safety Report, this publication is intended to be much more than just a line in the sand, an annual yardstick to measure general safety success against previous years. “It is also a way in which we can learn why incidents occurred with a view to developing ways in which to reduce them – benefiting both NASC members and the wider scaffolding and construction industries.“To support this endeavour, this year we changed the way in which we gather accident information from NASC members. As a result, this year’s analysis is boosted by a more defined and detailed set of accident returns. This extra information has enabled us to delve much deeper into the 81 incidents reported, identifying potential causes and trends hidden beneath the figures and making recommendations that we hope will lead to safety improvements throughout the industry.”
Four of the UK’s largest construction companies have pioneered an 18-month pilot project, that found flexible working practices for tradespeople on construction sites can work.
Flexible working consultants Timewise have today published the results of their ground-breaking TimewiseConstruction Pioneers programme – an 18-month project that has re-designed shift patterns in onsite roles, to enable more flexible working, enhanced wellbeing and improved work-life balance.
Construction giants BAM Construct, BAM Nuttall, Skanska UK and Willmott Dixon took part in the pilot that ran between June 2020 and February 2021.
Build UK partnered with Timewise on the programme, and the CITB and Barclays LifeSkills supported its rollout.
Pilot managers Timewise tested whether it is possible to improve the wellbeing of those working on-site through changing the hours and times of working, as well as considering home-based working where possible.
The goal was to identify if this was possible to achieve without budgets or deadlines being affected, across a range of sites and projects. The pilots took place in a range of locations, from an HS2 site in London through to a substation build near Weston Super Mare, amongst teams employing between 14 and 120 workers.
Case for action
Over 3m people work in the UK construction sector contributing 9% of the economy. It is hoped that flexible working can help address a range of issues within the sector:
Better wellbeing: 1 in 4 construction workers are thought to have considered suicide. This has been tied to the long hours culture in Construction, as well as a range of other factors.3
Decreased rates of absence: £160m per year is lost in sickness absence.4
Diversity and gender equality: just 3 in 20 construction workers are women5
Only 10% of job vacancies offer flexible working falling to 2% for keyworker roles. 6
Outline of pilots
Timewise used a system it has developed for location-based roles which need to cover a long working day – which it calls the ‘shift-life balance’ model. It tested different types of flexible working7 across the different sites:
BAM Construct: tested ateam-based approach to flexible working. Tested a consultative method of setting shifts that takes workers’ personal preferences into account. This is similar to work Timewise has conducted with nurses in the NHS.
BAM Nuttall: tested a flexi-day approach in which workers could accumulate additional hours in exchange for one day off each month. A large portion of workers were living away and preferred to tag a flexi-day onto a weekend, to enjoy extended time at home.
Skanska UK: earlier starts and finishes – Skanska UK trialled TWO different approaches with two different teams within the Skanska Costain STRABAG (SCS) Joint Venture, both revolving around earlier start and finish times:
Output based: The foreperson works with a planner to develop a more detailed version of the schedule of work, broken down into weekly and daily objectives. Working hours are set, based on the outputs to be achieved each day.
Staggered : The foreperson alternates start times between the teams each week, so that all workers get the pattern they want every other week. In addition to this, workers are given a choice of break times.
Willmott Dixon: Willmott Dixon used the expertise of Timewise to support commitments they had already made to staff (to limit hours worked to 45 per week inclusive of breaks, and to ensure that an agile working plan is in place for all teams and on all new projects).
Results
There was a broad positive shift in wellbeing, with many workers speaking of improvements to their family life and sense of wellbeing.
Some stated that they would consider the ability to work flexibly as a key criteria when applying for future jobs. Managers reported a greater sense of trust, ownership and a better team dynamic.
All the Pioneer firms reported no negative impact on budgets or timeframes. Some data suggests adjustments to working patterns could drive savings on labour costs due to enhanced productivity.
Furthermore, the project achieved the following:
75% INCREASE in a sense of wellbeing – participants who felt their working hours gave them enough time to look after their own health and wellbeing rose from 48% to 84%.
Overwork DECREASED – participants agreeing that they regularly work beyond their contracted hours decreased from more than half, to just over a third (51% to 34%).
Guilt DECREASED – at the start of the project, nearly half of all participants felt guilty of they started later or finished earlier than others onsite. This portion decreased to a third (47% to 33%).
Trust in colleagues working remotely INCREASED – respondents agreeing with the following phrase: “if someone works from home, I am not sure they are working as hard as they would be on site” decreased from 48% to 33%.
Emma Stewart MBE, director of development at Timewise, said: “This programme has proved, beyond doubt, that flexible working can work even in complex site-based industries such as construction. In a sector that is all about overcoming challenges with innovation, perhaps that should be no surprise. Our trailblazing Pioneers: BAM Construct, BAM Nuttall, Skanska UK and Willmott Dixon have shown that wellbeing and balance should be possible to achieve for the whole workforce – not just those in-office roles. And in doing so have provided a blueprint that we hope will drive wider industry change. Working practices no longer need to be a block to attracting the best and most diverse possible talent Our thanks also go to Build UK for its vision and foresight in catalysing this unique project.”
Suzannah Nichol MBE, chief executive of Build UK, says: “Flexible working has enabled me to continue my career in construction for over 30 years, and this report will help others to do the same. Our industry offers a fantastic range of opportunities, and Timewise and our pioneers have proved that flexible working is possible, even for site-based teams.
By sharing what works, we can help companies across the sector create a working environment that will attract and retain a diverse workforce, making construction a positive career choice for everyone. It’s a win-win, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
Five years’ hard work and investment by Infiniti Scaffolding has seen the Scarborough-based business gain a coveted NASC Full Contractor Member accreditation.
Out of several thousand active UK scaffolding businesses, Infiniti Scaffolding is now the only one of NASC’s 300 member approved companies within a 50-mile radius of Scarborough.
NASC is one of the UK’s access and scaffolding national trade body and is regarded by many as a benchmark for quality, safety and professionalism, with its accreditation accepted as one of the highest industry standards by the Health and Safety Executive and other government and public sector bodies.
Infiniti Scaffolding director Lisa Naylor said: “Gaining the NASC accreditation is a tremendous achievement for us as it recognises the hard work and dedication by our staff and management to ensure that we reached one of our primary goals.“As health and safety become more paramount in the construction and building maintenance sector an increasing number of main contractors, local authorities, housing associations, public and private sector hospitals and schools are specifying in tenders that the NASC accreditation is a prerequisite for scaffolding providers.“Our accreditation reassures any Infiniti Scaffolding customer that we are part of the UK trade body which produces industry-recognised safety and technical guidance. The required investment in time and money is also an indication that we are serious, high quality, long-term players in the scaffolding sector.”
Infiniti Scaffolding’s accreditation process started with an in-depth initial application, a full desktop audit of the application and an information verification visit to Infiniti Scaffolding’s premises.
“As NASC auditors put a big emphasis on their visits to job sites we were really pleased that Infiniti Scaffolding’s on-site practices met their high standards,” added Mrs Naylor.
As part of the ongoing NASC accreditation compliance, Infiniti Scaffolding’s own sites and job sites will be re-audited every two years with the company agreeing to abide by the NASC code of conduct.
The hard-earned accreditation is already paying dividends for Infiniti Scaffolding as previously inaccessible markets open up.
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Alongside direct recruitment, Skill Scaffolding are utilising the government kickstart scheme as an additional source to funnel recruits into the skill academy.
The innovative scheme aims to create a number of new six-month job placements for young people currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. The job placements are aimed at supporting the participants to develop the skills and experience they need to find permanent work after completing the scheme.
Skill Scaffolding has taken on numerous kick starters in the past few months, with many successful enough to progress to stage two of the academy.
What’s more, the firm is looking for experienced people to become part of up to five full scaffolding gangs. These include experienced labourers, Part ones and Part twos; alongside advanced scaffolders. And in addition, up to five Rhino Deckers – all to service projects within the areas of Dorset, Basingstoke and Chichester.
Skill offer competitive rates of pay, plus a van, with immediate long term and permanent work to the right candidates. Management opportunities to exemplary employees.
Appropriate training will be provided where required, as well as full PPE.
Interested applicants can contact our office on 02380 777 750, and ask for either Karl Mcleod or James Wall.
Emails can also me sent to either: [email protected] or [email protected]
So far Lee and Frankie have managed to raise more than £1,000 for the hospital – there’s no specific target – just to get as much money as possible, so the ward can buy what it needs to keep improving their services. They don’t get any special budget from the NHS, so a lot of equipment is provided through donations.
The Oliver Fisher Baby Unit is a tertiary neonatal facility caring for babies who require intensive care. They care for babies from Medway and the surrounding South-East Thames region including Dartford, Gravesend, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells. It’s a 36-cot unit.
Lee began making toy scaffolding sets in order to sell them with £10 profit on each set going to the unit. They include a sprinter half back, tube, fittings, boards, one ladder and yard fencing. Enough to build a 20 x 30 structure.
He added: “To be honest it would be great to get a work clothing range we can sell to make more money for the hospital. We’re already carrying out research and hope to be able to put the plan into action very soon.
“We’ve also been talking about arranging a soapbox race day involving scaffolders and builders. We’ll do whatever possible to keep the fundraising going. The Ward staff certainly saved my son’s life and a lot of others since, so I’m passionate about helping them as much as possible especially during such difficult times.”
Emma Stewart MBE, director of development at Timewise, said: “This programme has proved, beyond doubt, that flexible working can work even in complex site-based industries such as construction. In a sector that is all about overcoming challenges with innovation, perhaps that should be no surprise. Our trailblazing Pioneers: BAM Construct, BAM Nuttall, Skanska UK and Willmott Dixon have shown that wellbeing and balance should be possible to achieve for the whole workforce – not just those in-office roles. And in doing so have provided a blueprint that we hope will drive wider industry change.
Working practices no longer need to be a block to attracting the best and most diverse possible talent Our thanks also go to Build UK for its vision and foresight in catalysing this unique project.”
Suzannah Nichol MBE, chief executive of Build UK, says: “Flexible working has enabled me to continue my career in construction for over 30 years, and this report will help others to do the same. Our industry offers a fantastic range of opportunities, and Timewise and our pioneers have proved that flexible working is possible, even for site-based teams.
By sharing what works, we can help companies across the sector create a working environment that will attract and retain a diverse workforce, making construction a positive career choice for everyone. It’s a win-win, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.” 
As part of the ongoing NASC accreditation compliance, Infiniti Scaffolding’s own sites and job sites will be re-audited every two years with the company agreeing to abide by the 
