Eurodile expands after acquiring Pilosio Group
Italian scaffolding rental and services specialist Euroedile has acquired formwork and scaffolding manufacturer Pilosio Group.
The deal worth €8 million will bring together Eurodile’s 53 years‘ of scaffolding erection experience with Pilosio’s production capacity to provide a full service globally. Pilosio’s 45,000 square metre headquarters in the northeast of Italy has manufactured scaffolding, formwork, shoring structures, temporary coverings and mobile towers for 60 years. The Pilosio Group, is a long-standing Italian player in the construction and maintenance equipment manufacturing sector that is currently in liquidation. Euroedile said they came forward with a business plan that would not only provide continuity of employment for all employees, but would also revolutionise the production of the Pilosio brand in order to create scaffolding 4.0 and become competitive at a global level. Founded in 1986, near Venice, Euroedile has 110 employees and reported a turnover of €15 million in 2020 and specialises in the sale, rental, assembly of scaffolding and formwork in Italy and abroad. “We will bring a breath of “new air” not only by reinforcing Pilosio’s historical production but also by implementing the range with innovative materials and new products, says Nereo Parisotto, CEO of Euroedile.
World’s Largest Scaffold Banner Fully Installed in Birmingham
Embrace Building Wraps has now completed the world’s largest scaffold wrap installation at the Bullring in Birmingham
The final section of a colourful printed scaffold banner covering the temporary scaffolding installed by Midland Scaffolding Services at the iconic Selfridges & Co department store in Birmingham has now been installed. The striking dogtooth flower design wrap measures almost 9,000 m2. This is 58% bigger than the currently recognised Guinness World Record holder for the largest scaffold banner which was installed in Madrid back in 2018 at a mere 5,672 m2. At the extremes, the wrap is 246 metres long & 37 metres high equivalent to a giant wall of nineteen double-decker buses stacked eight high. Installation of the frames and digitally printed wrap which will disguise the works during renovations commenced on-site at the end of December 2020. The banner features an artwork design produced by Birmingham-born designer Osman Yousefzada comprising of interlocking six-metre diameter dog tooth flower designs in three contrasting colours. In total the Embrace Building Wraps team installed 5,888 linear metres of scaffold tubes for the banner frames, vertical curved shaping, and buffer rails. To put that into perspective, if laid end to end the scaffold tubes would extend around four miles (six kilometres). The weight of the printed wraps alone is just under five tonnes, more than three Mini Coopers. Embrace seamlessly joined 24 individual banners of various shapes & sizes of which 85% had three or more adjoining perimeter edges that had to line up perfectly with the adjacent banners.CLC and CITB announce new approach to supporting mental health in construction
Landmark new research from CITB has outlined the scale of the mental health challenge facing construction.
A consistent approach to supporting construction workers’ mental health is the goal of a new initiative led by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and CITB. CITB’s Mental Health And Construction: A Consistent Approach research, published today (Wednesday 4 August), is the most comprehensive study conducted on mental health and self-harm within construction. The report identifies opportunities for industry to address shortcomings and improve wellbeing for workers. The risk of suicide among some site-based workers is three times the national average and a May 2020 Chartered Institute of Building report found that 26% of construction workers who responded to their survey had experienced suicidal thoughts; 97% had experienced stress over the past year. CITB’s new research highlights a growing number of good initiatives but finds that their impact is currently held back by the lack of a coherent aim and message. Given the growing need to tackle mental health, developing a joined-up approach has become more urgent. The CLC has backed the research having already prioritised mental health in its recovery plan, and is now pulling industry together to agree a plan to address it. This will seek to tackle the underlying causes of poor mental health, generate better evidence of what impact the initiatives are achieving and develop a more joined up approach. Industry culture stillAlltask Helping Westminster Hall Write New Pages In History
As part of the Houses of Parliament ongoing restoration works, Alltask was contracted to carry out an extensive scaffold access package to the inside of Westminster Hall, incorporating the external roof lantern.
Westminster Hall is the oldest building on the parliamentary estate carrying more than 900 years of fascinating history. Set to play a prominent part in future events, Westminster Hall has been transformed to befit its 21st century standing in the world. As part of the Palace of Westminster situated on the north bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, this special place has been the site of crucial episodes in the UK’s history, such as the trial of Charles I, coronation banquets, the lying-in-state of monarchs and prime ministers and addresses by world leaders. The oak hammer-beam roof in Westminster Hall, commissioned by Richard II in 1393, is the largest in Northern Europe, spanning more than 20 metres. A steel frame structure, installed by Sir Frank Baines between 1913 and 1922 to reinforce the roof, made the access system to undertake the project works possible. The main works in Westminster Hall comprised two parts. The first element involved the meticulous conservation of the internal roof trusses sited 28m above ground level. The second involved the deconstruction & restoration of the external roof lantern. From the outset, Alltask was under no illusions about the significance and historical importance of this project. Westminster Hall’s interior is steeped in history, and just about everything contained within it is irreplaceable. During the planning stage, no stone was left unturned to the extent that Alltask created a full-scale, proof of concept mock-up at their Rochester head office. This fully functioning scaffolding structure for one of the Westminster Hall roof space’s internal bays was lifted and lowered with the client and relevant stakeholders in attendance. Once appointed, Alltask immediately consulted with their system scaffold partners, HAKI UK, and co-developed a lightweight access solution built at ground level and lifted into position via purpose-built hoists made in Germany specifically for the contract. Unbelievably, Alltask managed to get this process down to a fine art by constructing & installing a single roof truss bay in one single weekend. Once lifted, the scaffolding rig remained suspended on the hoists but as a secondary precautionary measure, was also held in position by a series of purpose-made chains connected to a series of node points within the roof structure itself.
Hanging a scaffold by hoists & chains 28m in the air turned into a real labour of love for Rochester based Alltask, and they certainly rose to the challenge given what in real terms was such a complicated design brief. Liam Duffy, Contracts Director for Alltask Scaffolding, explained, “The scaffolding was in preparation for large-scale conservation and refurbishment work & quite rightly, great care had to be taken given the historical importance of such an iconic building. Liam also says, “Being involved in this project has been a privilege from start to finish for my entire team”.
The roof structure within Westminster Hall is comprised of 14 individual bays, 12 of these bays were suspended via Alltask purpose-built HAKI access rigs. However, the smaller bays at either end of the Hall had to be constructed from ground level, which presented another challenge as one of the criteria was to ensure that the scaffolds were as ‘invisible’ as possible. Achieving this with the suspended rigs wasn’t such a challenge, as when lifted into their highest position were barely visible from the hall floor. But, how do you hide a scaffold at ground level? Not a problem for Alltask, who created a printed screen fixed to the scaffold that mirrored the hall’s existing walls and features.
Alltask operatives involved in this major project were trained and competent in rigging, slinging, scaffolding, HAKI system trained & MEWP trained.
Key Project Facts:
- £750k worth of bespoke HAKI components.
- Bespoke hoists made in Germany.
- Bespoke secondary support chains.
- Security vetted & cleared operatives.
- Bay 0 & 14 scaffolds clad in fabric to match building surrounds.
- Fire-rated materials.
- Out of hours working for installation & removal.
- All operatives trained specifically for the task.
Fulcrum Offering Perfect Balance for CISRS Training
One of the UK’s major training organisations is ready to deliver a package of first-class CISRS courses.
An impressive Centre in Flintshire, North Wales is now fully geared up to cater for what will be a high demand for quality industry training from leading experts in the field. Clients in the North of the principality and North-West England will certainly benefit from the service Fulcrum provides. Director, Jen Wood, explained: “We have been planning this move for a while but Covid delayed things slightly, so we are extremely pleased to finally be opening our first CISRS Core Scheme Centre. Our main aim is to provide quality training at a reasonable price.” Fulcrum Scaffold Training & Safety Ltd provides health, safety and training nationally to the construction, nuclear, petrochemical and power generation industries. They offer a range of services and are specialists in scaffolding with vast experience in health, safety, training and assessment. In terms of CISRS their courses will include- CISRS Part 1 tube and fitting and system
- CISRS COTS
- CISRS Scaffold System Product Training for all types of system
- CISRS Basic Access System Erector
- CISRS Basic Scaffold Inspection
- CISRS Supervisor
- CISRS System Inspection
- Scaffolder Rescue
- TG20 Update
- Anchor Tie Installation
Coventry Scaffolding moves up in the world with Mercedes-Benz
It’s been a long time coming but after more than 70 years in business Coventry Scaffolding has commissioned its first Mercedes-Benz truck, a 26-tonne Arocs supplied by Dealer Sparshatt Truck & Van.
Despite its name the family-owned company is based in South London, and undertakes much of its work in and around the capital. The only scaffolder in London to hold a Royal Warrant, it has worked on many of the city’s most prestigious buildings including – in 1968 – all 170 feet of Nelson’s Column, in Trafalgar Square. The latest addition to the Coventry Scaffolding fleet has a ClassicSpace L-cab with 320mm engine tunnel, which means the driver sits relatively low. This, together with the enhanced visibility provided by its MirrorCam technology, means the Arocs already meets the three-star Direct Vision Scheme (DVS) standard without which, by 2024, trucks will not be granted the Safety Certificate that permits them to operate in Greater London. MirrorCam is Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ revolutionary replacement for conventional mirrors. In Direct Vision terms, the benefits of the compact, camera-based system have nothing to do with how much more the driver can see behind, and everything to do with what they cannot see in front – the large mirror housings that create blind spots which get bigger as distance from the truck increases. Coventry Scaffolding’s new six-wheeler also came with an occasional, fold-down bunk that doubles as a four-man bench seat. This allows the operator to transport a crew as well as the boards, tubes and fittings carried on its platform body, which is by Fred Smith & Sons, of West Bromwich.
A 2530L model with 220 kW (300 hp) 7.7-litre in-line six-cylinder engine, the Arocs is the subject of a flexible and cost-effective Agility plan from Mercedes-Benz Finance. Agility offers all the benefits of conventional hire purchase with a balloon payment – including low monthly repayments – but provides customers with a variety of options at the end of the term.
Coventry Scaffolding was established in 1950 by Patrick Hanifan, who chose the name because of its association with the post-World War II rebuilding work being carried out at the time in the Midlands city – he later contemplated changing this to one that evoked a sense of London, but never did so as the business continued to go from strength-to-strength.
One of London’s largest independent scaffolding companies, Coventry Scaffolding has been managed since Patrick’s retirement in 1992 by his sons Perry and Paul. It runs a fleet of 13 trucks in which two other brands hold sway – in addition to its new Mercedes-Benz, the line-up comprises four tractor units, six 18-tonners and a pair of 7.5-tonners.
Coventry Scaffolding initially approached Sparshatt Truck & Van because it was interested in acquiring a new, DVS-compliant tractor unit. The 26-tonne Arocs had the right cab and had been pre-built with a scaffold body for sale from stock, so Sales Executive Shaun O’Hara drove this vehicle to the operator’s premises in Bell Green, for Perry and Paul Hanifan to see.
They liked the rigid so much that they bought it there and then, and have since ordered an Actros 1843 tractor unit. Due for delivery in September, it will have a 2.3 m-wide (the narrower of the two widths available) ClassicSpace L-cab with 320 mm engine tunnel – this specification, together with MirrorCam, means this vehicle will attract four Direct Vision stars.
Re-painted in Post Office red – complete with colour-coded bumper – at Sparshatt Truck & Van’s own bodyshop in Sittingbourne, the Arocs wears a specially designed livery that celebrates the seven decades over which Coventry Scaffolding has been trading.
Perry Hanifan recalled: “We wanted a stand-out vehicle on which to highlight our 70th anniversary milestone and Sparshatt’s truck fitted the bill perfectly. I’m a Mercedes-Benz car driver so Shaun didn’t have to sell the brand to me – it looks fantastic.”
He continued: “Image is all well and good, but we’re running a business, so the Arocs had to stack up from an operational point of view too. Not only are we looking forward to benefiting from the reliability and durability for which Mercedes-Benz products have long been renowned, but the truck also came with a full complement of safety technology and the three-star DVS rating that our established chassis supplier couldn’t offer.”
Driver Gary Hiley has certainly taken to MirorCam, and is equally enthusiastic about the radical Multimedia Cockpit, which has replaced traditional switchgear with stylish and intuitively operated twin screens.
Dare to be different: we are all different, so let’s embrace it!
There’s no doubt about it: increasing diversity in the construction industry in general and the scaffolding trade in particular, makes a positive difference, explains Des Moore, TRAD Group CEO and NASC President (2017-19)
In fact, it significantly improves commercial performance, increases innovation and collaboration and boosts both productivity and brand reputation. And in today’s world, where there is a long pipeline of works, a shortage of skilled staff and an expectation that suppliers take their responsibility seriously, it’s more important than ever that we make our industry an attractive option for everyone – whether on-site or office-based. Our industry should be open to everyone who wants to work in it. And to me, it makes no difference who those people are. In fact, I’ve been actively involved in encouraging women, LGTBQIA+, ex-military and ex-prison and those who feel marginalised by society, to think about the scaffolding industry as an option for them.All walks of life welcome
Not long before the pandemic struck, TRAD hosted a seminar called All walks of life welcome. It was incredibly well attended, showing that companies are taking their diversity responsibilities seriously and not just paying lip service. TRAD is committed to giving everyone a chance within a tolerant and supportive workplace – and we think this should be the norm, not unusual. And there’s still much to do. Our strength lies in our differences, not our similarities. And our different experiences of life means we can bring a lot of learning to those we work with – as colleagues and to our clients for the benefit of all. But in order to maintain – and preferably to speed up – progress, there are two clear things that all companies in the industry need to commit to: Make the industry more attractive to applicants – we need to make more of the role models we already have for diversity in the industry. The more common it is to see someone who looks like you in construction, the more likely you are to consider it as an option. Let’s work together to promote construction and scaffolding as an industry for anyone. And industry that supports its own to succeed and an industry that’s a safe space for all. Look at our ways of working – we are a traditional industry with a traditional approach. But over the past 12 months or more, we’ve seen that construction can still work with people working remotely, working different hours and managing different processes. We should be retaining that flexibility for all our people, helping them to make good choices about work-life balance. Supporting people’s home circumstances means greater productivity at work. It’s our responsibility as business owners and managers to make sure that our workplaces are welcoming, flexible and accommodating“Encouraging more women into construction is something I actively promoted during my period as President of the NASC – and I am delighted that I was succeeded as President by Lynn Way.”
Tackling gender inequality
For example, we shouldn’t assume that, because we are seen as a traditionally male-dominated industry, women aren’t welcome. Or aren’t talented. Or can’t deliver value. In my experience, it’s the exact opposite. At TRAD, where I have been for over 30 years now, it has always been one of my objectives to balance the business and ensure that anyone who wants to work with us can: currently, 40% of our Board is made up of women; 60% of our Group support office and 25% of our scaffolding business staff are women, and we have female depot heads and sales representatives in our other TRAD companies. Encouraging more women into construction is something I actively promoted during my period as President of the NASC – and I am delighted that I was succeeded as President by Lynn Way. I wanted to see more women to come into the industry in the first place, and I wanted them to see that they can see there is a career path for them. Together with TRAD, the NASC sponsored the ‘Inspire me’ campaign, which hosted a number of roadshows around the country to highlight the barriers that women might face when they come into the industry, and how we can all work together to change things.What can we do?
- All leaders must buy in – equality and diversity doesn’t happen by itself. It takes an understanding from the leadership team that promoting a diverse workforce will bring quantifiable business benefits. That understanding must be translated into real and genuine public commitment by the Board or senior leadership team to improve the diversity of the workforce.
- We must challenge assumptions – unconscious bias exists, and it can have a negative effect on your business across all functions, from recruitment to promotions. You can run training and workshops that help your people to see where that unconscious bias exists and learn how to think more openly, looking for talent, skill and attitude from all candidates and employees.
- Measure progress – measuring your progress helps to prove success. Whether you do this by publishing your own gender pay gap statistics and committing to reducing any gaps you have; or you have a target for diversity on your leadership teams or your board, it helps to be able to show how far you have come.
Scaffolder hits overhead power line
A specialist glasshouse contractor has been fined more than £330,000 after a scaffolder came into contact with an 11kV overhead power line.
Beverley Magistrates’ Court heard that on 3 December 2018, a subcontractor scaffolding worker was unloading some scaffolding tubes near power cables in Willerby, Hull, when one of the tubes caught the overhead line. The scaffolder sustained burns to his leg and foot and was hospitalised. An investigation by the HSE found that the site was very muddy, and operatives were unable to park their vehicles on-site near the work area, meaning they had to move the materials onto the site by hand. There were also inadequate controls on site to warn of the overhead cables. Cambridge Glasshouse Company Limited of East Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching the Electricity at Work Act 1989. The company was fined £333,333 and ordered to pay costs of £1,235. Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Sarah Robinson said: “The company should have planned the work to mitigate the risks and had better signage and controls around the site for overhead cables.
“This was a very serious incident and could have easily been fatal.”
Accelerate Rules to Offset Construction Pingdemic, says CLC
Construction Industry leaders have called for an acceleration of rules relaxing requirements for COVID-19 self-isolation for double-vaccinated workers.
On August 16 the regulations on self-isolation will be relaxed across the economy, when anyone who has been double-jabbed will be able to continue to work if they are notified that they have been a contact of someone that has COVID-19. But ahead of the change, construction businesses from merchants to manufacturers and consultants to contractors are being severely hampered as staff are having to stay home after being identified as a contact of a COVID-19 case, even if they are fully vaccinated. The issue is further exacerbating existing difficult trading due to materials and staff shortages. The Construction Leadership Council proposes that the 16 August relaxation be brought forward as soon as is possible. The move would incentivise workers to get vaccinated, while alleviating pressures on the delivery of vital construction projects and maintenance of national infrastructure. Construction continues to widely implement the Site- and Branch Operating Procedures to continue to operate safely.
CLC co-chair Andy Mitchell said: “We have reports from across the industry of plants, sites and offices having to wind down activities as staff have been asked to isolate. This is putting very significant pressure on the sector, risking project delivery and even the viability of some firms.
“Where staff are already fully vaccinated, and recognising that such people will be free to work from 16 August anyway, we are asking the Government to bring forward this date for essential industries like construction, ensuring that the industry doesn’t grind to a halt” 
