Self-employed pay back to pre-Covid levels
Self-employed trades have enjoyed their best month for earnings since the start of the pandemic, according to industry experts.
According to construction payroll services provider Hudson Contract, average weekly pay rose by 3.7% in March 2021 to £920, the highest figure since February 2020. This is 57% higher than the median weekly pay for full-time employees, which according to the latest official statistics is £586. Data from Hudson Contract showed earnings reached all-time highs in the East of England reaching £1,016 (a 5% increase on February’s average). All regions except Wales had month-on-month earnings growth. Hudson Contract Managing Director Ian Anfield said: “Our latest figures show that self-employed tradespeople are reaping the rewards for their enterprise and efforts. Many have carried on during lockdowns to deliver the housing and infrastructure that Britain relies on.” “Self-employment in construction offers financial freedom and flexibility for highly skilled individuals and enables projects to be completed safely, on time and on budget.We continue to see strong demand for skilled labour on building sites and many of our clients are reporting full order books.”
“The housing market is booming due to the stamp duty holiday and government is committed to infrastructure spending across the UK.”
TRAD’s recent contract wins will create more jobs in London & South East
Major scaffold contractor TRAD Scaffolding tells Scaffmag its set to create more jobs in London and the South East after a flurry of large scale contract wins.
TRAD Scaffolding has been very busy since the turn of the year working alongside its many clients and helping to develop several schemes, small, medium and large. Their Business Development and Contracts teams’ experience and expertise in value engineering, coupled with the TRAD Group’s ability to support its team’s ideas & innovations with material resources, remain second to none in the difficult UK and worldwide market, the company said. As a consequence, this has led to a very successful order intake over the last few months. Two of their latest large project wins from February & March this year include: McLaren Group RIU Hotel, a large hotel refurb project in busy Victoria Station approach with a project value of over £1.2m over 18months, which has now commenced. Two Large new build residential blocks for Barratt Homes West Hendon. Having worked on previous phases Trad have been successful in securing phase 4 with a project value of approximately £1m, which is due to start in late spring over a 2-year period. TRAD Scaffolding which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year will be looking to increase the number of scaffold operatives over the coming weeks and months, and will be offering very good competitive rates in a wide range of locations throughout London and the South-east market. TRAD Scaffolding Managing Director, Peter McShane, says “we have always promoted a real gender diverse culture and we welcome applications from all walks of life to join us on our new & existing projects as we navigate ourselves out of the pandemic and into the new ‘normal’ ” You can look out for further project win announcements over the coming weeks across all of their platforms!Distributor Deal Opens up Irish Market for G-Deck
Decking manufacturer G-Deck is set to boost safety and speed of installation in Ireland in the same way it has in the UK thanks to the company’s new distributor deal with Devine Scaffolding in Strabane, County Tyrone.
A successful scaffolding company with clients across Ireland, Devine Scaffolding recommended a switch to decking to a construction client. Having heard about G-Deck and bought some to see what it was like, managing director, Kiernan Devine, approached G-Deck about becoming the distributor for Ireland. Kiernan explains: “There is nothing like the G-Deck system available in Ireland. It not only goes up quickly and easily, but it’s robust and really strong – which also means it’s safer. The standard system has a loading capacity of 600kg/m2, so materials can be loaded straight onto the deck, and it provides effective fall arrest protection, as well as a working platform. “We saw an opportunity straight away, both to improve safety for construction teams and to diversify our own business. And, because the system costs more than 25% less than the plastic alternatives commonly available in Ireland, we expect to see a big uptake really quickly.” Devine Scaffolding will be the exclusive G-Deck distributor in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The company will sell all three decking systems; the standard G-Deck 3-in-one metal system; the G-Deck Dual hybrid system, which combines metal decks with birdcage tubing; and G-Deck Lite, which combines metal decks with plastic-encased metal supports. It will also offer G-Deck’s wider portfolio of site safety products, including the company’s Access Hatch and Lift Shaft Gate. Ty Wilson, Sales Director at G-Deck comments: “While we have been selling into the Irish construction and scaffolding sectors for some time, this partnership with Devine Scaffolding will enable us to scale up our activity in Ireland very quickly. The combination of our industry-leading products, attractive pricing and Devine Scaffolding’s industry contacts will help us establish a strong presence and we are confident that the more companies use our system, the more it will become the system of choice. “It’s an ideal scenario, not only for G-Deck and Devine Scaffolding but for the Irish construction and housebuilding sectors, which will benefit from improved safety and reduced costs.” Devine Scaffolding has applied for an InterTradeIreland grant to support the new distribution venture, established a G-Deck Ireland Facebook page and invested in a new G-Deck branded vehicle. The company will provide training alongside product supply and customer service for the Irish market. Kiernan adds: “We can see opportunities across the construction, housebuilding, scaffolding and site safety sectors in Ireland with G-Deck systems that are proven to work and tested for quality. We’re looking forward to talking to our contacts and showcasing the benefits of the systems.”Wearable tech improves employee wellbeing at HAKI
HAKI Denmark has obtained pioneering wearable equipment from Danish company EXOWEAR to assure employee wellbeing and safety across its two departments.
Two of EXOWEAR’s BackX harnesses have been purchased by HAKI to relieve and reduce fatigue and wear in the lumbar spine. On an hourly basis, HAKI’s operatives are lifting many components weighing between 0.5kg to 15kg. To reduce impact to the lower back workers can wear the one-size-fits-all BackX harness, which helps operatives lift loads of up to 15kg. EXOWEAR is a pioneer of this type of equipment and has a range of harnesses on offer – including ShoulderX and LegX – to ensure workers can lift heavy scaffolding safely and securely. HAKI Denmark is one of the first companies to trial the BackX harness. Henrik G. Christensen, CCO Denmark/Export Manager at HAKI Denmark said: “Employee safety and wellbeing are essential to our strategy at HAKI. Obtaining two of EXOWEAR’s BackX skeleton harnesses was a natural step for us and is part of our ongoing pursuit to assure our operatives are safe at work. Their security is extremely important to us. Responding to their needs was a top priority.” “The BackX harness fits so well that it feels like a second skin,” continued Henrik. “From a wellbeing point of view, workers can lift up to 15kg with little impact to the lumbar spine. It’s having a noticeable, beneficial effect on morale and is enabling them to work better and more safely.”
Once HAKI has trialled the harness it is expected the equipment will be rolled out across the industry and to scaffolding companies. “We will definitely encourage fellow organisations to follow suit,” said Henrik. “Safety is absolutely paramount and BackX is a fine example of a wearable technology that centres worker wellbeing.” A Career in Scaffolding, from Apprentice to Scaffold Director
Scaffolding and Brickwork contractor Lee Marley is aiming to encourage more young people to join the scaffolding industry after highlighting the successes of some of its own apprentices.
Lee Marley Brickwork Ltd (LMB), is one of the UK’s leading integrated brickwork, scaffolding and stone sub-contractors. Their scaffolding division is made up of 130 scaffolders, plus drivers, yard operatives, apprentices and other office-based staff. The company currently offers both brickwork and scaffolding apprenticeships in order to bring the next generation of tradesmen into the construction industry.
Swedish anti-vibration glove wins UK best in test
A range of 24 vibration protection gloves were put through their paces recently in a British-wide safety survey that pitted some of the most respected brands and gloves on the market against each other.
Swedish firm Ejendals that produces the popular TEGERA® 9180 was awarded Best All-round Anti-vibration Glove. The review measured performance in real-life situations, comfort and fit, and suitability for a broad range of industry applications. Therese Engvall, Head of Glove Research and Development at Ejendals said: “This is very exciting news for us at Ejendals. It shows us we’re very much on the right path with our thinking and highlights the importance of both our research and development, and our close collaboration with our customers. Our products not only need to provide leading protection but also be comfortable to wear – everything we do at Ejendals is directed towards safety.” The TEGERA® 9180 features Vibrothan@ in the construction of the inner hand, its their own specially designed foam material that provides industry-leading protection from extended periods of vibration from tools such as jackhammers; the kind of vibration that can lead to devastating muscle and nerve damage in the long run. On the ergonomic side, pre-curved fingers and reinforced index finger and fingertips, coupled with Microthan® for better grip, means the TEGERA® 9180 is built for better protection and comfort.
Ejendals for generations has specialized in developing, manufacturing and marketing high-quality products that protect hands and feet. In close collaboration with researchers and their customers, they design products that deliver the highest standard of protection, durability and ergonomics.
Latest Scaffolding Guidance TG20:21 Now On Sale
The NASC has today announced the launch of its updated and expanded scaffolding compliance software TG20:21 and is now on sale.
The new TG20:21 eGuide allows users to produce a wide range of standard scaffolding structures, without the need for bespoke design. As with TG20:13, development of the new guidance has been carried out in conjunction with CADS (Computer and Design Services Limited), an international specialist in structural engineering design and technical authors of the TG20 eGuide software. The latest version builds upon TG20:13, retaining its user-friendly look and feel, but includes a number of revisions to make the process of producing compliant scaffolding – in accordance with the European standard BS EN 12811 – even simpler, and incorporates a wider range of scaffolding types. Additions include exterior birdcages, tube and fitting mobile towers, tube and fitting loading bays without beams, and tied independent scaffolds with three inside boards. TG20 compliance sheets are now double-sided, with an illustration and principal compliance criteria on the front, and detailed compliance criteria listed on the reverse. Users can access TG20:21 – including the associated and updated Operational and Design Guides – via the new NASC ePortal. NASC has said the updated User Guide booklet will be published in May, and printed versions of the Operational and Design guides will follow.Price
The new TG20:21 is available on an annual subscription basis, costing £300 + VAT per login per year, which is discounted to £75 for their full members. However the trade body has said, to ensure the transition from TG20:13 to TG20:21 is as fair as possible, there is a period of free use of the new software for existing users, which can be accessed using the TG20:13 serial number. Speaking about the launch of TG20:21 NASC President Lynn Way said: “We’re delighted to launch TG20:21. We’ve been working on this update for 18 months, and I’d like to thank every single person that has played a part in its development. “We’re confident that users of TG20:21 will recognise how we’ve taken the best parts of TG20:13, made it better and easier to use, but also kept the original mission statement in the front of our minds – creating a tool that scaffolding contractors can use to produce compliant structures for day- to-day scaffolding, and ensure that their scaffolding projects are safe and conform to legal requirements.” Dennis Braithwaite, NASC Technical Advisor, added: “With the introduction of TG20:21, we are entering a ‘transition period’ to give the industry adequate time to adjust to the new requirements, in a planned and controlled way. Existing scaffolds constructed in compliance with TG20:13 and associated compliance sheets remain acceptable and do not require modification. TG20:13 compliance sheets are still valid and may continue to be used for the next few months. It is anticipated that TG20:13 will be formally withdrawn, in favour of fully adopting TG20:21 in the Autumn.” TG20:21 will be supported by a comprehensive maintenance and development agreement, ensuring that updates and improvements are made on a regular basis. For more information visit www.nasc.org.ukScaffolding falls from Glasgow apartment site
Scaffolding from the top floor of an apartment block under construction in Glasgow collapsed in high winds yesterday.
Police quickly closed roads around the construction site following the incident that happened around 2pm. The site was evacuated while workers scrambled to make the structure safe. It’s understood that no person was injury in the collapse. A spokesperson for the main contractor told The Herald: “A section of scaffolding on our Park District development has sustained damage from high winds this afternoon. “No one has been injured and all health and safety protocols are being followed, with the construction site and road at Lynedoch Place currently closed. “The safety of all residents and our workforce is our main priority, both HSE and Police Scotland have been informed.”Altrad appoints new director to support its upstream growth agenda
