Worker killed in Isle of Man Scaffolding Fall
An investigation is underway after a man died falling from scaffolding at King William’s College on the Isle of Man.
A 56-year-old fell from scaffolding during refurbishment works at King William’s College in Castletown at around 8:45 am yesterday (4th August). The man has been named as Gary Skelding who was an employee of construction/scaffolding company Stuart Clague Services. The firm is now working with the police and the Health and Safety Executive to determine the cause of the incident. However, police say it was not treating it as suspicious. A spokesperson for Stuart Clague Services said: “This is the first major incident in the company’s 51 years of trading and the directors and work colleagues are completely devastated.“Deepest condolences go to Gary’s wife Alison and his family.”
In a statement, King William’s College said: ” We are devastated by the news of today’s tragic accident and our thoughts and sympathies are very much with Mr Skelding’s family at this desperately sad time.
“This is a major shock for everyone and we offer our sincerest condolences to his loved ones and colleagues who we will support in any way we can.”
Urgent Help Needed For Scaffolders Daughter
A family is aiming to raise vital funds after the daughter of a scaffolder is diagnosed with a brain tumour
A Kidney problem means scaffolder driver Keith Lloyd needs vital dialysis four times each day. Unable to work since before lockdown courageous Keith who works for Alltask is also fighting another huge battle with his daughter Ebony, who has a brain tumour. Ebony was diagnosed with a pilocytic astrocytoma braf v600e mutant in September 2018 before undergoing a nine-hour brain operation, removing 40 per cent of the tumour. It began to grow again, however, so special chemo treatment was required. In fact, the youngster bravely went through this for 45 weeks, before it ceased to have any effect and the tumour began to grow again. More chemo was administered for a further 20 weeks – before medical professionals realised the tumour had grown back to the same size before surgery. Keith’s wife Sherri said: “We have now been offered proton beam therapy which will take place in Manchester, Germany or America. It will just be me and Ebony for six weeks. There’s a 99 per cent chance she is going to lose her hearing in one ear, lose her hair again and a few other complications with her growth. All this in nearly two years. Constant Battle “Then we got a phone call telling us her tumour has grown so big it covers the whole of her cerebellum and has spread to her brain stem. proton in her brain stem could lead to memory loss, learning disabilities and tumours growing in later life. We have had to decide whether to carry on with proton right now or try chemo for three months first to see if we can shrink it a bit for the proton. I’ve had two nights of no sleep, doing research and trying to come to the best decision for Ebony. “I set up a fund page to just help with costs while we are having treatment – it’s also for travel, food, and other expenses. Unfortunately, this chemo is going to make her lose her hair again, constantly make her sick and cause high blood pressure. She’ll have problems with her bone growth and have issues with fertility in later life. But she’ll keep on fighting.” Hard Financially The operation Ebony needs has been paid for, but finances for the family are going to be tight over the next few months. In fact, Sherri will be staying in Manchester with Ebony for six weeks, leaving Keith and his other two children at home in Rochester. A colleague of Keith, Sam Smith said: “We’d really like to do something to help this amazing young lady whose been through so much in her battle. Anything anyone could give would be hugely appreciated.” If anyone can help or make a contribution no matter how small to help this incredible little girl please go to www.gofundme.com/f/ebonys-proton-beam-journey£1.3bn Investment in Construction Confirmed
The government has confirmed details of a £1.3bn investment in the construction industry to deliver 45,000 homes and create 85,000 jobs.
Tens of thousands of new homes and other vital infrastructure construction projects were given the green light today. The nearly £1.3 billion of investment was announced by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick. The move is part of the government’s comprehensive plan to deliver upgrades to local infrastructure and boost skills to help fuel a green economic recovery. Over 300 successful projects in England are being told they will receive a share of the £900 million Getting Building Fund, which was announced by the Prime Minister in June, to invest in shovel-ready housing and infrastructure projects, creating jobs and supporting economic recovery across the country. Successful projects being funded include:- £23 million for phase 1 of the development of commercial space at Mayfield Park in Greater Manchester, expected to deliver 3,200 jobs and attract over 1 million visitors a year
- £14.88 million to accelerate the National Brownfield Land Institute, a project aiming to create a leader in sustainable construction which will support the housing deal and drive levelling up across the region
- £12 million to support a new high-speed railway station in Thanet, Kent, improving transport in the area and creating 800 new jobs
“This government is determined to level up all parts of the country and this funding will not only give a much needed boost to our economic recovery, it will help build the good quality, affordable homes the country needs.”
See the full government announcement hereDutch firm launches magnetic fall protection
A first of its kind magnetic anchor for fall protection has been launched by Dutch firm McNetiq
The new magnetic anchor for fall protection when working at height have been developed by Rotterdam-based company McNetiq. The development comes in response to a growing demand for certified anchoring systems across a number of industries. For workplaces constructed from steel in construction and demolition to shipbuilding and powerplant maintenance, the magnetic anchor can be used for personal fall protection. Its makers say the use of the anchor is durable and cost-effective due to temporary anchor points not needing to be welded. The worker is connected to the magnetic anchor via a working line and is unable to go beyond an unsecured edge.
There are various fall protection systems in circulation, but no magnetic ones as yet to our knowledge. This new anchor is based on the companies Controlock technology. McNetiq is the inventor of this patented technology, with which the breakout point and sheer force of a magnetic anchor can be determined in advance.
McNetiq previously developed the Controlock scaffolding anchor that we saw at Bauma in 2019. This product is applied in industrial scaffolding construction and used in storage tanks, shipping, power plants, cranes, steel bridges and other steel construction projects.
McNetiq was founded following the invention of the Controlock technology in 2014 and collaborates with innovative partners in the Rotterdam port industrial area. Impact Report: Construction Industry Helpline sees a 57% rise in demand
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has just published its fourth annual impact report which communicates to the industry, supporters and stakeholders, the impact that the charity is making and how it is helping to make a difference in the construction industry.
The report details the huge increase in demand for their 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline services, the introduction of free wellbeing sessions, the success of a major national project to increase the number of mental health first aiders and the development of their Construction Industry Helpline App. 2019 saw the total spent on charitable services of £1.221 million which included £723,607 of charitable giving to families, £416,372 on education and training and £81,287 on health and safety innovation. During the year, 2615 cases were presented to their helpline, an increase of 57% on the previous year, 445 of these were from families requiring emergency financial aid and 2170 were for support on a variety of wellbeing issues. Despite the huge increase in the number of cases, the charity has demonstrated a 62% reduction in the average cost per case compared to 2018 due largely to the introduction of professional case workers. Sarah Bolton, Head of Charitable Services said, “Our caseworkers manage some of the more complex cases and can harness all available government and local support before releasing charitable funds. As well as ensuring better financial stability for our beneficiaries, this strategy also means that we now deliver more support, to a higher quality and at a lower cost per case”. One of the key findings of the report was that 62% of emergency financial grants were to help pay for daily living costs including buying food, paying utility bills, and clearing rent arrears and debt. With over 50% of the construction workforce either self-employed, agency workers or on zero-hour contracts, many live from one payday to another, which means that if things go wrong, the situation quickly spirals out of control. To tackle the issue and address the clear need for better financial management, the charity has added a ‘Financial Management’ training session to their existing range of free wellbeing courses. These sessions will provide pro-active information, support and guidance to help prevent situations escalating to crisis point and will stand alongside their helpline app which already has a section dedicated to financial wellbeing. The report also identifies that of the 209 cases reporting a death or bereavement, tragically, 21 of these were due to suicide, highlighting the urgent need for better proactive mental wellbeing support in the industry. Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity said, “I have sleepless nights trying to think of how we can get our services to individuals in crisis before they take their life, I am convinced that if given the opportunity we could manage to turn some away from suicide. With over 500 suicides every year in construction we are all morally obligated to be on the look out for individuals that are struggling. However, looking back at 2019 and the work we have already done this year, we are now delivering a huge portfolio of free and widely available pro-active resources and training to ensure that organisations and individuals have many pathways to support when they need it.” Speaking of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the charity’s income for 2020, Bill Hill added, ”All of our charity events have been cancelled and with other companies unable to fundraise for us in many of the traditional ways, we are anticipating a massive income shortfall of £1 million. In April we launched our Crisis Appeal to address this issue and I am pleased to advise that almost £500,00 has been raised to date. I am always humbled by the way our industry pulls together in times of need and this has been no exception. We still have a long way to go to achieve our 2020 fundraising goal and secure our charitable services but I am confident that our industry will support us all the way.”Worker takes serious fall from scaffolding at Sydney construction site
A man has taken a serious fall from scaffolding on a construction site in Sydney, Australia this morning.
The 35-year-old worker plunged three meters, from the third to second floor of the building about 8.30 am at the site in Penrith. A source close to the incident told Scaffmag: “The man was working from a 2 board hop up that didn’t have tie bars installed it only had tie wire securing the boards in position. The worker stepped down off the slab onto the hop-up and they spread and the boards fell and he went down the hole it made.” NSW Fire and Rescue teams helped rescue the man, and a critical care helicopter also attended the scene landing opposite to the construction site. The worker was taken to the local Hospital by road in a stable condition. NSW Ambulance Station Officer Peter Van Praag said: “Any fall from height has the potential to be fatal, this man is incredibly lucky not to have sustained more serious injuries,” “It was a great team effort with the help of Fire and Rescue NSW.” “The most important thing about going to work in the morning is getting home at the end of your day to your family. We urge workers to take extra care when at work, one mistake can cause serious injury.”Scaffolding Firm Secures £100K Funding Boost
A leading scaffolding firm has secured a six-figure funding boost in bid to support its cash flow and save jobs following the coronavirus lockdown.
Redditch-based Portway Scaffolding has received £100,000 from BCRS Business Loans via the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) supported by the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). The firm which is an audited member of the Scaffolding Association also has business operations in Glasgow and supplies and erects scaffolding across the UK. Like many businesses, the UK lockdown proved to be a challenging time for Portway Scaffolding as nearly all of its contracts were put on hold. The funding boost will help ease the firm’s cash flow and secure the jobs of 32 staff. Portway’s Managing Director Don McGrath said: “Securing a funding boost at this time was an important step in helping us manage our cash flow during the period of interruption caused by the coronavirus. “We expect business operations to start returning to normal soon, as lockdown measures are eased further and more construction sites re-open. “In the meantime, we are busy reviewing our processes and putting additional measures into place to ensure it is safe for our staff to return to work. “We have been communicating regularly with our customers and suppliers and envisage that demand for scaffolding will be similar to pre-lockdown levels, as we continue to fulfill pre-existing contracts and work on new construction sites resumes.” Stephen Deakin, chief executive of BCRS Business Loans, added: “We are delighted to have supported Portway Scaffolding with the funding it required at this incredibly challenging time. “This is an example of a strong, viable businesses whose growth plans were put on hold due to the unforeseen interruption to trading caused by the coronavirus. “With such a loyal customer base, a strong pre-existing order book and a very experienced team in place, we know that Portway Scaffolding will be back to doing what it does best as soon it is safe to resume work. “We believe that no viable business should go unsupported and understand how important SMEs are to the growth and prosperity of our local communities.”New Appointment at Connolly Scaffolding
Manchester firm Connolly Scaffolding has appointed Dave Bowring as its Associate Director.
North East Safety Systems Firm Launch the MacHatch
JMAC Safety Systems has launched a new safety product in a bid to protect workers between floors.
Teesside based JMAC Safety Systems announced this month that they have launched a new product to add to their market-leading range of health & safety products. Their latest offering, the MacHatch, has been introduced to the market to solve the issue that there is currently no suitable, tested and safe means of access and egress between floor levels during the construction phase of new dwellings. The firm says the MacHatch solves this problem and is available across the UK immediately. Stating that their product is ‘the future of safe access between floors’, the MacHatch is 3 years in the making and has been trialled, tested and further developed during this time to ensure quality is of the upmost importance and the best on the market. During this period, JMAC has worked alongside some of the UK’s largest housebuilders to ensure they have a product that meets all requirements from an operational, commercial and health and safety perspective on site.
The multi-door loading hatch has been specifically designed to overcome any issues which may arise on site. For example, if a safety decking platform leg lands on one door, operatives are able to use another door to safely gain access to the upper floor levels. The hatch design has been carefully thought out, to ensure speed and productivity is maintained onsite with safety in mind.
Another great USP is the fact that one size fits all. The dimensions of the safety hatch allows the frame to sit within 550mm & 600mm width joist layouts and can be used anywhere within the floor joist layout, the hatch is screwed into position using the 4 holes situated in the frame. In addition to this, the non-slip multi-directional super grip profiled mesh is tested to BS7976 Part 2, a standard used by the Health & Safety executive, giving users added confidence in all weather conditions.
Made in the UK using locally sourced materials and a local supply chain, the MacHatch is available in 2 types: a cost-effective steel option & an ultra-light weight aluminium option too.
Speaking of his newly launched product JMAC Group MD, Luis McCarthy, said: “I know this product is going to be a fantastic addition to the construction industry, we’ve been working on it for over 3 years now and have worked closely with site teams, operatives and suppliers throughout the process to ensure we have it right. JMAC were the first to identify that access and egress between floors for safety decking installers was not suitable on most sites, and it would have been great to be the first one to solve the problem.
Our standards are so high, and we strive to achieve perfection, therefore we have taken our time to launch a product that we’re completely satisfied with. The great thing is that we already have a list of pre orders for this product as the house builders have watched and worked alongside us to develop it, they know the benefit it will bring and I’m delighted with the end result and looking forward to seeing the impact it makes within the industry.” 
