TRAD UK, the new brand for the combined TRAD Hire & Sales and TRAD Safety Systems companies, now supplies the TRAD Lift Shaft Gate to scaffolding contractors and construction sites from its six depots across the UK.The lift shaft gate is designed for use in multi-storey building construction, helping to protect site workers all the way through the project, and often being one of the last pieces of equipment to come off-site. At 1.2m wide and 2m high, the gate is designed to fit a standard lift shaft opening, and can be extended with additional mesh panels for larger openings. The stable door design means that workers can access the shaft whilst benefitting from compliant edge protection, without needing to expose the whole of the shaft space. Made from aluminium, this is a lightweight yet strong and secure gate solution that can be manually lifted and fitted, so there’s no need for expensive cranes to lift the gate in on every storey level.Lockable gate protects workers around empty lift shafts during construction
Stable-gate design for access with edge protection
Fully lockable for complete safety
Complies with BS EN 13374 Class A classifications
Weighs just 30kg
Fits standard 1.2m shaft opening
“TRAD’s Lift Shaft Gate is the ideal safety solution for multi-storey construction sites,” says Derrick Quinn, TRAD’s Technical and Product Support Manager. “Easy to move and install, completely lockable and offering total protection during construction, contractors can buy or hire our lift shaft gates for complete projects, no matter how many storeys high. This product is proving popular with contractors, who can now offer internal safety systems as well as external scaffolding solutions to their clients.”
Leading UK work at height training provider, G&M Safety Netting and sister brand G&M Safe Deck have seen a huge surge in demand for work at height and safety systems training from construction workers returning to work post-lockdown.
It’s especially seen demand for its own brand of access platform decking, G&M Safe Deck, the firm said today.The state-of-the-art new G&M training centre, just off the M6 in Cheshire, has seen an exponential increase in nationwide enquiries and bookings since the lockdown eased mid-June. In fact, industry calls for their training courses are so plentiful, G&M now has taken on two full-time FASET approved and audited training providers on the books, Daniel Lewis and Toby Ryder. Demand for the FASET Installers Card training has increased exponentially, along with training for its own brand of G&M Safe Deck, which is rapidly establishing itself as the number one choice for house builders for access platform decking. The G&M training centre has also seen demand for other FASET training courses they offer – Safety Netting Riggers Course, NVQ Level 2 Diploma in Safety Net Rigging, Safety Net Repair Course, Stair Tower Training, Inspectors, Managers and riggers General Site Assessment (GSA) – soar post lockdown, as companies seek to boost skill sets, safety and productivity on busy construction sites across the UK.All the G&M work at height training courses are being run to meet COVID security recommendations; following strict hygiene, PPE and social distancing guidelines, with limited course delegate numbers and plenty of fresh air billowing through the modern, spacious training centre unit.G&M Managing Director, Mark Pickles said: “These have been trying times for everyone and our region has been hit hard by the pandemic. But the lockdown gave us the time to get ready to provide safe training for the UK construction sector, once the lockdown eased. And it is absolutely fantastic to see the response we have had to our training courses since, with the phone ringing off the hook to get booked in. We are run off our feet, especially with G&M Safe Deck training and hire and sale enquiries.“Safety is in our DNA at G&M, so setting up and adhering to COVID-security measures has been bread and butter to us. And our popularity and the massive spike in demand for the range of FASET and other temporary safety system, inspection and management courses we offer has been a real lift in tough times.”The Middlewich-based family-run firm, G&M Safety Netting has been a Fall Arrest Safety Equipment Training (FASET) approved training centre since 2010, with sister company G&M Safe Deck achieving FASET training status in 2016. G&M Safety Training Ltd offer a wide range of FASET and other work at height training courses, as well as their own range of access platform decking, G&M Safe Deck and associated work at height safety products. Course and product information and contact details can be found on the new-look websites: www.gmsafetynetting.co.uk & www.gmsafedeck.com.
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity’s free App has been upgraded with nudge, the market-leading financial wellbeing platform.
The new feature comes in response to feedback from the industry and findings of their latest Impact Report. One of the key findings of the recently published 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. Over 50% of our construction workforce are either self-employed, agency workers or on zero-hour contracts, so when things go wrong financially, issues can quickly spiral out of control, the charity said.With the newly upgraded app, it provides timely prompts (nudges) to take action and the tools look to help users manage their money. The construction charity said that nudge will help people to understand and manage their money more effectively, boost their financial wellbeing and in turn their overall wellbeing.The new feature offers:
nudges: When there’s something people need to know or a financial action they ought to take, users are sent a personal, timely nudge to remind them.
Tools: Money management tools help with tasks such as budgeting or saving for goals easier.
The charity’s mission is that “no construction worker or their family is alone in a crisis” and this latest addition to the app certainly responds to the needs of the industry. The free app complements its 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline. Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity said: “With financial stress at an all time high, it’s vital to address money worries quickly. By making all of our proactive and reactive wellbeing support services free, we hope to remove any barriers to access so that our construction workers get the help they need quickly. By doing this we move one step closer to our mission “that no construction worker or their family is alone in a crisis”. Tim Perkins of nudge said, “We are delighted to be supporting the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity with this initiative. Our mission is to create brighter financial futures by providing people with unbiased and personalised support to develop their financial skills and knowledge. We look forward to helping to make a difference to those in need in the construction industry at this particularly difficult time.“The free Construction Industry Helpline mobile App for Android and iOS is available to download now.
Lachezar Slavchev is returning to GKR Scaffolding to help grow its in-house Design Engineering team.
Award-winning scaffolding and access specialist GKR Scaffolding Ltd has confirmed Lach will lead the London based firms engineering strategy as a Consultant Engineer. Lach will be supporting GKR’s Managing Director, Neil Rowswell, and their operations team in a period of transformation, the company said.GKR Scaffolding has realigned its overall business strategy in response to the industry Roadmap for Recovery from the Construction Leadership Council. It has also established 6 workstreams to accelerate change in 6 key areas, with digital transformation being one of them, led by Neil Rowswell.Lach’s appointment sits within this part of the strategy, building on work that had already begun pre lockdown with tier 1 contractors planning for BIM integration and digital mandates. Lach originally joined GKR in 2015 as an undergraduate engineer. Having a unique hands-on approach, Lach complimented his engineering studies by also training as a scaffolder. He went on to build the largest in-house Design Engineering function in the London & South East region. By the time he left GKR in 2019, he left a strong legacy for training and developing graduate engineers in a unique learning culture that still thrives. GKR work on some of the most iconic projects in and around London.
Speaking about the appointment Neil Rowswell, Managing Director, said: “After Lach left GKR he continued to mentor the team as well as support us with additional design resource. We have set ourselves some challenging objectives for the next 2 years with digital transformation and preconstruction engagement being at the heart of our strategy. Growing the skills to achieve this and expanding the team with the agility to service our clients requires strong leadership, which Lach brought to the team when he first built it for us. We are very excited to have him back on board.”
Lachezar added: “Having been exposed to the overall structural engineering, I have learned quite a lot over the past year. I have always kept a good relationship with the internal team and now I am ready to share knowledge and support their growth, once again. I have fresh ideas which I will soon implement, and which will provide great benefits to the GKR’s client base. With a growing appetite for advanced capabilities such as 3D and 4D, it’s the right time to come back on board and accelerate this growth.”
Maidenhead based scaffolding contractor Anglewest Scaffolding Ltd has called in liquidators.
Anglewest Scaffolding had been trading for over 30 years offering scaffolding and access solutions to the London, Southeast and the Home Counties.
The firm had worked on a number of high profile projects for construction giants in and around London including the Gherkin, London Bridge Station and Lords Cricket Ground.
Anglewest employed over 30 scaffolders and office staff who were unaware until this week of its financial position. Difficulties arose after a number of the firm’s projects and contracts were suspended or cancelled as a direct result of COVID-19.
Scaffmag understands FRP Advisory has been appointed liquidators.
As of yesterday (8 October), Uxbridge based PHD Access has stepped in to fulfil contractual obligations of the business and minimise disruption to Anglewest’s clients. The firm has also taken on some of Anglewest’s staff that were made redundant.
Danny Dwyer, Managing Director at PHD Access said: “Anglewest had an excellent reputation and employed many good people, however, Covid-19 and Brexit are having a significant impact on the construction industry and many scaffolding businesses are experiencing difficulties.”
Strong levels of demand for repair and maintenance works saw builders report a busy summer, according to a new survey released today by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Key findings from the FMB State of Trade Survey, the only survey of its kind to track the experience of small to medium-sized (SME) firms in the building industry, include:
1 in 2 builders (47%) reported increased workloads in the summer months;
More than 2 in 5 (42%) predict higher workloads in the autumn;
More than three quarters (78%) of builders said they expect material costs to increase over the next two months;
Almost 1 in 5 (17%) SMEs is planning to increase the number of general labourers on-site in the months ahead; and
Almost 1 in 5 (16%) SMEs is planning to increase the number of specialist tradespeople on site.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Builders’ workloads bounced back in the summer, as pent up demand for home upgrades and more domestic space fuelled activity. However, builders in other sectors are struggling, especially those working on social new build housing and on public buildings. To sustain recovery in the private repair, maintenance and improvement sector a national energy efficiency retrofit strategy is needed that will not only generate thousands of new jobs across the country but also help the Government’s commitment to create a greener economy.”
Berry continued: “With a healthy proportion of builders forecasting higher workloads in the autumn months, and almost 1 in 5 looking to recruit, there is clearly a demand for new jobs in the industry. Young people taking their next steps after school should consider an apprenticeship in construction, and those seeking a career change will also find new opportunities.”
Berry concluded: “Expected increases in material prices are a concern as builders have been reporting skyrocketing prices for years now. As we lead up to Brexit, we need to ensure that the supply chain is in step and that builders can access the materials they need.”A full copy of the report is available here: https://www.fmb.org.uk/media/57602/fmb_state_of_trade_q2_2020.pdf
The Access Industry Forum (AIF) has submitted an official representation to HM Treasury as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
The submission calls on the Government to introduce enhanced reporting of falls from height without the additional financial or administrative burden for Government, HSE or industry through the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).
The AIF has suggested that the current reporting rules allow for a large degree of individual interpretation through the use of a ‘free text box’, where the person reporting is asked to describe in their own words what has occurred.
This results in mixed data which often does not contain enough detail of the incident which means that it is not as accurate as it could be.
AIF says this represents a missed opportunity to improve health and safety policy by reducing the number of accidents from working at height. The AIF would like to see this ‘free-text box’ replaced with simple drop-down menus in order to improve the quality of data.
At a minimum, this enhanced reporting would record the scale of a fall, the method used (e.g. ladder, scaffolding etc.) and the circumstance of the fall.
Better reporting would address concern within the industry that improvements in safety are hampered by a lack of empirical data and an understanding of the root causes of falls from height.
Furthermore, comprehensive information would better inform the policies of Government and businesses, and the guidance issued by associations, and the regulations developed by regulators.
Read the full AIF submission here
The Access Industry Forum is comprised of the 11 leading industry and certification bodies committed to advancing safety in the working at height sector. Established in 2004, the AIF supports codes of good practice, equipment standards, training, education and knowledge.
One of the UK’s largest scaffolding suppliers has invested in two Hiab 188B-2 Hi Duo Cranes on a Scania chassis to boost its 70-strong fleet.
Generation UK, part of the global Altrad Group, has 17 locations across the UK and supplies commercial scaffolding and access solutions to major construction developments.
The brand-new hi-tech cranes are operated by remote control and are connected with Hiab’s HiConnect technology which tracks real-time data on crane usage and operator performance.
Jamie Whale, national fleet and transport manager for Generation UK said the investment would help the business retain its Silver Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) accreditation.
“As the UK’s largest supplier of scaffolding we deliver materials to some of the biggest construction sites which have stringent requirements around site safety,” he explained.
“Commercial sites require lifting plans from delivery suppliers like us and we often have site-specific guidelines to adhere to, which helps to manage risk and improve health and safety.“Space can be challenging and we often have a small window to deliver, so we need to make sure we can deliver safely and swiftly; investing in the right equipment helps us to do that.“Our business needs to evidence year on year reductions in our carbon footprint to maintain our Silver FORS accreditation. The HiConnect software which monitors crane usage will play a major role in that.“The Silver FORS accreditation is a requirement for several of our customers, so I’m really pleased we have a tool which makes it easier for us to evidence our sustainable credentials and continue operating on those sites.“The platform gives us real-time insights on operator performance and actual crane usage, we fully expect to reduce our fuel emissions over time.”
David McDonald, northern key account manager and area sales manager said: “These two cranes are perfectly-suited to Generation UK’s needs. The remote-control operations combined with HiConnect software gives incredible visibility for the operator and the fleet manager.“Jamie explained to us that reducing downtime was a priority for Generation UK. Our ProCare essential service contract combined with HiConnect will make sure trucks and cranes are on the roads for as long as possible.“HiConnect’s real-time operational data pinpoints when maintenance is due and our engineers can connect to the crane to troubleshoot any issues ahead of a call out, giving us the opportunity to respond quicker to maintenance and repair needs.“We know it’s possible that HiConnect can calculate productivity cost savings of over £1,000 per crane for one year based on idling time alone, which I’m confident Generation UK will benefit from.”
The Temporary Works Forum (TWf) has published new important guidance on the Effective Management of scaffolding to BS 5975: 2019.
The 26 paged guidance document which is available as a free download from the TWf (LINK: HERE) applies to organisations and individuals involved in specifying, procuring, designing, constructing and managing scaffolds.
It covers all ‘tube and fitting’ scaffolds as well as proprietary system scaffolds.
The guidance recommends how temporary works such as scaffolding should be managed to comply with legislation, regulations and industry best practice standards. It is complementary to other existing guidance from BSI, NASC, NFDC and CISRS.
Guidance is also provided on management procedures ranging from simple scaffolding for domestic clients through to complex scaffolds for commercial or infrastructure clients. It additionally emphasises the importance of competence and ensuring that scaffolding components are of the required quality.
Ben Beaumont, Director of TWf, co-author of the guidance and convenor of the TWf working group said:
Co-author Ben Beaumont
“The guide is aimed at bringing together the management procedures required by BS 5975:2019 for all aspects of temporary works with the many good practices that scaffolding contractors and people managing scaffolding already do. The existing good practices typically come from the requirements of the Working at Height Regulations, and are second nature for many in our industry. However, the requirements of BS 5975 are less well known and often implemented less effectively, but equally important.
It is worth remembering that NASC TG20:13 has always stipulated that scaffolding should be managed in accordance with BS 5975, and now this guide gives industry a clear way of doing this.”
“The guide provides information on key roles including that of the Designated Individual (DI), an appointed role that all organisations involved in temporary works should have, the Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) and the Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS). The guide references who is likely to undertake these roles in a scaffolding contracting business and their key responsibilities.
Key sections relating to design include ‘when a scaffold needs designing’, ‘examples of information to include on a design brief’ and the ‘procedure for managing the design of scaffolding’. One section that I hope readers of the guide will find particularly useful is the procedural flowchart in appendix 3 – this provides a clear method for managing scaffolding effectively.
The requirement for this guidance document was identified by members around five years ago, initial drafting was put on hold when the process for updating BS 5975 (into the 2019 version) started, and then we recommenced work on the document once BS 5975:2019 was published. The TWF working group, authors and I are really pleased with the final document. We wanted to make the guide as user-friendly and straight forward to read as possible, and I think we’ve achieved that.
I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the guide at some stage during it’s production, particularly Ray Filip and David Thomas who co-authored the guide, I really do appreciate the hard work that many people put in.”
Ben added: “I would like to emphasise that this document is FREE for everyone. This is in keeping with the founding principles of the Temporary Works Forum, as my fellow members and directors continue to promote best practice in temporary works.”
Outside of his commitments to the TWF, Ben Beaumont is a Director of Richter and the Managing Director of 48.3 – leading consultants in temporary works, civil, structural and geotechnical engineering.
Latest data from PMI has signalled another sharp increase in UK construction activity in September.
According to the latest monthly survey from the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), September saw the quickest rise in new construction business since before the COVID lockdown.
Firms have increased their purchasing activity at the quickest pace for nearly five years. And employment continued to fall, but the rate of job shedding eased, the survey found.
The headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Total Activity Index registered 56.8 in September, up from 54.6 in August. Any figure above 50.0 indicates growth of total construction output. The latest reading pointed to a reacceleration in the rate of activity growth and a sharp increase overall.
The strongest performing category was home building, where firms registered a sharp expansion in activity for the fourth month running.
Work undertaken on commercial projects also rose strongly, increasing at quickest pace for over two years. Meanwhile, civil engineering activity fell for the second month running and at the sharpest rate since May.
New orders rose for the fourth time in as many months, with panellists continuing to mention a release of pent-up demand. In fact, the latest increase was the strongest since just before the escalation of COVID pandemic.
Eliot Kerr, Economist at IHS Markit, which compiles the survey said: “Following August’s slowdown, growth in UK construction activity rebounded strongly in September. There were faster increases in activity in both the housing and commercial sub-sectors, which more than offset a sharper decline in civil engineering work.“Forward-looking indicators point to a sustained rise in activity, with new work increasing at the quickest pace since before the lockdown and sentiment towards the 12-month outlook at its strongest for seven months. “Meanwhile, latest PMI data pointed to another fall in employment numbers across the UK construction sector. That said, the rate of job shedding eased substantially, while building firms upped their purchasing activity in a further sign of encouragement for the months ahead.”
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“TRAD’s Lift Shaft Gate is the ideal safety solution for multi-storey construction sites,” says Derrick Quinn, TRAD’s Technical and Product Support Manager.
“Easy to move and install, completely lockable and offering total protection during construction, contractors can buy or hire our lift shaft gates for complete projects, no matter how many storeys high. This product is proving popular with contractors, who can now offer internal safety systems as well as external scaffolding solutions to their clients.” 
The new feature comes in response to feedback from the industry and findings of their latest 
“The Silver FORS accreditation is a requirement for several of our customers, so I’m really pleased we have a tool which makes it easier for us to evidence our sustainable credentials and continue operating on those sites.
“The platform gives us real-time insights on operator performance and actual crane usage, we fully expect to reduce our fuel emissions over time.”
David McDonald, northern key account manager and area sales manager said: “These two cranes are perfectly-suited to Generation UK’s needs. The remote-control operations combined with HiConnect software gives incredible visibility for the operator and the fleet manager.
“Jamie explained to us that reducing downtime was a priority for Generation UK. Our ProCare essential service contract combined with HiConnect will make sure trucks and cranes are on the roads for as long as possible.
“HiConnect’s real-time operational data pinpoints when maintenance is due and our engineers can connect to the crane to troubleshoot any issues ahead of a call out, giving us the opportunity to respond quicker to maintenance and repair needs.
“We know it’s possible that HiConnect can calculate productivity cost savings of over £1,000 per crane for one year based on idling time alone, which I’m confident Generation UK will benefit from.” 
