The Voice of Scaffolding Since 2008 | U.K. Edition
Godiva scoops Leadership Team and Sustainability awards
Godiva Access and Scaffolding, the Coventry and Manchester-based specialist contractor, has received a double helping of recognition in the 2019 Coventry Business Excellence Awards by scooping the coveted Leadership Team and Sustainability awards.
In a glittering celebration witnessed by more than 500 people, the Awards’ Judges commended Godiva’s senior management team for developing skills and capacity among all employees and in particular the way in which they engage, encourage and support all employees. Godiva’s campaign to raise the sensitive issue of mental health in its workforce was also praised. Suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 45. However, male site workers are three times more likely to commit suicide than the average male in the UK and suicide kills more construction workers than falls. Godiva is a benchmark for others to follow. For the second year in a row, Godiva walked away with the Sustainability Award. The Judges praised Godiva for creating a long-term sustainable business which has a large focus on health and safety. One-fifth of the workforce are Black Hat qualified, the highest level of safety qualification available on a construction site. Karl Degroot, managing director at Godiva, said: “This double award demonstrates the total commitment of everyone at Godiva and shows that we are delivering the highest quality, efficiently, sustainably but above all else, safely.”HAKI launch second industry focused eBook
HAKI publish new eBook on Innovative access solutions for infrastructure projects.
System scaffolding manufacturer HAKI has launched the second in a series of industry-focused eBooks in a bid to help contractors understand how HAKI’s systems can safely overcome common challenges faced in specific project environments. The new eBook concentrates on tempory access solutions for infrastructure projects and comes after the successful launch of its offshore publication that was launched in February 2019. The latest eBook is loaded with useful facts, videos, and project case studies; demonstrating how HAKI works with customers to bring new levels of safety and productivity to the sector. Focusing on three main areas, the eBook addresses common challenges faced in the infrastructure industry:- Safe access and egress for excavations and bridge maintenance
- Reducing risk to public safety
- Minimizing possession time and project programmes
Lyndon SGB duo provide a ‘total access’ package at London landmark development
Lyndon SGB and Taylor’s Hoists are providing a ‘total access’ package for leading contractor Lendlease on the landmark new development at One Bishopsgate Plaza, in the heart of the city of London.
ONE Bishopsgate Plaza will be the first high-rise residential and hospitality development built in the City of London for many years. Taylor’s Hoists which is part of Lyndon SGB’s vertical access division has 6 of their Alimak hoists in use on the 135-meter high construction project. Lyndon SGB has designed and installed 2 large scaffold towers on the project that they say, ‘has been strategically placed’ so as to not to affect the landing gate maximum openings, at the same time working around the building columns. One Bishopsgate is expected to take 76 weeks to build. Taylor’s Hoists Divisional Director, Paul Price, said: “This is a great project for Taylor’s Hoists and Lyndon SGB to work on together – providing the project with excellent vertical access. One Bishopsgate Plaza has been a prestigious job that we will remember for a long time. It has been great working with the Lendlease team along the way, who have supported us with all we have tried to achieve, and it really wouldn’t have been the success it is without the efforts and support put in by all.”
Speaking about the detail of the project, Paul added: “The design element was absolutely critical. The hoists had to lift maximum loads, not just in weight, but also in size, utilizing the cages size to its maximum capacity.
“The Twin Alimak Scando 650 25/46 XL cages were positioned over an existing inspection tunnel, which was a huge consideration due to the loads the hoist imposes at the base. And the hoists had to fit within certain limitations between and around columns at each floor, that change position further up the building.
“We also needed to allow for a maximum amount of glazed cladding to be installed, that comes up tight either side of the hoists, as well as providing weather protection at the building opening where the hoist was positioned, so fit out could commence without the worry that certain fixtures and fixings that will be complete before the hoist is dismantled and removed are not a risk of being damaged by rain or flooding on floors.
“Installations of the hoists were progressive. And to ensure we didn’t delay the project, these were planned to start in late Friday afternoon and over the weekend – with hoist being handed over to site managers, ready for action on the Monday morning.”
The Taylor’s Hoists and Lyndon SGB teams also supplied hoist way protection over and above the norm – these also became part of the landing edge protection, with 2.4m high mesh panels providing a coral around the landing gates on each floor.
As usual, safety elements for the massive hoists were critical, with all calculations compiled in collaboration with the hoist manufacturer, passed by the main contractor.
Paul added: “This type of high-rise installation requires heavier duty components to start with – to accommodate the loads when the full install is in place. Each tie position was scrutinized to ensure we had the smallest loads going back through the building structure and hoist components.
” We invested more than £5,000 on Heras fencing panels, feet and restraints to provide a solid/temporary exclusion zone around the hoist every install, adhering to Lendlease GMR’s. The exclusion zone would then be locked whilst works were being carried out, ensuring our work area was free from other people and trades.”
And with an eye on environmental responsibility, the Taylor’s Hoists team kept test weights on site, thus reducing the project’s carbon footprint, with fuel used and time taken for deliveries and collections made.
Interestingly, the Taylor’s team has conducted more than 20 thorough examinations and structural tests over the six vertical access hoists on the project to date, with more to follow.
Paul concludes: “The standards we have provided on this project are some of the highest we have ever provided in our award-winning hoists business to date. The detail has been enormous – from the weather protection we supplied, the hoist way protection and protection of edges and holes within the floor slabs, supply of saloon doors covering the small gap between the hoist cage and hoist landing gates, to ensuring small materials that are not sufficiently secured when taking in and out of the hoist cannot fall from height. It’s been epic.”
AIF Confirm Speaker Line-Up for National Work at Height Conference
A total of 13 speakers will address the Access Industry Forum’s (AIF) second national conference Working at height: Access for Life on Thursday, 14 November 2019, at the AJ Bell Stadium, Salford.
Speakers will cover the issues and topics set to shape the future of access and height safety in a sector which saw 40 fatalities in 2018/19 according to figures released by the Health and Safety Executive.
The keynote address ‘Working at height: State of play’ will be delivered by Sarah Jardine, Acting Head of the HSE’s Construction Division, who will talk about the UK’s current position and standing on safety generally, the latest trends and developments and, significantly, the HSE’s formal response to the inquiry recommendations of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Working at Height.
Supported by the Association for Project Safety (APS), the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) and Hire Association Europe (HAE), the conference will also include presentations from AFI-Uplift, Arup, RoSPA, Transport for London, the Government Office for Product Safety and Standards, the Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association, the No Falls Foundation charity and the National Farmers’ Union (NFU).
The proceedings will be introduced by Peter Bennett OBE, chair of the AIF, and chaired by Dr Shaun Lundy, Visiting Scholar at the University of Greenwich and member of the HSE’s Myth Busters’ Panel.
The speakers, which also include Jason Anker MBE, Paul Blanchard and Dylan Skelhorn of the No Falls Foundation, will cover topics ranging from access and the role of virtual reality to mental health awareness and managing risk. Delegates will also learn about the latest and impending standards, guidance and legislation in the work at height sector.
Peter Bennett OBE said: “With such an impressive line-up of speakers, this really is shaping up to be a must-attend event for anyone involved with work at height. It’s the only conference dedicated exclusively to access and safety, making it a real highlight of the events calendar. I’m certain our delegates will go home with valuable new-found insights into the key topics set to shape the future of working at height.”
As in 2016 at Loughborough University, a work at height exhibition will run alongside the one-day conference. All 11 member organisations of the Forum will be represented and will be joined by, amongst others, the AFI-Group, Euro Towers, Haki, Kee Safety Group, Nationwide Platforms, Pop-Up Products and Spanset.
The AIF is the forum for the principal trade associations and federations involved in work at height. Each organisation represents a different part of the access industry and fosters and supports codes of good practice, equipment standards, training, education and knowledge. Championing the work of the APPG and the No Falls Foundation, its members are ATLAS, BSIF, EPF, FASET, IPAF, IRATA, Ladder Association, NASC, PASMA, SAEMA and WAHSA.
Scaffolding on West Ham Power Station Demolition 1984
Old video footage from Thames News shows a huge scaffold erected by Westminster Scaffolding in 1984 during the demolition project of West Ham Powerstation which was closed on the 31 October 1983. The site of the power station is now occupied by the Electra Business Park.
Over the course of 12 weeks, Scaffolders erected over 47 miles of scaffold tube and used 60,000 fittings constructing the 300ft high tempory scaffold.
Overseas training expands into Malaysia
CISRS scaffolder training has expanded into new territory with the opening of two new scaffolding centres in Malaysia.
The CISRS Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme (OSTS) has approved facilities, both situated in Selangor near Kuala Lumpur. The new training centers will be managed and operated by Peri Malaysia in partnership with Safety and Access Ltd Courses on offer will be OSTS Level 1, 2, Basic Inspection and Supervisor training across the two sites. Geoff Mulligan, Scaffolding Training Manager at Peri Malaysia, said: “We’re thrilled that our two new centres have been accredited by CISRS. These facilities will enable us to deliver first-class CISRS training to local scaffolders, NASC best practice guidance to local contractors and encourage the acceptance of using working at height training in the region in line with UK and EN standards. “I’d like to thank Bernhard Steinle, Head of Engineering Services at Peri Asia Pacific, and Claudia Barraza, Head of Training at Peri Asia Pacific, for their tireless efforts in helping us reach this training milestone. In addition, Muazan Mohamad, Ezuwar Yahaya and Nur Afiqah Binti Hamdan have played key roles in ensuring that training at our new centres has got off to a great start.” David Mosley, NASC Training Director and CISRS Managing Director, said: “Peri and Safety and Access have opened two excellent facilities in Malaysia. It is a country which has a very positive attitude when it comes to operative training and safety and we hope that the introduction of CISRS OSTS can help them to maintain a skilled and competent scaffolding workforce.” Whilst in Selangor, CISRS and Peri gave a presentation on what the provider and OSTS could offer the sector within the region. Delegates included the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), Petronas Marine and Heavy Engineering, National Institute of Occupational Safety and training providers Akademi Binaan Malaysia (ABM), SATC and KTC.Time to have your say on the future of the scaffolding industry, says trade body
The Scaffolding Association has made a plea to the industry, to participate fully in CITB consultation on National Occupational Standards and specific Training Standards.
A leading trade body for the scaffolding sector, the Scaffolding Association is making a strong plea to its members and the wider industry, to fully participate in the CITB consultation on the review of the current National Occupational Standards as they affect the scaffolding industry.Time is short
All offers of support for the consultation need to be registered with the CITB by Friday 20th September. All companies that believe they have a valid input to defining the new industry standards, or who simply have views they wish to express about the current standards and how they might be improved in the years ahead, need to go to the CITB web site and complete a brief form that confirms how you or your company wish to be involved in the process. The Scaffolding Association’s Head of External Affairs is Stacey Underhill: “This consultation process is vital for our industry sector and gives everyone involved in it the chance to contribute to improving the quality of scaffolders that the existing programmes produce. For those who don’t believe the current standards are fit for purpose, this is their chance to refocus, redefine and upgrade the standards that underpin our sector. But, if industry don’t take part, they cannot complain if the outcome of these consultations results in standards that we all feel are too low, poorly targeted and likely to give rise to more problems and on-going issues within the sector.” It’s clearly vital that the standards set by the CITB to judge training and competency in the sector are fit for purpose. They will only be so if the experts in the industry stand up and are counted when the discussions take place. The process involves both online consultation with those registering their interest in helping to improve standards, and through steering groups that will meet and discuss the issues raised through the consultation process. Rob Candy, Chief Executive of the Scaffolding Association, is keen to see as many businesses in the industry as possible on the steering groups to ensure that they have their voices heard: “Of course being involved in this process will require some time and effort, but it would be criminal if we do not share our views as a sector, argue for what we want to see changed and continue to raise industry standards.. There are a number of options for people in the industry to get involved and I am issuing a plea to everyone in the industry to take advantage of this opportunity to make things better for the sector. We need to have a range of individuals from the sector willing to stand up for the changes we need to see, including individuals that may not have been involved in this kind of process before. It’s so important that it’s not just the usual voices that we hear. This is the time for everyone to make themselves heard..” The first action required is for all those in the sector willing to be involved register: www.citb.co.uk/standards-and-delivering-training/training-standards/consultation-form-for-standards and complete their details, followed by ticking all the boxes on the form that cover how they can be involved. It’s vital that there is representation from every level of the industry to ensure that the requirements of all participants – from the major national players to the small regional ones – are represented. “It really is vital that as many people from the scaffolding industry as possible get involved in these consultations,” repeats Stacey Underhill. “It’s our chance to have a say and change things for the better for the next five years. Please support your industry and get involved so that we can improve our sector in a way that sees it moving forward.”Worker dies in scaffold ladder fall
A contractor has been fined after an employee fell to his death from a ladder while exiting a scaffold at Jute Street, Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that on 21 September 2016, Joseph Kane, an employee of roofing contractor Henderson and Aitken Limited fell from the top rungs of a ladder when it slipped sideways on the scaffold. Mr Kane died of multiple injuries. The scaffolding had been erected by the roofing firm and the ladder was tied, using a blue nylon cord, to the scaffold ledger at only the left stile. An HSE inspector that carried out the investigation estimated the lateral movement of the ladder due to the lack of fixings was approximately 20cm. HSE found that Henderson and Aitken Limited employee had erected the scaffold even though he was not a qualified or competent scaffolder. He had been asked to do this by the company director who was aware he was unqualified. The director then allowed three people to access the scaffold. The scaffold was not erected to the correct standard.
Henderson and Aitken Limited, Aberdeen, pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Sections of HSWA and was fined £53,000.
Speaking after the hearing HSE Principal Inspector Niall Miller said: “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.
“This tragic and preventable death highlights the need for those undertaking work at height to ensure that it is carried out safely, that industry guidance is followed and that the relevant regulations are complied with. It is vitally important that those planning and arranging for such work give sufficient regard to the risks posed to workers and members of the public through their actions.” CITB issues scaffolding training update
