Drax strikes called off as agreement reached

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Drax strikes called off as agreement reached

Scaffolders on Drax power station have cancelled their strike action that was due to start this week.

The 29 workers from Altrad-Hertel who are members of Unite the union have reached an agreement with their employers. As previously reported the dispute was over Altrad-Hertel’s apparent refusal to register the workers under the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI).

The series of 24-hour strikes were set to take place during a maintenance shutdown on Drax on Thursday 5 September, Thursday 12 September and Wednesday 18 September. This period would have had major financial consequences for Drax’s operators.

However, following fresh negotiations, Altrad-Hertel has agreed to the register the scaffolders under the NAECI agreement from 1 November 2019.

Successful negotiations

Unite regional officer Chris Weldon said: “Unite is very pleased that this dispute has been resolved through negotiations and strike action has been avoided.

“If strike action had occurred it would have caused major disruption at the Drax power station.

“Now that an agreement has been reached, Unite hopes that we can develop a far stronger relationship with Altrad-Hertel, during periods of shutdown and standard repair and maintenance work at the power station.”

Tender: Scaffolding Works Onward Repairs

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Tender: Scaffolding Works Onward Repairs
  • Location of contract: L1 4AA
  • Value of contract
  • Published date: 28 August 2019
  • Closing date: 17 September 2019
  • Contract start date: 01 November 2019
  • Contract end date: 01 November 2022
  • Contract is suitable for SMEs?: No
  • Contract is suitable for VCSEs?: No

Description

Onward seek Tenders from suitably qualified and experienced Contractors to enter into a Contract to undertake and deliver planned and responsive Scaffold Works for Onward Repairs, in and around the Lancashire Region.

Works will include but not limited to:

Provision of all Scaffold materials, personnel and plant and equipment as appropriate to individual project requirements, erect and dismantle as and when required.

All or part of these works will be provided to social dwellings, sheltered schemes and supported or special needs housing but not limited to properties owned or managed by Onward Homes.

About the buyer

Contact name: Procurement Admin

Address

Hanover Street
Liverpool
Liverpool
L1 4AA
United Kingdom

Telephone: 01618758045

Emai: [email protected]

Scottish scaffold firm moves to Layher with £1M investment

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Scottish scaffold firm moves to Layher with £1M investment

MJR Group Solutions has switched to become an exclusive user of the Layher system scaffolding on all aspects of their contracting and erection business.

MJR Group Solutions Ltd, based in Kilmarnock, Scotland has seen significant growth over the last few months and has already invested around £250,000, in Layher with a further £750,000 planned within six months.

Founded in 2017 by Managing Director, Ryan Orr, MJR Group Solutions has grown to have strong relationships with some of the largest housing contractors in Scotland and the UK.

Ryan said, “We want to provide our clients the best possible service and solutions that are available, and after extensive market research and testing, we were left with a clear leader in Layher.  Our scaffolders absolutely love working with the Layher product due to the lighter weights and speed it goes up. The clients equally appreciate the quality and appearance of the product. It really has been a great move for our business.”

Showcase Event

To demonstrate in more detail why the company has chosen to move to Layher, the benefits that this delivers for staff, business and for clients they will be holding an exclusive event for key decision-makers in the Scottish construction industry. 

The business event will be an opportunity for those in the construction industry who are responsible for the decision-making process of appointing scaffolding contractors to really see and feel why Layher scaffolding through MJR Group Solutions would benefit their projects.

The day will see presentations from members of Layher UK’, MJR Group Solutions, Q&A session plus a live demonstration of Layher and its applications.

The business lunch and live event will be held on Wednesday 23rd October at Lochside Hotel, New Cumnock from 12.00noon till 5.00pm.  If you would like to register for your free tickets to attend this event please contact [email protected]

Brogan Group bags scaffold package on former Fulham Gas Works

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Brogan Group bags scaffold package on former Fulham Gas Works

Access firm Brogan Group has been awarded the scaffold package on a former gas works in Fulham.

Nearly 2,000 new homes will be built on the site in a series of high rise towers of up to 37 storeys. The project also includes leisure facilities and commercial space.

Brogan Group will be providing a tempory roof encapsulated scaffold to two heritage buildings on the site that has been renamed Kings Road Park. Scaffolders from the firm will erect scaffolding for the protection and security of the buildings.

“We have been asked to wrap two of the listed buildings in scaffolding to protect them from deterioration until our client is ready to begin work on them”, says Brogan Group.

“We will be using Cuplok System scaffold around the façade of these buildings and corrugated steel sheets for the temporary roofs.

“One structure will be Buttress as it cannot be fixed to the building, while the other structure will be fixed. We will also be building a hoist landing platform into the scaffold to allow for hoists to be added to the package at a later date.”

https://www.brogangroup.com

Authorities seek witnesses after scaffolder dies in fall

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Authorities seek witnesses after scaffolder dies in fall

A scaffolder has died in a fall from height at a construction site in Stockholm, Sweden.

According to Swedish media, the accident happened on the morning of Saturday (31 Aug) at a new housing project in Barkarbystaden, northern Stockholm.

The man who is reportedly a resident of Lithuania fell from a ‘high altitude’ and died from his injuries.

“As soon as the accident happened, we contacted the police and the Swedish Work Environment Authority. Project managers from us were out in the workplace on Saturday”, says Rikard Hansson, CEO of the main contractor’s onsite Hansson’s House Entreprenad.

According to Hansson, the man was a scaffolder. He was employed by a Swedish scaffolding company that was a subcontractor on the housing project.

Investigations are now underway and the site has been closed since the accident.

Åsa Wallentin, press spokesperson for the Stockholm Police said: “We have conducted a technical survey and are now awaiting the result of it. We are also looking for witnesses that we want to hear from.” 

The Swedish Work Environment Authority will visit the workplace today to start an investigation.

‘Culturally Appropriate’ PPE Now On Offer

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‘Culturally Appropriate’ PPE Now On Offer

BCS Group has launched a range of culturally appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to support religious diversity, in what it claims is a UK first.

BCS Group which is a subsidiary of Civil Engineering firm Barhale says the collection of workwear, is recognition of the fact that women now make up 14% of the consrtuction workforce.

The new PPE includes culturally-appropriate tunics made to allow women of all religions to feel comfortable at work.

The company has also created maternity wear designed to reflect the physiological changes women undergo during pregnancy.

The clothing has already been trialled at BCS’s parent company, contractor Barhale.

The clothes offer a different cut from standard PPE ensuring the most comfortable fit.

Kirstie Fish, head of signs & supplies at BCS Group, said: “According to a recent Women into Construction report, there are now almost 300,000 women working in construction. As this number rises, construction companies have a duty of care to provide for women in their employ, and this includes providing the correct safety equipment such as PPE.

“A 2016 survey by the TUC showed that 57% of respondent women found that their PPE sometimes hampered their work. As the report pointed out, this is hardly surprising given that most PPE is based on the sizes and characteristics of male populations from the US and Europe.

“We have always seen ourselves at the forefront of encouraging diversity. The new range of maternity and culturally-appropriate PPE shows how seriously BCS Group takes its commitment and is part of a wider programme within the group to reduce the gender gap in construction. As a sector we want to attract more women and this can only help.”

Man Dies After Falling From Scaffolding In Cyprus

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Man Dies After Falling From Scaffolding In Cyprus

A man has been killed after falling 10 meters from scaffolding on a construction site in Cyprus.

Officials have said the 62-year-old man, died on Friday after he fell from scaffolding on the fourth floor of a building being constructed in Limassol.

Georgiou was working on a building in Linopetra and fell ten metres from the scaffold he was standing on.

Work at the site was stopped immediately after the incident.

Inspector Kypros Kyprou said the platform Georgiou had been working on was “not wide enough and did not have side rails.”

The labour inspection department said that they would wait for the results of the reports and investigation of the accident to take and further action.

Surgeons Save Chippy’s Hand In 17 Hours Of Surgery

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Surgeons Save Chippy’s Hand In 17 Hours Of Surgery

Plastic surgeons from St George’s Hospital in Tooting have managed to save a carpenter’s hand following 17 hours of surgery after a freak accident in which he cut his hand off in a chop saw. 

The accident happened when carpenter Anthony Lelliott, from Walton-on-Thames, was chopping floorboards. He was rushed to hospital where surgeons were faced with a hand that had been almost completely severed at the base of the palm and below the fingers.

For 17 hours surgeons worked on what they described as ‘the most complex amputation they have had to deal with’.

After the bones were fixed, nerves and arteries were taken from forearm and feet skin grafts and sewn into his hand. Surgeons painstakingly attached everything together to boost restore supply and sensitivity to his fingers.

In later surgery, his hand was attached to his groin for two weeks to promote skin growth in his palm, before the hand was detached and began healing.

Now, Lelliott, who had his middle finger amputated, is learning to re-use his hand and at this stage is able to pick up a pen. 

Lelliott said: “Words can’t describe it because I was expecting to wake up without a hand. It’s just trying to get it to work now. It’s unbelievable really, I’m so grateful.”

Recalling his accident, he said: “I threw myself off the saw. I don’t know whether it was my brain playing tricks on me, but it was like an out of body experience.

“I could see myself and see what I’d done. There was blood spurting out everywhere.

“All I remember was coming through the doors into A&E and being greeted by a phenomenal amount of people; I couldn’t count them.

“The care I’ve received has been fantastic and I’ve got so much gratitude for everyone.”

Brand Energy & Infrastructure Acquires German Scaffold Firm

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Brand Energy & Infrastructure Acquires German Scaffold Firm

Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services has expanded its geographic footprint in eastern Germany after purchasing SYN-Service.

SYN-Service provides scaffolding solutions to industrial markets and the energy sector, SYN-Service also supports maintenance, repair and new construction in the bridge industry.

“SYN-Service is a welcome addition to Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services,” said Dave Witsken, president of Energy and Industrial at BrandSafway. “With its outstanding experience, expertise and commitment to safety, SYN-Service can help us strengthen our position in Germany and deliver a higher level of excellence to our customers. It’s one more step in our commitment to growing our energy and industrial services.”

Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services has been operating in Germany since 2012, growing year-over-year since then. “As a combined business, we can deliver custom and highly efficient access and scaffolding solutions to the chemical, pharmaceutical, food, steel and cement industries as well as to the energy sector in Germany,” Herke adds.

SYN-Service customers will benefit from the broad range of products, services and solutions available through Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services. “We look forward to joining Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services,” said Henry Lewin, managing director at SYN-Service. “This is an exciting opportunity for our customers as well as our employees.”

With head offices in the Netherlands and subsidiaries in Belgium, France, Germany, Romania, the United Kingdom, Australia and India, Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services is one of the leading providers of industrial services and total access solutions. Its offerings range from scaffolding, rope access, and suspended and powered access to thermal and acoustic insulation, fireproofing, coatings and heat tracing. The company is part of the BrandSafway Group, a leading global provider of access, specialized services, and forming and shoring solutions to the industrial, commercial and infrastructure end markets.

Scaffolders On Drax Power Station Set To Strike

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Scaffolders On Drax Power Station Set To Strike

Scaffolders at the Drax power station in North Yorkshire are threatening strike action next month in a dispute over the recognition of national agreements.

The 29 scaffolders are employed by Altrad-Hertel at the power station. The dispute is a result of the company refusing to register the workers under the relevant industrial agreement the National Agreement for the Electrical Construction Industry (NAECI). The vast majority of other construction workers on the site work under the NAECI agreement.

Unite has called two 24 hour strikes, the first beginning at 06:00 on Thursday 5 September with a further strike beginning at the same time on Thursday 12 September. Continuous strike action is then scheduled to begin on Wednesday 18 September at 06:00.

Workers will be picketing all entrances to the power station and the strikes are expected to cause considerable disruption, as they will occur during the scheduled maintenance work on the power station. It is thought that any extension to the maintenance shutdown costs Drax hundreds of thousands of pounds each day.

Unite regional officer Chris Weldon said: “The strikes are set to cause a great deal of disruption at Drax.

“The strikes are entirely of Altrad-Hertel’s own making as the company has failed to act reasonably. The vast majority of construction workers at Drax work under the auspices of the NAECI agreement and there is no good reason why scaffolders should be treated any differently.

“Our members feel very strongly about this issue and they have voted for strike action as a last resort.

“Even though strike action has been announced it is not too late for the dispute to be resolved.

“Altrad-Hertel simply needs to enter into negotiations and agree to employ the scaffolders under the NAECI agreement.”

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