Dramatic video shows how a protester scrambled up scaffolding under construction in Brighton, spending four hours protesting that the structure erected was endangering foxes.
Wearing just robes and flip-flops the male protester was caught on film on climbing 13ft to the unfinished top lift of the scaffold being built on by local firm Seasons Scaffolding. The man shouted at the workers “I’m protesting.” and claimed he had “served his country” and didn’t want them to “take advantage of vulnerable animals.”
Steve Eason Managing director of Seasons Scaffolding uploaded the clip to Facebook after the incident on Tuesday. He can be seen trying to stop the man from gaining access to the top lift. He let go of the man when the protester claimed he was being assaulted.
Disgruntled scaffolders unable to continue with the job can be clearly heard repeatedly telling the man that it is unsafe for him to be on the scaffold. Seasons Scaffolding staff and the Police tried for nearly four hours to coax the protester down off the scaffold.
*NOTE: The following video contains language that some viewers may find offensive.*
The man eventually calmed down and came off the structure after Steve explained to the man how the scaffold was constructed showing that no animals were being harmed.
Speaking to Deadlinenews Steve said: “He came down when I explained to him exactly how the scaffolding was put up and that there was a bolt underneath for any animals. He was a completely different person when he came down and I showed it to him, he said: ‘you should have just told me that earlier’, I said: ‘you were too quick climbing up there mate’. Then he was very apologetic and said sorry for costing me so much money.”
“He didn’t get arrested, he was just warned by the police.”
Following the publication of the Government’s consultation response to the ‘Creating a responsible payment culture’ call for evidence, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) calls on the public sector to lead by example in order to tackle the scourge of late payments.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “The Government’s acceptance there is a serious imbalance of power between small and large companies when it comes to securing fair payment terms is a step in the right direction. FMB members are telling me that more than three-quarters of their payments are late, which is clearly unacceptable.
“What is needed is a culture change in the construction industry so that late payment is no longer standard practice. Fundamentally, to rebalance market power for small to medium-sized companies (SMEs), the public sector should lead by example by breaking up contracts into smaller ‘lots’ and desist from the wholesale ‘bundling’ of contracts. This will help SMEs to act as the principle contractor.
“By introducing more competition into public sector procurement in this way, payment terms will improve as the balance of power is restored. What is encouraging is that the consultation responses echo what we already know from FMB members, that the Small Business Commissioner isn’t being marketed enough. The FMB would be willing to work with the Government to help raise the Commissioner’s profile amongst construction SMEs.”
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is the largest trade association in the UK construction industry representing thousands of firms in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Established in 1941 to protect the interests of small and medium-sized (SME) construction firms, the FMB is independent and non-profit making, lobbying for members’ interests at both the national and local level.
Scarborough-based Infiniti Scaffolding has unveiled its new headquarters, a 10,000sqft site that includes new offices, warehouses and storage yard, while also opening its first depot in Leeds.
It’s not just one exciting achievement at a time, but two major steps forward pointing the way to a glittering future. Alongside the unveiling of its new modern headquarters at Eastfield in the town, the firm has also launched an ambitious depot facility in Leeds’ Astra Park.
Alex Willgrass, co-founding director of Infiniti, commented: “We have ambitious plans for Infiniti Scaffolding, and we will use our new Scarborough HQ and our recently opened depot in Leeds, to expand further across the North and into the rest of the UK.
“We pride ourselves in being honest with an open-door approach which enables us to maintain a strong working relationship with our clients based on confidence and trust. This is reflected through our constant repeat business. Clients are welcome to visit our offices and sites at any time to see first hand how we run our business and we offer free estimates. We take the greatest of pride in both our work ethic and professionalism in a competitive market.”
Established in 2015, their first class services range from providing scaffolding, roofing, surveys, sales, service, and design, to installation, dismantling and scaffolding rentals. But carrying a powerful vision of just what can be attained in terms of contracts won within the industry, they aim to expand across the country. Perhaps it’s apt the team find themselves in 10,000 square foot of constructive space on Scarborough’s Olympic Trading Estate, such is their dynamic approach in the race for continued success. Here you’ll discover a medal-winning office and warehouse space, alongside a superb storage yard big enough to meet their long term needs. They are a vibrant set up ready to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
“We take the greatest of pride in both our work ethic and professionalism in a competitive market.”
It’s good to know Infiniti Scaffolding staff are knowledgeable, skilled, dependable and fully committed, as well as being fully qualified and trained to the highest standards and safety. From local residents to hotels, no job is too big or small for go ahead Infiniti, which is why it’s very much a shooting star in the field.
The Infiniti Scaffolding team at their new Scarborough HQ with, from left to right, directors Alex Willgrass, Lisa Naylor and Joe Naylor.
And when it comes to roofing, they have earned the reputation as one of the most reliable and versatile contractors around. Before and after photographs are taken or a video produced to confirm works have been completed satisfactorily. Their business is built on hard work and due diligence of its work force. Infiniti Scaffolding Ltd is a registered member of The British Safety Council. The BSC is one of the world’s leading health and safety organisations with up to 10,000 members and subscribers in more than 50 countries.
The 4,000 sq ft depot in Leeds will support Infiniti’s growing client base, which includes companies such as ENGIE, ESH, Balfour Beatty, Mitie Group, and Persimmon Homes.
This is without question one of Yorkshire’s finest and a 21st-century company on the up, ready for infiniti and beyond
As a female leader in the scaffolding industry, Kirsty Allan is determined to put employees at the heart of the modern sector. What’s more, she’s following on from a certain Vicky Welch in breaking new successful ground in the industry.
While Vicky was the first female scaffolder to go offshore for Stork, Kirsty has proven to be an influential female leader in the sector carrying a combination of first-class business, management and people skills.
Co-owner and Director of Business Development at City Access Scaffolding, launched in 2014, Kirsty is one of only a small band of women working in the construction industry. As a former Midlothian school teacher, she truly embodies the spirit of ‘positive thinking’, working to drive her business forward in what remains a very male-dominated sector.
Rapid Growth
And if you need further proof, in the half decade of its existence her business has grown year on year In fact, by year four sales had increased by a staggering 1,000 percent. With a clear map going forward along with strong financial results, this talented lady was driven in her quest to create a business both benefitting employees and contributing to the local community.
As a result, her firm has earned a reputation for investing in staff training and development, with a structured and successful apprenticeship programme at its core. With the invaluable business support of both husband Jonathan and Mark Skinner, all three bring first-class qualities to the table.
“If our staff are happy outside work, they’ll excel when they come to work.”
Investment In Staff
Kirsty stresses the importance of putting employees at the heart of the business, and offers support and training reaching far beyond the usual technical and practical skills, as she explained:
“If our staff are happy outside work, they’ll excel when they come to work. We offer coaching and genuine care to our team, covering everything from positive thinking, mindfulness and self-belief through to saving schemes for all employees and other practical support.”
This approach extends to helping foster a more positive image of the industry as a whole, reflected in her plans to launch a company-wide academy. This would promote self-confidence and goal-setting for all employees, encouraging them to achieve more not only at work but also in their home lives.
Improving As Individuals
She added: “Let’s be honest, we need to keep growing as individuals to be at our best and prevent ourselves from becoming stagnant. We need to help each other to this end, and this is part of our everyday approach.”
Kirsty’s belief in putting something back into the wider community is reflected in her charity commitment, including her latest role within the YMCA 1:1 mentoring programme to support vulnerable children across Edinburgh.
“The truth is, as women we can sometimes stop ourselves from moving forward. It’s not always down to how men treat us in the industry.”
Demanding Role
In a competitive and demanding sector, Kirsty’s success and vision are inspirational – she’s genuinely carving a new path for women in construction locally, and empowering others to be the best version of themselves as a result. So how does she view the metaphorical glass ceiling?
“The truth is, as women we can sometimes stop ourselves from moving forward. It’s not always down to how men treat us in the industry. In my experience, everyone has been very welcoming. The fact is, business is business wherever you go, and you treat people with the utmost respect.
“If I don’t know anything I’m not afraid to ask or be more resourceful in gaining more knowledge on a daily basis. I’ve always been honest and open with people as we are all on a constant learning curve. With the business in mind my partners including my husband Jonathan and Mark have been brilliant.
Message For The Ladies
“It would be great if any more female leaders or employees in the industry could get together as a group. I’m happy to play a big part, so anyone reading this who may be interested please just drop me a line and we can take things from there.”
In talking with Kirsty you’re left in little doubt her inspiration is not just about building a successful business, but also changing lives in the most positive way possible. It really is all about people in her eyes. The construction and scaffolding industry will certainly benefit.
Charismatic St Botolph’s Church in Boston which is also known as the ‘Boston Stump’ looks pretty spectacular at any time of year, especially from the air. It’s persona however, takes on a different yet fascinating front when lovingly wrapped in scaffolding. But this isn’t any old scaffolding. This has been brilliantly designed especially for a wonderfully historic construction, not only to keep it safe but also to aid vital restoration work.
The team at Creator Scaffold Designs based in Rotherham was responsible for coming up with an ideal system to keep both workers on-site and this magnificent building completely safe. Every lift on the scaffold is fully boarded, and rises up 80m to the top lift, it makes for a fascinating vista.
SLS Scaffolding Contracts Manager James Brown explained: “The project began for us in April 2017, when our Contracts Director and myself were asked to advise on access solutions for the original architect. From there we suggested our preferred scaffold designers ‘Creator Ltd’. They were asked to produce a set of working drawings for all scaffolds needed. We were lucky enough to win the contract late November 2018.
Finding Solutions
“A ground scan was completed prior to work commencing showing areas of possible voids. The solution was to bridge the voids using steel joists both provided and fitted ourselves by the company. On-site work began in early December of last year.
“One of the main challenges during the project was the lifting of materials. This was done in two ways. Firstly we used a traditional rope and gin wheel to manually lift materials, and secondly a mechanical hoist within a purpose built hoisting bay. Using the hoist meant we could reduce the number of operatives on site. The number did vary during the project but there were mainly six operatives during the higher phases, with less during the basing out phases. We built ourselves a purpose built loading bay at the foot of the scaffold where materials were lifted in place using a Hi-ab crane mounted lorry. The loading bay was another addition made by ourselves to the original design and this was encased by a five metre high steel hoarding for protection and security.”
Impressive Scaffolding
SLS opted to use a traditional tube and fitting scaffold for the project whichis 21m wide at the base, rising up 10 lifts to the first drop off where it becomes 15m wide for the next 20 lifts. Those remaining up to lift 38 are around 8m wide with a couple of no return splays at both sides. The internal protection deck is situated within the tower built out of a 200mm walkway using x-beams. This scaffold is approx. 28m above a café area closed during scaffold works.
James added:“The internal lantern scaffold is situated above the belfry roof, This posed some design problems as the roof would not withstand the 8m x 8m x 11 lift scaffold needed to access the lantern roof and walls. The original solution was to build out of the belfry, through the belfry roof and up to the lantern roof. After taking the contract we were asked if there was a method of scaffolding the lantern without altering the belfry roof enabling water tightness throughout the project.
Belfry Solution
“Our solution was to bridge the belfry from the external scaffold through the lantern windows down to the east elevation viewing platform some 8m below. This meant we would build a 20” wide four lift scaffold tower to catch the opposite end of beams – as we needed to tie the tower through louvres into the belfry. Creator Ltd were consulted on the method and new drawings were made to incorporate this.
“We completed works on the 5th of April, including the external scaffold to the top of the church, an internal protection deck and a scaffold within the church lantern.”
The whole project lead in conjunction with James Brown by scaffold supervisor Simon Wilkinson, was erected without damage to the external façade with no bolt holes or ties, or even any windows removed. Instead the original putlog holes were utilised, and where this wasn’t possible reveal type ties were used.
A Team Effort
James told us: “We would like to thank and acknowledge Creator Scaffold design Ltd, for their help and co-operation throughout the project, we feel we have a strong relationship with them and look forward to working with them in the future. We’d also like to thank Stone Edge Ltd, especially their on-site manager Stuart Furnival for their first class assistance.”
Thanks should go to Directors: Peter Churchill and Trevor Cook. And Scaffolders: James Brown, Simon Wilkinson, Daniel Jellis, David Forinton, Mark Diamond, Craig Dobinson, Mikey Luckham, Will Robinson, Liam Powell, Alex King, Brendon Pulford.
“With scaffolding, access and protection systems, there is no reason why light weight and ease of handling should reduce strength and performance – indeed, this is one of the key drivers behind our ongoing commitment to innovation.” Sean Pike is UK Managing Director of Layher Ltd, the world’s largest manufacturer of modular systems, and believes the industry’s move towards equipment that is light yet strong has much to offer.
Always at the heart of Layher’s success – established in 1945, the company opened its first UK depot in Letchworth in the 1980’s – is the design of its rosette connection system. This creates multiple choices of installation layout and, because it does not require separate clamps, produces both operational and safety benefits.
“This early innovation has been followed continually by further improvements and developments that have all focused on greater site efficiency, installation versatility and, of course, safety,” continues Sean Pike. “Today, the focus in many areas is on light weight designs which, thanks to modern methods of manufacture – including the greater use of high tensile materials – go hand-in-hand with improved strength and performance, and thus better handling for the users themselves.”
From a project and site management perspective, this produces clear-cut, tangible results. Reduced transportation and storage needs arise from less material requirements providing a wide range of structural options and opportunities.
“Crucially, this trend towards lighter components also brings major benefits to the scaffolding workforce,” adds Sean Pike. “Because so much equipment can be manually handled with comfort, there is less physical stress on manpower with clear gains in terms of, for example, musculoskeletal complaints, output and therefore time savings.”
Sean Pike draws attention to two recent developments from the company that have resulted directly from this approach.
Layher’s improved steel deck LW completes the lightweight range. Made from high tensile steel but with a reduced thickness to just 1.3mm and a weight reduction of 2.2kg, it optimises the cross section via special processes and intelligent concentration of material, where needed. With improved longitudinal reinforcement for optimal load transfer and surface cross reinforcement for higher stability when walking across the deck, it has the same load class and bending stiffness as current steel decks, but with much-improved handling.
“Generally, the Allround lightweight scaffold system has built on this principle and is now our best-selling system option worldwide,” continues Sean Pike. “It delivers some 24% greater bending strength than Allround K2000+, while the design also includes an ‘auto lock’ feature that makes the most of the fact that workers can handle and undertake key elements of a scaffold structure’s erection by themselves.”
He explains that Layher’s wedge design, which links into the built-in rosette connector on each standard, simply drops into position as it is offered up to the rosette to create sufficient stability before it is permanently fixed in place. “Speed of erection is enhanced while, once installed, the same lightweight materials enable 100mm extra headroom to be created on each lift – a further safety feature in each case.”
The take up of modular system scaffolding in the UK is now well established with benefits in terms of performance and project scheduling widely in evidence. It is a growing sector of the market that has, over the years, prompted Layher to build on that initial depot and head office location with facilities now in the north of England, Scotland, Ireland and, most recently, the West Midlands.
“We always point to the opportunities that our philosophies create for innovation. A developing list of tailored components that fulfil specific needs while still integrating with our proven connection system clearly endorses this view,” concludes Sean Pike. “The greater use of lighter weight materials now builds on this to the benefit of project management and workforce alike.”
Thousands of brands from across the globe descended on Munich, Germany, for the world’s biggest construction trade fair in April. This year Bauma, now 65-years-old, attracted a some 620,000 attendees, representing the industry in no less than 200 countries, giving stand-out exhibitors a chance to impress delegates from almost every nation on the planet.
As per usual, the scaffold and access industry had its own dedicated area, which offered an insight into the present and— perhaps most importantly— the future of this sector. There were some impressive systems, products and materials on display, from brands such as Switzerland’s AMMANN Group, which celebrated its 150th anniversary during the expo, to China’s Sany Group and LiuGong, making any attempt to succinctly summarise the best of the best rather difficult.
But we’re always up for a challenge, and when you have something as unique and groundbreaking as Nordic Platform’s range of scaffolding accessories the job of choosing what to write about becomes a little easier. The Danish company specialises in making products from recycled fishing nets salvaged from the world’s seas. Given oceanic pollution is one of the gravest causes for concern in the battle to save the planet, with nets responsible for killing countless fish and marine life, the idea couldn’t be more welcome.
“We use discarded fishing nets as the main sources— depending on the final product we add stabilisation, UV-protection and so forth to meet the demands of the final products. These materials become part of our Airsteps Ocean products, which include fall protection, spacefillers, support plates, safety clips, toeboard clips and safety caps,” Nordic Platform’s Per Mose Jakobsen says, going on to explain that – to his knowledge – the firm’s approach is unique within the industry.
“Plastic is brilliant for recycling as it saves approximately 2 kg co/kg plastic that is recycled compared to virgin materials. In the case of discarded fishing nets it is even more beneficial as there are huge volumes of plastic removed for the oceans,” he continues. “Also all products in plastic we are taking to the market we ensure are able to be re-used, re-furbished and recycled themselves, so they are part of a circular economy.”
Equally revolutionary is the new LayPLAN system from German giant Layher. This software is impressively powerful, allowing companies to visualise solutions to complex projects in greater detail than ever before. Two core versions are available, LayPLAN Classic and LayPLAN CAD. The former modules for Allround Scaffolding and SpeedyScaff, automating the planning of standardised scaffolding structures. It provides real-time material lists, automatically renders 2D drawings and can export to LayPLAN CAD, which plugs-in to Autodesk AutoCAD and is made for incredibly complex work.
From realising the bigger picture to far smaller details, we were also really impressed with the Controlock – a product that could make a huge difference despite being something that many people, particularly those outside the industry, probably wouldn’t even notice. Put simply, this is a new magnetic scaffold tie system, the first of its kind on the market. Using this could save money on buying additional locking equipment, alongside assembly time.
“The reason that magnetic anchoring of scaffolds was not possible before is that it wasn’t safe enough. A traditional magnet was a kind of black box in terms of strength. It was not possible to determine the strength of a magnet on a certain spot,” says Edwin van der Heide of McNetiq, the company behind this potential game-changer.
Magnetic scaffold anchoring system at Bauma 2019
“A magnet is designed for a certain force but the specifics of the location influence the way a magnet can be burd— the force we can put on the magnet. The thickness of the steel plate, paint or rust all influence the strength of the magnet,” he continues.
“Our patented Controlock technology solved this problem: a Controlock magnet can be measured on every spot. Testing and defining the sliding and pulling force is vital to anchor in a safe way. Because it is possible to measure the strength of the magnet in a secure way our system is certified by Dekra and Lloyds Registered.”
BRAND SAFWAY’s QuikDeck was also pulling in huge crowds, and not without good reason. The Suspended Access System is designed for rapid assembly, providing a versatile and safe solution to accessing hard-to-reach areas of off-shore structures – from bridges to oil rigs. This means a potential cost-saving on projects including painting and maintenance, installation and even new construction, increasing efficiency and therefore lowering completion timeframes.
BRAND SAFWAY’s QuikDeck at Bauma 2019
Taking all this into consideration, it’s not hard to understand why Munich 2019 is being heralded as the most-successful Bauma in the event’s illustrious history. The fascinating products on display – which we’ve only really scratched the surface on – and exceptional networking and sales opportunities surpassed previous editions, re-affirming the expo’s place in the list of must-attend dates in the industry calendar. Not that we really needed reminding.
There are many great brands in the scaffolding industry, but when they lose focus on delivering what customers want and need, they’ll wither away and become confined to history. Dale, Managing Director of SCP Forgeco sees innovation as an integral part of brand performance.
In our sector, whether you are a contractor, manufacturer or distributor, what differentiates brands is safety, quality and trust. And to build on this success and remain at the top of your game, you need to innovate so that customers benefit from new products and services that improve performance and are more cost-effective. Lack of innovation will expose any business to greater competitive pressures.
Within our business, product innovation comes at a high price and can be hard to justify in a marketplace where orders are lost to cheaper, often inferior, untested products – for the matter of a few pennies.
Sourcing from new suppliers, either in the UK or outside, comes with a warning. It may be a cost-effective option, but it may not offer the same levels of quality that in-house manufacturing gives. Verification of quality control, audits and certification all help to confirm and maintain rigid quality standards.
The fittings used by our sector are often safety critical. So having the confidence to know that what is being delivered does what it says is important. When something goes wrong because a product did not perform or it was wrongly installed, designers, contractors and manufacturers are at risk of facing the consequences. The Grenfell Tower disaster has seen quality and performance of other building products being questioned.
Without question, cost has to be the right cost; however, quality is absolutely fundamental. Forgeco was formed to satisfy a growing demand for quality equipment. Two decades later, we still manufacture fittings at the same plant, to the same rigorous standards, and we are now the UK’s oldest independent fitting manufacturer.
By working with our clients to innovate, specialist contractors can improve performance and profitability. This approach has led to the development of new products, such as the KLAWZ, Tamer and ScottiClip range of fittings along with the Safelinx board retaining system.
Access and scaffolding products demand the highest integrity. Having trust in component quality gives contractors the confidence to select and use the components that they know are fully tested and manufactured to a safe standard.
With millions of individual components in use across the sector, it is critical that steps have been taken to ensure that tube, fittings or system are fit for purpose.
Innovative brands spend many thousands of pounds on auditing and testing to demonstrate that what they are manufacturing and erecting meet the standards required. A substandard component, or a poorly fitted one, can lead to catastrophic results.
With Brent Scaffold Boards Ltd you know exactly what you’re going to get. Not a sales slogan but a basic fact of life. Personal service, quality timber and a no-nonsense honest approach to life in the industry. Maybe this is why they’ve got clients going back to 1992 when the company began life back in Selby. And in every sense, this is a real family affair. One to celebrate as both Ollie, 36, and Jon Appleby, 34, move into new roles as Directors.
A Fresh Approach
Ollie told me their parents, Dave and Linda are still as much involved as they were in the early years, but recognise the benefits of bringing in a team of Directors for the future. He said: “I left school at 16 to work in our factory so I could learn from the bottom up. I must have been 20 or 21 when I began running the office on the sales side mainly. The learning process continued working with Dad. Mum knows the accounts department inside out and also works closely with Dave to secure timber contracts.”
The is a visionary business set on a 10-acre site with superb links to both the east coast ports and network motorways. As a major supplier and manufacturer of timber scaffold boards and system battens to the scaffolding and construction industry, they carry a greatly respected and hard earned reputation for excellence right across the sector. They are also PEFC and BM TRADA certified, armed with five fully automatic endbanding machines pushing production up to a staggering 45,000 banded boards per week. Brent have recently invested in a new machine to the tune of £150,000.
Jon, joined Brent Scaffold Boards in June 2014 after a decade working as a plumber and heating engineer. The career change saw the dad of two girls take over the running of the accounts department with mum and business co-founder Linda. Naturally, he’s now excited and positive about putting on a Directors hat. “It’s certainly been a learning curve to get to this point,” he said. “We have really high standards here, and part of the challenge will be retaining those standards going forward. Both of us are committed to keeping the business in front of our competitors regardless of any changes in the market.”
Directors Ollie & Jon Appleby
Four Decades In The Industry
Dad to Ollie and Jon, and founder of the business, Managing Director 64-year-old Dave Appleby has been in the industry for more than 40 years, forging some excellent relationships along the way. He’s also seen a lot of changes and supervised some challenging orders as he explained: “A few years ago we received a request to provide 90,000 fire treated boards to a company in Khazakstan. It was a huge job but also demonstrated we can cater for most requests in any part of the world.”
His son’s may be moving seamlessly into their roles as directors, but Dave has no intention of calling it a day any time soon. “I may slow down a touch but having put so much into building up the business across the years, I’ll continue to contribute as much as possible. To be honest, It’s always been a real labour of love for me, and we’ve constructed an excellent network across the industry. British timber boards are the way forward, and with only two or three manufacturers here in the UK, it’s vital we keep providing a world-class service.”
Impressive Clients
Generally, Brent can boast impressive regular long term clients like Burflex, Altrad. George Roberts and many others. They also undertake a lot of important North Sea work, and no challenge seems to be beyond them. But how has the Brexit saga affected the business? Ollie said: “Last year was actually quite exceptional. This year has begun more slowly probably due to Brexit. There are plenty of jobs out there, but people are holding off a little until things get sorted. Leaving the EU won’t affect us long term at all as there are no tariffs on timber.”
The Best In Timber
With timber in mind, the business buys the very best from The Czech Republic, Austria and Germany. There are two first class grading lines, manned with qualified and fully trained graders. It’s probably why they have such a high reputation for quality.
Ollie added: “We’re generally going for volume to match the significant investment we’ve made, and I’ve managed to bring in several new customers. The truth is we need a British manufacturer, and we’re determined to drive forward the business and keep it going.”
With a compact but incredibly experienced fully qualified workforce, and not forgetting hard working Joyce, it’s not difficult to see why Brent Scaffold Boards are renown just here in the UK but across the world.
As for Ollie and Jon, there’s no doubt the ship is being steered in the right direction. www.brentscaffoldboards.co.uk
When, in 1970, Joni Mitchell sang about how “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone/They paved paradise/And put up a parking lot”, she was way ahead of her time.
The world’s economies ploughed on regardless in a headlong rush for ever greater development. Here in the UK, we have now reached the stage where the construction industry is directly associated with 10% of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions; and is the generator of 32% of all landfill waste.
Only now, nearly half a century after Joni’s lament, is the realization dawning in the construction world that buildings and the processes used to create them – such as scaffolding – need to be sustainable i.e. we need to be able to meet current demands for housing and office space whilst at the same time supporting the environment in the long term.
Websites abound that give advice on strategies as how to reduce the level of CO2 that is produced during construction. There is research into exciting technical innovations such as self-healing concrete. But optimizing the use of less polluting existing materials is an obvious step that can be taken immediately to aid in greenhouse gas removal.
The Government’s Clean Growth Strategy states it will work with industry to increase the amount of “timber used in construction, creating a conveyor belt of locked-in carbon in our homes and buildings”.
And therein lies the clue: when it comes to scaffolding and responsible procurement, your best eco-friend is the humble scaffold board.
Sustainability, rather than exploitation and depletion, is a key factor in the timber industry. In his book Sustainable Use of Wood in Construction, Jim Coulson points out that in the managed softwood forests of Europe and North America, trees are planted on a ‘three for one’ basis. Thus, for every one harvested tree, three more are planted. And indeed, in the Czech Republic – a source of high-quality lumber – the principles of renewable forest management have been applied since the 18th century.
During its life cycle, a European spruce spends its growing life absorbing carbon dioxide. When it is felled to become a scaffold board, three other trees get planted and the board becomes a store of locked-away carbon. And at the end of its use on a scaffold, it can recycled into furniture or raised garden beds; or chipped and used to generate biomass power.
To check that your boards are coming from sustainably managed forests is easy: they need to come with Chain of Custody. Your supplier should be able to give you their certificate and you can check its validity on the PEFC and FSC websites. But please note – to meet the UK government’s Timber Procurement Policy, purchasers of wood must not specify one or other of these schemes – they must simply stipulate ‘Chain of Custody Certified Timber’ because both PEFC and FSC are deemed to provide equal and valid proof of sustainable sourcing.
Having satisfied yourself that you are buying a carbon-neutral material from a regulated source, the next consideration is the safety of your scaffolders and other site workers. Have the scaffold boards – that workers will be treading on at height – been made to BS 2482:2009? And have they been strength-graded, not merely X-rayed? The boards should be being passed through a Cook-Bolinder or Computermatic stress-grading machine. These machines, unlike an X-ray machine, will detect any problems with slope of grain or compression wood and reject the boards accordingly.
If you follow the steps outlined above, you will have a safe and sustainable platform from which to work. And your company will have helped in a small way to save, not pave, paradise.
