The Voice of Scaffolding Since 2008 | U.K. Edition
Beaver84 Merges With Generation Hire & Sales
Scaffolding specialist Altrad Beaver84 has merged with Generation Hire & Sales.
As of the 1st January, Altrad Beaver84 is now trading as Generation Hire and sales the firm has said on its website. Both Beaver84 and Generation were acquired by French scaffolding giant the Altrad Group, in 2011 and 2012, both have traded independently ever since. ScaffMag understands that in 2018 the Altrad Group saw an opportunity to combine both businesses to provide better service and value to customers of Beaver84 and Generation. The coming together of Beaver84 and Generation will mean they have the largest stock holding of Hire and sales materials than anywhere in the UK. Generation also says their customers are able to benefit from a magnitude of additional branches, a larger fleet of Hiab vehicles and additional technical resources and support. A spokesperson for Generation said in a statement on their website: “We have been working hard to ensure that the only impact is the name change to Generation. But there will also be some updates to account and product codes. The Altrad Beaver team will continue to support their customers and ensure that there is no interruption to our service.”New scaffolder training centre opens in Qatar
Safety and Access and Aecor International Training have gained Overseas Scaffolders Training (OSTS) accreditation from CISRS for a new centre in Al Khor, Qatar.
The UK training firm and Aecor International already have a very successful partnership with their centre in Nepal and are hoping to emulate that in the Middle East. According to CISRS, there are many Nepalese scaffolders working in the Oil and Gas industry in Qatar who already hold CISRS OSTS qualifications after been trained at the Safety & Access centre in Kathmandu. The opening of the training facility at Al Khor will help those scaffolders to continue their progression through CISRS training Level 2, 3 and 4, etc whilst they are working locally, rather than having to wait until they return home. Rick Statham, Joint Managing Director of Safety and Access, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to provide CISRS OSTS training in Qatar once again. The training facilities developed with AECOR International are excellent and with the location close to Ras Laffan we are confident that this training and skills service will be a welcome support to local businesses. “We have an immediate demand for training at the centre and this is set to continue for the foreseeable future.” The centre has initially been accredited to deliver Level 1, 2 and 3 OSTS Scaffolder Training, Basic and Advanced Inspection and Scaffolding Supervisor courses but also plans to introduce CPD and Cuplok Systems training in the near future, as the product is widely used in Qatar. Dave Mosley, CISRS Scheme Manager, said: “It’s great to see the centre getting off to such a flying start, with 60 operatives attending Level 1 Scaffolder training before the end of last year. Qatar has reacted very positively to the introduction of CISRS OSTS. “On a previous visit I met with Ashghal the Public Authority for Health and Safety they have been very proactive when it comes to scaffolder safety, they were very keen to see OSTS introduced and will be looking for CISRS qualified scaffolders on their many projects going forward.”Brogan Group bags Westminster hoist package
Access firm Brogan Group have secured the hoist package for 9 Mill Bank, London.
The company will be providing a number of passenger/goods hoists to one of the most exciting residential projects located on the banks of the River Thames in Westminster.
This flagship development showcases the height of British luxury and style, surrounded by some of the world’s most iconic landmarks.
9 Mill Bank is no stranger to redevelopment, the land was originally used to build Ergon House, electricity works and associated offices in 1927.
Two years later it was redeveloped and used as Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) headquarters.
Today, in its most recent phase of development will result in a total of 177 new homes being built and one section, Millbank Quarter, will comprise 106 apartments and 2 townhouses. It will also boast a 24-hour concierge, underground parking, a swimming pool, a spa, a gym and a cinema room.
9 Mill Bank is due to be completed in 2021.
SGB Buys Lyndon Scaffolding
BrandSafway has acquired Lyndon Scaffolding and its subsidiary Taylor’s Hoists.
BrandSafway which owns SGB which will now be combined with Lyndon to become Lyndon SGB by BrandSafway. Dave Witsken, president of Energy and Industrial for BrandSafway, said: “This is an exciting combination. It allows us to bring together a full range of scaffolding solutions plus deliver excellence in a suite of other access technologies for our customers.” “By combining the assets, expertise and reputation of Lyndon Scaffolding with SGB, we will be able to expand our service solutions in key major cities in the U.K., broaden our overall footprint and accelerate our growth.” Lyndon Scaffolding operates from locations in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Barry, Wales with Taylor’s Hoists based in Duxford. “We look forward to being on the same team with SGB,” said Robert Lynch, CEO of Lyndon Scaffolding. “SGB is one of our industry’s best-known and well-respected names. By working together and sharing our expertise and best practices, Lyndon SGB will be able to offer customers more products and services and improved solutions.” Established in 1968, Lyndon Scaffolding has sales of approximately £50 million and more than 600 employees. Lyndon Scaffolding has worked on some the U.K.’s largest and most impressive projects, and its portfolio includes Jubilee Bridge at Runcorn, BBC Broadcasting House, Tate Britain, Severn Bridge, Birmingham Gateway Station, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, and the Scottish Parliament Building. Mick Herke, managing director of Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services in Europe for BrandSafway said: “By combining resources, Lyndon SGB will have more locations and greater depth of expertise and we will be able to leverage our scale to better serve customers. “Both Lyndon Scaffolding and SGB are strong companies with an emphasis on excellent quality and service. Together as Lyndon SGB, we can create more value for clients.”Scaffolding on Big Ben ‘falls away’ with Snapchat App
Multimedia messaging app Snapchat has created a new lens that allows London sightseers to virtually remove the scaffolding surrounding Big Ben.
In an aim to celebrate the festive season, users of the globally popular app can point their phone camera at the iconic clock tower to see the scaffold magically fall away. Big Ben is then encased in a snow globe with the words “Happy Holidays.”
The transformed virtual tower will also reflect the accurate time on the clock and recreate Big Ben’s famous bongs, chiming on the hour accompanied by four quarter-hour rings.
The Big Ben Lens will be live for several months and the creative will be adapted over time
According to Campaign Snapchat said, the lens can be used in spite of bad weather and from any viewing angle. It will work on devices as old as Apple iPhone 6 and “mid-range” Android smartphones.
The Big Ben Lens is powered by location-based and 3D mapping augmented-reality technology.
The Elizabeth Tower has been encased in scaffolding since repairs started in May 2017, while the bell, known as Big Ben, was silenced in August 2017.
Stepup Scaffolding CEO And Executives Killed In Plane Crash
Scaffolding manufacturers and distributors Stepup Scaffolding have announced the tragic death of their CEO Wei Chen and 3 executives.
Stepup Scaffolding a subsidiary of Sunshine Enterprise Inc, based in Scotland and headquartered in Memphis USA has identified four of its employees as victims killed in a plane crash. According to reports, the business jet flown by Chen plunged out of the sky crashing into a football field in an Atlanta park as it was making its way from Atlanta to Memphis on Thursday 20 December. Wei Chen, John Chen, Bruce Pelynio and Danielle Mitchell were identified as victims in the crash, according to Stepup Scaffolding President, Mike McAnnally.
ScaffMag’s most read stories of 2018
As 2018 edges ever closer to an end, we take a look back at what most attracted your attention during the year.
This year has been another busy news-filled year for the scaffolding industry as ScaffMag continues to keep you updated with what’s going on. Either on desktop, mobile, tablet or in our quarterly magazine available in digital and print, we have you covered. During the year we saw several big stories that stood out and received a lot of attention. One of which was the news of a Manchester scaffolder in court after not being clipped while working at 60ft. The shocking image showing his actions captured by a retired Health & Safety inspector literally went viral. In addition also in our list of the biggest stories of 2018 were; Scaffolders earn more than Architects, apparently. News of the completion of the magnificent scaffold on London’s Big Ben, engineers develop an on-site scaffolding robot and scaffolders run for their lives after Stanlow refinery explosion to name a few. For a full rundown of ScaffMag’s top 10 biggest stories including page views and social shares see below. Pageviews: 19,375 | Social Shares: 1367Scaffolder who was not clipped on is sentenced2. Pageviews: 12,914 | Social Shares: 1754
Scaffolders run for their lives after explosion at Stanlow oil refinery3. Pageviews: 10,735 | Social Shares: 1062
Scaffolding on Big Ben now complete after ‘topping out’4. Pageviews: 8,447 | Social Shares: 2,114
New report shows Scaffolders earn more than Architects5. Pageviews: 8,209 | Social Shares: 426
Scaffold firm refuses to take down job over pay dispute6. Pageviews: 7,384 | Social Shares: 614
Engineers Develop The World’s First On-Site Scaffolding Robot6. Pageviews: 6,786 | Social Shares: 2,044
Hero Scaffolders chase off London moped robbers targeting mum and child7. Pageviews: 6,789 | Social Shares: 224
Four Workers Dead After Scaffolding Collapses At Multi Storey Building8. Pageviews: 3,780 | Social Shares: 449
Layher Creates Cutting Edge Aluminium FlexBeam9. Pageviews: 2,752 | Social Shares: 172
Video: Scaffolding works on the Silver Jubilee Bridge Runcorn10. Pageviews: 2,281 | Social Shares: 100
GTS Scaffolding Set For CITB Levy Hearing
Scaffolding Apprenticeship Funding On Hold Until 2020
Government-backed Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) plans for apprenticeship funding involving non-levy paying employers have been put on hold to at least March 2020.
ScaffMag has learned the decision was made with the aim of allowing more time for employers and training providers to prepare for the new way to fund apprenticeships. However, many believe it’s a huge slap in the face for the industry at a crucial time, particularly when considering that the move had already been postponed until 2019. Add to this the damning statistic that scaffolding is currently one of the top five key skill shortages in the UK. In essence, critics say the change of plan will adversely impact the scaffolding industry and further compound the current skills shortage across the trade.The Reasoning
The ESFA say: “Having listened to feedback from the sector and employers about the scale and pace of the apprenticeship reforms that we have introduced since May 2017, we want to make sure that we introduce future changes in a gradual, well-managed way.”New Standard
Ironically, the scaffolding industry created a new Trailblazer Apprenticeship standard, which was formally approved back in May, and this was considered to be a milestone moment for the occupation itself. However, those employer organisations heavily involved in introducing the new Standard feel very let down.
ESFA Contracts
The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced in April 2017 and was intended to be a means for UK employers to fund new Apprenticeships. It is applicable to employers with an annual payroll in excess of £3m. In order to deliver Apprenticeships, training organisations were required to undergo a tender process with the ESFA, which assessed providers’ capability and financial viability. The ESFA announced the results of their tender process for the allocation of Apprenticeship funding for non-levy paying employers in November of 2017, and according to sources, there was extreme disappointment when it emerged that almost all scaffolding training providers were unsuccessful with their bids. By tradition, scaffolding Apprenticeship places are generally oversubscribed and most learners are recruited by Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SME). There are approximately 4,000 scaffolding contractors in the UK and only two per cent are thought to be in-scope for the Apprenticeship Levy, meaning the overwhelming majority of scaffolding businesses find that support for apprentice recruitment remains out of reach.Presenting the Facts
The Institute for Apprenticeships (IFA) forecast shows the Apprenticeship budget could be overspent by £500 million in 2018/19, rising to a £1.5 billion overspend by 2021/22. ScaffMag has discovered that one scaffolding Apprenticeship provider, which has historically accounted for around 25 per cent of all scaffolding Apprenticeship delivery in England, received no funding at all. The same organisation typically recruits between 80 and 90 per cent of apprentices from SME non-levy paying employers. ScaffMag believes that this is further evidence that the industry’s skills shortage looks set to continue.Industry Insight
Simon Hughes from scaffolding training and safety experts Simian, told ScaffMag: “Historically, Simian has considered the output of scaffolding apprentices to be a core component of our training portfolio, as a means for supporting employers and helping to bridge the growing scaffolding skills gap.
“We are disappointed by the further delay in funding for non-levy paying apprentices and are concerned as to the impact that this will have on the skills gap the industry continues to experience.”
Hughes continued: “We recognise that there were some CISRS approved training providers who received a non-levy payer allocation, although only a very small proportion of their overall funding was dedicated specifically to scaffolding Apprenticeship delivery. As a registered training organisation, we are only able to support larger Apprenticeship levy paying employers and to date, have identified around 60 scaffolding employers, nationally.
“CITB Apprenticeships traditionally founded around 90% of the scaffolding industry’s apprentices. This typically equated to between 500 and 600 learners, however, they were also unsuccessful in their bid for non-levy allocation in 2017. This has led to a significant hiatus in Apprenticeship recruitment for SME scaffolding contractors since May of this year.”
Hughes added: “From February 2019, Simian will be in a position to support SMEs, as part of our collaboration with college partners, at our Centres in East London and Weston-super-Mare, but this will still leave the rest of the industry without substantial provision for the immediate future.”
According to ScaffMag sources, the CISRS understands that the 2017 decision to award funding, was based solely on a mathematical calculation, which did not consider specific sector needs at the time, or the impact of this decision on future Apprenticeship recruitment requirements. Access Company Spans All Three Iconic Bridges
A local innovative access solutions provider is showcasing its expertise on all three of Fife’s iconic bridges.
Span Access Solutions Ltd, which has offices at FRIC (Fife Renewables Innovation Centre) in Methil, and Kinross, is providing specialist equipment to support infrastructure projects on each of the Forth crossings. This year, Span Access installed seven suspended platforms and stair-towers to support the repair and replacement of the Truss End Links on the Forth Road Bridge. It is also involved in supporting an ongoing maintenance programme on the Queensferry Crossing, with the installation of 14 gantries on runway beams located under the bridge. More recently, it has designed and built a bespoke rolling gantry for under the South span of the Forth (Rail) Bridge to again support ongoing maintenance work – this was raised into position in November.
With the Forth (Rail) Bridge opening in 1890, the Forth Road Bridge in 1964 and the new Queensferry Crossing opening in 2017 our bespoke platforms are currently supporting the infrastructure from three centuries of crossings over the Firth of Forth.
Span Access Chairman, Kenny Wiggins said:
“Span has had an exciting year as we have supported these key projects, working on all three of these iconic bridges simultaneously shows our innovative capabilities with alternative access. Each of the bridges required a different solution, developed and installed exclusively to meet the needs of the client.”
Span Access has also received Expert Help assistance from Business Gateway Fife. Their adviser, Lynne Baillie, commented:
“Span has shown that it has ambitious plans for the future of its alternative access solutions business. Their work in a diverse range of sectors, including the recently announced Innovate UK backed offshore wind project proves the worth of their innovative approach to solutions for major infrastructure projects.”
Span Access has experienced significant growth in each of the last two years with a focus on Infrastructure, Oil & Gas and Wind Industry Projects with further growth on the horizon.