‘That’s a Wrap’ – Generate more money from your scaffolding

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‘That’s a Wrap’ – Generate more money from your scaffolding

Building wraps are becoming big business which scaffolding contractors like yourselves are perfectly positioned to take advantage of. By teaming up with Lavastar, you can begin offering building wraps to all of your clients, making their lives easier and earning you more money.

We offer an attractive commission rate and do all of the work ourselves, all you need to do is plug our figures into your tenders and reap the rewards.

What is a building wrap?

A building wrap is a large printed banner which covers the exterior a scaffolding. The banner is fixed into position and then stretched tight around the scaffold, creating an impressive drum-skin-like finish. Building wraps fix to an additional framework which can be installed onto any type of scaffolding. The banners are printed on a mesh or solid PVC material, depending on the application, and have an endless range of design possibilities. 

There are a number of reasons that your client may want to install a building wrap onto their scaffolding. To list only a few advantages, building wraps:

  • Hide ongoing works behind the scaffolding
  • Improve the presentation of the site
  • Reduce noise coming from within the site
  • Reduce dust escaping from inside the site
  • Create space for advertisement and branding
  • Improve considerate contractor scheme rating
  • Protect the site from harsh weather conditions
Image showing a printed building wrap hiding scaffolding with a red bus

Our method

Lavastar offers a simple pricing structure based on the size of the building wrap, meaning you can provide accurate estimates right from the word go. Should your client be interested in a building wrap based on these estimates, we can conduct an unbranded site survey completely free of charge. This allows us to take all the necessary measurements and calculate the exact cost for you to present to your client. At this point, we can also make suggestions on how to maximise the visual impact of your building wrap should you wish to pass this information on. 

Once costs are approved, Lavastar take care of everything in house. To give you an idea of what goes into a building wrap, we would typically:

  • Produce a design for the additional framework which will house the banner
  • Provide wind loading calculations to ensure the scaffold can support the banner
  • Install the framework to the existing scaffolding
  • Liaise with marketing departments to produce designs free of charge
  • Print the banner in-house using ultra UV-resistant inks
  • Provide detailed risk assessments and method statements
  • Install the banner
  • Image showing a printed building wrap hiding scaffolding
  • Image showing a building wrap by Lavastar on a busy London Street
  • Image of building wrap showing adverts

Make more from your projects by offering the services of Lavastar

It is becoming increasingly popular for contractors to combine their services in order to boost each others businesses. By offering our services, you are able to upsell your product and make each project more profitable.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have a project you would like us to get involved in, call 01252 850818 or email [email protected]. You can also visit our website, www.lavastar.co.uk, where you can view some of our previous building wraps.

View Lavastars Directory listing here

Palmers bags Heathrow Design & Quality Award

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Palmers bags Heathrow Design & Quality Award

Palmers Scaffolding UK has been awarded a Balfour Beatty Design & Quality Award for its complex work at Heathrow Airport T4 roof lights project.

Palmers Airport Divisional Manager, Tony Mileham was presented with the award by Balfour Beatty’s Aviation Framework Director, Paul Woodhams (& Steve Collinson, Head of Integrated Services Heathrow), at a supply chain event with 70+ delegates recently.

Tony Mileham said: “We are very pleased to receive such a great award in a sea of quality sub contractors and amongst many top projects at T4 – and especially as the award is for design quality, which is something we pride ourselves on at Palmers.

“The project was 18 months in the making with our engineering and design teams and working collaboratively with Balfour Beatty. It has challenged us technically and operationally (with it being a live airport, with temporary works done in night shifts), but our experience and expertise has shone through.

“This highly technical and impressive roof lights job – or the ‘mobile factory’ as the client called it due to its highly functional interface with all trades – has attracted a lot of positive attention from everyone on site. It’s clearly something Balfour is proud of… almost as much as we are.”

Palmers CEO Colin Butt added: “Very well done to everyone who’s worked on this superb project at Heathrow. This award is very good news for us.”

Common Sense Prevails As Reverse Charge VAT delayed till 2020

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Common Sense Prevails As Reverse Charge VAT delayed till 2020

The Government’s decision to delay by one year the implementation of potentially damaging VAT changes for construction companies is a victory for common sense, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Reverse charge VAT was due to come into force from 1st October 2019 but the Government today announced its decision to delay implementation until 1st October 2020 after a coalition of construction organisations, led by the FMB, wrote to the Government to point out the damaging impact this badly-timed policy would have on the sector. 

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “I’m pleased that the Government has made this sensible and pragmatic decision to delay reverse charge VAT until a time when it will have less of a negative impact on the tens of thousands of construction companies across the UK. To plough on with the October 2019 implementation could have been disastrous given that the changes were due to be made just before the UK is expected to leave the EU, quite possibly on ‘no-deal’ terms.

The situation hasn’t been helped by the poor communication and guidance produced by HMRC. Despite the best efforts of construction trade associations to communicate the changes to their members, it’s concerning that so few employers have even heard of reverse charge VAT. Indeed, according to research by the FMB published in July, more than two-thirds had not heard of the VAT changes and of those who had, around the same number hadn’t prepared.”

Berry concluded: “It is reassuring that the Government has listened to the construction industry, which has come together to make clear to the Government that sticking to the October 2019 timetable could lead to a loss of productivity, reduced cashflow and in the worst cases, lead to a hit on jobs, tipping some companies over the edge. What’s required now is for the Government and industry to work together to deliver a sector-wide communications campaign, which must include plain English guidance on the changes. We also want to work with the Government to deliver workshops aimed at construction employers, held in locations across the country, to explain what’s happening and why.”

Scaffolder Left Paralysed After Freak Accident

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Scaffolder Left Paralysed After Freak Accident

A scaffolder from Lancashire has been left paralysed from the chest down after a terrible motocross accident.

Josh Holmes, who recently set up his own scaffolding company was thrown off his motocross bike and landed in a ditch after the throttle on his bike got stuck on Sunday, August 25.

The 29-year-old father of three was airlifted to hospital where doctors confirmed he had broken his back and his sternum and had to have two ribs removed.

Following an eight-hour operation to straighten his spine back into position and put a protective cage around it, it was discovered that Mr Holmes had been left paralysed from the chest down.

The amount of damage done to his spinal cord is currently unknown.

His family has set up a fundraising campaign via a Go Fund Me page to help him while he receives medical treatment.

Writing on the page his aunt Lisa Grieg-Holmes said: “Josh had started his own company in recent years scaffolding around Lancashire.  With the accident he can no longer work for the foreseeable future, but will still have bills and children to pay for this is obviously a worry for him.

“We would like to raise money for Josh so he can concentrate on getting back to full fitness without the stress of how he will get money for the essentials in life.”

To help scaffolder Josh Holmes visit: www.gofundme.com/f/euhtc-help-josh-get-back-on-his-feet

GKR Builds Highest Scaffold in Europe

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GKR Builds Highest Scaffold in Europe

GKR Scaffolding has successfully completed the build of what is currently the highest scaffolding in Europe on the construction of the UK’s second highest skyscraper. 

Construction of 22 Bishopsgate in the heart of the City of London, will complete this year. GKR has been working with principal contractor, Multiplex, at every phase of its construction. 

Now, 62 floors high, measuring 278m (912ft), GKR are currently supplying scaffolding to access the top ring beam, roof steels and façade brackets to be welded on level 61 and 62. 

After GKR successfully developed safe methods for working at extreme height when working on The Shard, these operational processes are now industry standard and applied to the work at 22 Bishopsgate. 

Located in the busy financial district, the challenge at this height is to guarantee the safety of the general public as well as those working on the project. Additionally, weather conditions and restrictions from the Civil Aviation Authority at this height needed to be taken into account. 

GKR’s 100% tethering methodology using the Elimin8 tethered fitting, although time-consuming, was necessary during the construction. All materials and tools were fully tethered until secured, minimising the risk of falling objects. 

The scaffolding had to also withstand turbulent weather with wind speeds 4 times stronger than on the ground. 

GKR Project Manager, Vincent Turner has led the programme of works without incident. He said: “Our experience is in complex and high risk works, and we have the right calibre of operatives to safely deliver a project at this level. Working at the upper levels has to be painstaking, but when the client can see not only an incident free job, but also the quality of work that is delivered despite the constraints of the environment, its work that we are proud to deliver.” 

Peter Cullen, GKR Health & Safety Director added: “Due to the processes we have developed for working at height on these specialist projects, we have zero incidents due to the use of Elimin8 tethered fittings and 100% tethering policy. Our operatives are trained to perceive the risks in this environment and work to mitigate them. 

When we developed these processes for The Shard, many in the industry thought they were damaging to our sector as they impacted on our pace of works operationally. However, as the number of high rise, higher risk construction projects in London has grown, these process have become industry standard and benefitted the safety and reputation of the scaffolding industry as a whole.” 

The finished building will house a gym and wellness centre, London’s biggest bike park, a market, viewing gallery and event space. As well as restaurants and bars there will be 1.275 million sq. ft of high specification office zones.

TRAD Safety Deck – Built on Established Safety

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TRAD Safety Deck – Built on Established Safety

TRAD Deck is a lightweight working platform specifically designed for the house building industry and is the UK’s market-leading product of its type. TRAD Deck provides internal fall prevention during the house building process, essentially replacing a birdcage scaffold. Just like a birdcage scaffold, TRAD Deck, can be loaded out with a capacity of 2kN per m2.

The major benefits of TRAD Deck over a birdcage scaffold is that you don’t need to be a scaffolder to install it – TRAD Deck can be installed by any competent person with the correct training. Furthermore it is significantly quicker to install than a birdcage scaffold; 60 m2 can easily be installed by two trained operatives. This means that there are significant labour and time savings when using TRAD Deck compared to a birdcage scaffold.

Workers erecting TRAD Deck

Features & Benefits

  • High Quality Fall Prevention Working Platform
  • Load Capacity of 2kN per m2
  • Various platform heights up to 3 meters available
  • Can be installed by 2 people and comfortably erect 60m2 per hour
  • Three main components
  • Various panel sizes available
  • Improves your productivity
  • Installation service available
  • Hire or Sale product
  • Full competence training available for installers
  • Compliance: Testing independently carried out by Loughborough University
  • Roof non fragility test in accordance with ACR (M) 001:2000
  • BS EN 12811-1 Part 3 for structural integrity and safety factor   for use as a General Purpose Working and Safety Platform

TRAD Deck is available nationally from any of our 6 UK depots. It is available to purchase, hire or on a fully installed contract basis.

  • TRAD Deck shown under roof trusses
  • Image showing the TRAD Deck in use on a construction site

Testimonials  

 Richard David Lee – Scaffold Manager at Taylor Wimpey 

TRAD Safety Deck is the way Forward. It is better in everyway to other fall prevention systems that I have used in the past. It is cleaner – sounds a strange thing to say but it makes it safer. It’s so much easier to handle and transport around the site: a win win for us. Threre are no drawbacks with the system, We just have to get more familiar with the system but with the help of Nick from TRAD Safety Systems Manchester we are quickly adapting.

Dan Reed – Scaffolder at Taylor Wimpey

Dan is an experienced Scaffolder working with Richard and was asked what he thought of the Safety Deck system.

It has so many benefits. Working on the scaffolding knowing the decking is there is massively reassuring, knowing your safer. We can walk across the decking with the gear rather than around the perimeter, making the whole process quicker and safer. It’s a plus in every way to anything else I have used in the past, airbags, bird cages and such.The time saving aspect of the system is massive. Its quicker to get on site and move to each plot and with the excellent training provided erecting the deck could not be simpler. Storage is another huge beneficial factor. The fork lift can pick it up and move it to storage until its needed. Bean bags need special storage, dry and covered, The decking is robust and all weather so ideal for site use. It stacks so easily it makes the job so quick and easy, its excellent. We are here to make money and with this system we can do that. With the knowledge that we are improving site safety as well is rewarding.

For more information visit: www.tradsafetysystems.co.uk or call: 08450 50 70 50


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

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