A Bricklayer is seeking more than £200,000 in damages from Lyndon Scaffolding Plc, after allegedly falling from a ladder at work.
Benjamin Katuszka, 33 is suing the well-known scaffolding firm after the incident on September 21 2015, at the Royal Navy Air Station in Yeovilton, south Somerset.
Katuszka, who was laying blocks on the site claimed that he was about to descend a ladder from the second lift of scaffolding when the ladder gate protecting the access point swung shut on his hand. Shocked by the impact and pain he instinctively lost his grip on the ladder and fell to the ground below, fracturing his wrist and right knee.
He alleges that the access to the scaffold in the area where he had been working was unusual, as a single ladder which he claims was very steep was used to access the second lift from the ground.
The incident has left him struggling with anxiety and depression. And due to his injuries, Katuszka is now unable to work as a bricklayer.
Local media report that a writ issued at London’s High Court states Katuszka’s claim that the company failed to carry out a suitable risk assessment, failed to provide a safe workplace, arranged the ladder and gate so that the gate closed against the ladder, and actively created a trap. The writ also states that following the incident the contractors modified the scaffolding so the gate did not hit the ladder once it had closed.
ScaffMag contacted Lyndon Scaffolding Plc about the incident, they have strongly denied the claims.
A Director at Lyndon Scaffolding commented “We are aware of the incident and are sad to hear that Benjamin Katuszka has not recovered from his injuries. We do however, deny the allegations made and note that the site was subject to the most stringent audit review process in the industry.”
The world’s largest system scaffolding manufacture has developed a revolutionary aluminum FlexBeam to help create safe and economical quality structures.
In the past, constructing suspended & cantilevered access, elevated site cabin & pedestrian gantry walkway types of scaffold structures would involve an array of heavy steel lattice beams requiring time-consuming installation, and the use of further materials for lacing, bracing & tying the structure. This new innovation does all of this in a single product facilitating rapid assembly. The high load capacity Aluminium FlexBeam enables surface scaffolding to be efficiently assembled both suspended and upright.
Layher UK Managing Director, Sean Pike said: “The product carries a 40 percent higher bending load capacity, with 40 percent lower height. There’s no need for compression chord bracing when compared with other steel lattice beams. Faster assembly is possible thanks to a U-shaped upper side of the section, enabling direct suspension of system decks and an easy to build lift off preventer. Technical support comes in the form of information sheets with structural details. It’s great flexibility is key of course.
“Further expansion using standard Allround components is also possible. In the case of use as suspended scaffolding, both the anchor plate and the suspension shoe are available for receiving the beam. The anchor plate is intended for direct wall-plug connection to the structure.”
Advanced Design
This well-designed product comes with a number of options making it extremely flexible in a range of different situations. The suspension shoe can be directly connected to the tie rod adapter, meaning the suspension itself can be extended in length by Allround standards using the standard adapter, male or female adapter. A standard connector is used for expansion within the Layher system dimensions.
What’s more, the lift-off preventer can be inserted anywhere and moved in the longitudinal direction of the beam, fixed in place with a special bolt. To extend the length of beams, the FlexBeam spigot is available, which is inserted into the hollow chamber of the beam section and then pinned to it.
The timber beam support permits lateral fitting of an extra beam. For example, it can act as a basis for providing fitted bays in curved sections.
Other applications: Cantilever Beam for the support of scaffoldsSuspended platforms in pipe-racksOther Suspended platforms
Ringing Bells
This forward-thinking company is already well known for their ‘original Layher Allround modular scaffolding system’, regarded as one of the best scaffolding system available in today’s market, complete with unique 360° connection technology. Construction sites, power stations, chemical plants, shipyards and public arenas are just a few applications in which the Layher Allround scaffolding system can be used.
By using state-of-the-art design software, on-going installation help and direct liaison, they have worked and continue to forge strong links with some of the top contractors in the industry. Extensive resources and experience from the UK local Layher subsidiary, further backed by the head office in Germany continues to further enhance customer confidence.
The term, ‘scaffolding with possibilities’ certainly applies to a design set to become very popular across the industry at large.
A concrete pumping company and its sole Director have been fined after an employee was struck and killed by concrete.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard how on 13 February 2017 the deceased, Mr Kevin Hoare was attempting to clear a blockage in a vehicle mounted concrete pump at Cranbook Road, Wimbledon. The pump ejected concrete, which struck and killed Mr Hoare. The 26-year-old joined Anytime McDaidsin December 2016.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that Anytime McDaids Limited had no system to train operators to carry out the work safely, or arrangements to supervise them. The company failed to ensure the safety, so far as is reasonably practicable, of its employees and of others who may be affected by their work due to the lack of adequate training and supervision. Anytime McDaids Limited’s failings were due to the neglect of Laurence McDaid, the sole Director.
Anytime McDaids Limited of Greenford, Middlesex, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 The company has been fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £12,102.81.
Laurence McDaid of Tooban, Burnfoot, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He has been fined £2,600 and ordered to pay costs of £636.99.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector James Goldfinch said: “Concrete pumps have great potential to be dangerous when operated by those without suitable training, as they operate under high pressures.
“All employers should ensure that equipment which can kill or cause harm to employees and nearby members of the public are operated by suitably trained and supervised workers. Company directors like Mr McDaid have a responsibility to ensure their company works in compliance with health and safety legislation, part of which is to ensure their employees are provided with adequate training and supervision.
“In this case a young worker, having only been employed by the company for two months, was not provided with adequate training and supervision, which led to the unsafe operation of the pump and ultimately his tragic death”.
Hollywood star Channing Tatum’s new UK show Magic Mike Live which features dancers performing aerobatics on wires to create a 360 degree spectacular has become one of the hottest tickets in town.
And for the construction company charged with transforming London’s Hippodrome Casino to house the show, there were acrobatic feats of their own required, as they had carried out the project while the venue remained open 24 hours a day.
Project 7, which won the contract to create the stage space for the show, was tasked with working without disturbing the customers enjoying the casino which meant they were often having to work in particularly cramped and awkward conditions.
At points, the team even had to construct scaffolding above the casino players and create screens so that the ongoing work was hidden from view.
The project involved completely reversing the historic main stage of the venue so that it no longer looked out over the casino floor and instead created a new private theatre for the steamy dance show to be performed.
This new space required a large amount of demolition work and modification to the existing structure which all had to be sound-proofed along with installing new house lights.
Project 7 was also required to increase the seating capacity of this new theatre from 150 seats to 310 seats along with widening an existing mezzanine, installing a new spiral staircase and putting in various balconies, all of which allow the dancers to create the 360 degree show.
The company even took on additional tasks such as cutting slabs out of the stage to allow the performers to appear from below.
As if this wasn’t enough, Project 7 transformed a back bar of the venue to match the furnishings and feel of the new stage show.
All of this work had to be done while respecting the architectural history of the venue and gaining approval from the likes of The Theatres Trust.
Alan Brockhouse, CEO of the PHD Group which owns Project 7 said: ‘It was a huge challenge that took some innovative thinking and required us to be incredibly flexible in the way we worked.
‘At times the team was having to work in really cramped conditions to help ensure we didn’t disturb the customers.
‘Even bringing materials on and off the site required logistical planning as they had to ferry everything in and out a small entrance at the back so that they weren’t disturbing people.
‘It seemed that every part of the project had its own challenge.
‘We were determined not to disrupt the casino players and at one point built screened off scaffolding over the bar so that we could access the stage without being seen.’
One of the biggest tasks of the refurbishment was building the large sound-proof acoustic wall which needed to sit behind the original theatre curtain which The Theatres Trust was keen to preserve.
Project 7 created a bespoke steel structure that curves over at the top to match the line of the theatre curtain. This structure then had rubber gaskets attached and plaster board fixed to both sides, with an air gap left in between, which all combined to create the acoustic wall. Again, this all had to be constructed while being screened off from the casino players below.
Scott Bannon, director of Project 7, said: ‘The acoustic wall would have been difficult enough to build anyway as it was an awkward space but we were then even more restricted as we didn’t want to disturb casino visitors.
‘Not only did it have to meet strict acoustic standards but it also had to be sturdy enough to withhold heavy stage equipment being attached to it as well as match the existing shape of the theatre curtain.
‘All the hard work has been worthwhile. The new theatre is amazing and when you see the dancers performing its really spectacular and uses every part of the space available.’
This major refurbishment work was completed in just 18 weeks with Project 7 staff working 24 hours for the final six weeks to ensure it was ready for the opening night.
The back bar that Project 7, part of the PHD Group, created for the London Hippodrome’s to match the arena of the Magic Mike Live show.
Matthew King, Managing Director of The Hippodrome Casino, said: ‘Magic Mike live is a huge undertaking for the Hippodrome Casino. A globally recognised show that would require structural refurbishment of the venues live entertainment areas to the highest standards without interference to the 24 / 7 operation of our casino and clients.
‘Project 7 mobilised quickly and successfully completed the complex refurbishment in incredibly tight timescales with the minimum of disruption, delivering a fantastic new West End Theatre space for us as a venue and for our production partners.’
The National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has received reports of their full contracting members being allegedly scammed at great financial cost by a company calling themselves ‘BR Network.’
Using the name of ‘Project Hub’ on their correspondence, the firm has been offering a service on behalf of so-called main contractors aimed at sourcing reputable scaffolding companies for potential contracts.
A Believable Approach
Their approach has been described as professional and convincing using what on the face of things is a good storyline. The bad news is however, once the organisation has received their sizeable subscription, any so-called leads rarely materialise if at all.
Lack Of Leads
Robin James, NASC Managing Director explained: “One member reported they had received only one reasonable lead in the first three months. Upon complaining to BR Network that they were not supplying what had been discussed, they were then offered an enhanced service at an additional cost to put the complaint right and provide commercial leads for sub-contract scaffolding works.
“The member was then charged an extra cost to try and obtain what they thought they were getting in the first place, as BR Network provided the company with a further contract as a way of dealing with the complaint. When this second contract (and payment) also did not deliver what was originally offered, the NASC member company had no option but to terminate the contract.
“However, terminating the contract was not as straightforward as expected. Having given notice by recorded delivery, the stance of BR Network was to cancel the original contract, but not all the contracts.
“At a later point a new invoice for immediate payment was issued by BR Network for the enhanced section of the contract. It transpired this section of the contract had remained effective and had not been cancelled. The cycle of payment continued to be requested and enforced, with the same absence of leads for work being offered, hence another costly termination fee was demanded.”
Trustpilot Advice
Web-based Trustpilot has received a large number of complaints about the way this company operates. They say: “To our knowledge, this company collects reviews by asking its customers to share their experiences on Trustpilot. This company has claimed its Trustpilot profile, but to our knowledge, doesn’t actively invite its customers to write reviews on Trustpilot.”
At Risk
It’s clear falling for such schemes also affects both large and small enterprises, all in the constant search for ongoing work. But this can sometimes come at huge cost. It also seems BR Network keep approaching various construction-based firms. This only results in both a time consuming and expensive cycle when terminating the contract. Robin James adds this piece of vital advice: “NASC members are urged to be wary when dealing with companies such as BR Network and Project Hub. It’s best to do plenty of research and take the best advice.”
TRAD Safety System’s were proud to be involved in the erection of 70 St Mary Axe, City of London, where they supplied over 4,000 linear metres of their TRADGuard Temporary Mesh Edge Protection to the 90m high skyscraper, providing protection to the perimeter steel work.
Also nicknamed as the ‘Can of Ham’– due to its semi-elliptical design that resembles the tinned meat – the distinctive new 41,515 sq.m building will provide efficient, flexible and modern office space, and retail space at ground level.
The TRADGuard supplied by TRAD Safety System’s was an increased height system, providing 1.9m high mesh edge protection, and connected to the structure via welded sockets pre-fabricated to the perimeter beams. On the higher levels of this 24-storey office tower, the edge protection ‘raked’ backwards into the building to accommodate the curved glazing.
Oliver Gwinnell, National Sales Manager for TRAD Safety Systems commented, “This is the first time any such angled mesh edge protection system has been supplied in the UK. Our engineering team worked collaboratively on this bespoke and unique detail with engineers from our client Victor Buyck-Hollandia for two years prior to the job going live.”
TRADGuard is a highly versatile system, with a range of attachments to suit a wide range of applications. The system boasts unrivalled strength, containment and flexibility, and is suitable for nearly all types of construction where temporary edge protection is required. To find out more, contact TRAD Safety Systems on 08450 50 70 50.
TRAD Safety System’s is part of the TRAD Group, which also comprises of TRAD Scaffolding Contractors and TRAD Hire & Sales. TRAD Safety Systems are the UK’s market leader in the design, manufacture and supply of innovative fall safety solutions for the building, construction and maintenance industries. With six depots nationwide, TRAD Safety Systems can effectively service any project in the UK.
Industry leading firms and members of the scaffolding and access community came together in Edinburgh on Friday evening for the annual NASC 2018 Awards & Ball.
The sell-out glitzy event, held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, saw over 400 attendees from some of the UK’s leading scaffolding firms converge to celebrate the very best in scaffolding.
Champagne and canapés awaited guests on arrival to the black-tie event, followed by a fine-dining three-course meal and a wealth of top-class after-dinner entertainers. leading on to the main event hosted by acclaimed TV presenter and former international gymnast Gabby Logan.
The Awards
The recently expanded NASC Awards ceremony featured seven categories, including Project of the Year and Health & Safety – which were both split into Large and Small sub-categories – as well as the Apprentice of the Year and the Scaffolding Product Innovation award.
Closing the awards for the evening, attendees watched the Britain’s Got Talent finalists electronic string quartet Escala.
Actress, comedian, impressionist and singer Debra Stephenson served as the evening’s headline act, delivering a set filled with her impersonations of celebrities such as Davina McCall, Theresa May, Jo Brand and even Donald Trump.
Charities Benefit
Despite the impressive line-up and prestigious awards ceremony, the highlight of the night was inarguably the generous attendees, who helped raise more than £50,000 for charity, which will be split between the Lighthouse Club and Demelza Hospice Care for Children.
Robin James, NASC Managing Director, said: “It was a fantastic evening. The planned elements of the evening were incredibly well-received, from the keenly contested awards to the night’s entertainment.
“What was more pleasing for me was the element outside of our control; the charity auction. The five lots drew bids far exceeding their reserve prices, and this total was boosted further by a number of members who donated significant sums of money on the night.
“We could not possibly have expected to raise such a large amount for the two nominated charities and would like to thank the members for their generosity.”
Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Club, said: “It was a magnificent event and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. I cannot believe how generous the membership and their guests were in raising such an incredible amount on the evening.
“100% of this donation will go towards supporting our Construction Industry Helpline and supporting our construction workforce and their families in crisis.”
Ryan Campbell, CEO of Demelza Hospice Care for Children, added: “We were overwhelmed by the kindness of NASC members. To receive a donation of more than £25,000 was completely unexpected.
“It is only through donations such as this that we are able us to continue to provide vital services and support to life-limited children and their families.”
Cambridge & Hertfordshire based company Royston Scaffolding Ltd recently provided specialised scaffolding to the East of England Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).
The specialist ambulance service, that provides expert medical care in particularly difficult environments that includes safe rescue at height, confined spaces and urban search and rescue.
HART called upon Royston Scaffolding to erect a unique scaffolding construction to replicate a crane mast and various other structures to practice their response services on.
The specially designed scaffold structure erected, which replicated vertical ladders and a lift shaft, now enables the East of England HART crew to practice fall and arrest procedures as well as saving people from height and in confined spaces.
Dunstable’s rope rescue team training with Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) at East of England Ambulance HQ, Melbourn. Great opportunity to train together & rescue someone that had fallen from height. Big thank you to @EEAST_HART for allowing us to use their training venue. pic.twitter.com/GkgN9DZIeJ
Elliott McGrath, Managing Director at Royston Scaffolding Ltd, said “We worked closely with HART to replicate the typical environments that they might encounter. While we’ve been part of many different scaffolding projects before, this was a particularly unique case, but one that we are really proud to have been part of.”
TRAD Hire & Sales has congratulated their client Coventry Scaffolding Co (London) Ltd on winning the NASC Scaffolding Project of the Year (Turnover up to £5million) Award, which was announced during the NASC Annual Ball and Awards in Edinburgh on 23rd November 2018.Coventry Scaffolding won the coveted award for their work on the unique art installation, London Mastaba, on the Serpentine Lake in London’s Hyde Park.The London Mastaba was created by world-renowned Bulgarian artist, Christo and his late wife, Jeanne Claude. A mastaba – meaning “eternal house” in Ancient Egyptian – is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with inward sloping sides, constructed out of mud. The iconic London structure stood at 20m high, was formed of 7,506 barrels that were stacked horizontally, and floated on the Serpentine Lake between 12th June and 23rd September 2018. Due to the uniqueness of this structure, the project was presented with a number of challenges, that TRAD Hire & Sales helped Coventry Scaffolding to overcome. Coventry Scaffolding decided early on in the design phase that system scaffolding would be the best option, and TRAD Hire & Sales’ exclusive Plettac Metrix System was the obvious solution due to it’s speed of erection, safety, adaptability and availability. The innovative system, with horizontal dimensions that are completely metric, allows both the tubular transoms and ledgers to be substituted by components of a smaller size, permitting the use of extra verticals within a bay length or width. This feature advances efficiency and vastly increases the ease by which adaptions can be made.A trial version was erected in Bulgaria at a third of the size of the eventual structure in London, so that the obstacle of erecting scaffolding on a floating platform could be tackled. The weight of the scaffolding meant the platform sagged, but this was overcome by implementing a steel grid from which the scaffolding could be erected. Work then began in London on 23rd April 2018 with a team of over 100. Owing to fixed sizes of the barrels, as well as the 4x3x2 proportions of the structure, tolerances were down to the very last millimetre. The barrels also had to be installed after the scaffolding was erected, and the first line of barrels needed to be supported below the base line of the scaffold in order to achieve the perfect aesthetic for the artist – it was crucial the barrels looked like they were floating on the lake, so the scaffolding could not be visible.Plettac Metrix was the perfect partner to this complex project. The system’s simplicity, which is enhanced by its unique divisibility, allowed the demanding two month timeframe to be easily achieved. TRAD Hire & Sales were very proud to supply the scaffold on such a unique and impressive structure, and congratulate Coventry Scaffolding on their successful win at the NASC Annual Ball & Awards Ceremony. Plettac Metrix® System Scaffold is exclusive to TRAD Hire & Sales and is offered on both a Hire and Sale basis. TRAD Hire & Sales offer an unrivalled commitment to service, including extensive User Guides, Nationwide Training, Engineering and Design Support, Estimating Software, and a full on-site support service – their UK-wide network of depots have the resources and capabilities to meet every demand.
The National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has made significant changes in terms of outputs and activities undertaken in 2018, according to Robin James, Managing Director.
Speaking at the NASC’s AGM in Edinburgh on Friday 23 November, Confederation members, guests and members of the construction press that included ScaffMag heard how the NASC had raised the bar in a number of areas during 2018. Mr James also mentioned and paid tribute to the hard work of NASC members, its Committees, Officers & Directors and President for playing their part in driving the standards synonymous with the NASC even higher.
“Since the last NASC AGM in London, in November 2017, we’ve come a long way,” he said. “Under the Presidency of Des Moore, TRAD Group CEO, there has been a ‘step change’ in the organisation.
“At the NASC AGM twelve months ago Des set out his presidential objectives. Great strides have already been made. This includes greater numbers of NASC presentations and events, greater emphasis on promoting mentoring, diversity and wellbeing with the membership and greater involvement of women on NASC committees and working groups.
“Speaking of which, the NASC standing committees continue to progress significant bodies of work, and I’d like to thank them for their efforts.
“2018 has been a great year for the NASC. We believe we have plans in place to ensure 2019 is even better and would urge greater involvement and engagement by members at NASC regional meetings and beyond.”
Other speakers at the NASC AGM, held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, included Des Moore, NASC President and TRAD Group CEO and Gerry Cooper, NASC President 2010-2011, who gave an overview of entries shortlisted for the NASC 2018 Awards, which were due to be held at the same venue later that night.
TV presenter and former international gymnast Gabby Logan gave the keynote speech.
Des Moore said: “The AGM was incredibly well attended by our members, which demonstrates how much they value membership.
“It was a great opportunity to take stock of what the NASC has achieved in the past year and from a personal point of view, how much progress we have made against the four objectives I announced at the beginning of my tenure as President.
“I am immensely proud of our successes in 2018 and believe we’re on the right track to delivering even greater results in the year ahead.”
This new space required a large amount of demolition work and modification to the existing structure which all had to be sound-proofed along with installing new house lights.
Project 7 was also required to increase the seating capacity of this new theatre from 150 seats to 310 seats along with widening an existing mezzanine, installing a new spiral staircase and putting in various balconies, all of which allow the dancers to create the 360 degree show.
The company even took on additional tasks such as cutting slabs out of the stage to allow the performers to appear from below.
As if this wasn’t enough, Project 7 transformed a back bar of the venue to match the furnishings and feel of the new stage show.
All of this work had to be done while respecting the architectural history of the venue and gaining approval from the likes of The Theatres Trust.
Alan Brockhouse, CEO of the PHD Group which owns Project 7 said: ‘It was a huge challenge that took some innovative thinking and required us to be incredibly flexible in the way we worked.
‘At times the team was having to work in really cramped conditions to help ensure we didn’t disturb the customers.
‘Even bringing materials on and off the site required logistical planning as they had to ferry everything in and out a small entrance at the back so that they weren’t disturbing people.
‘It seemed that every part of the project had its own challenge.
‘We were determined not to disrupt the casino players and at one point built screened off scaffolding over the bar so that we could access the stage without being seen.’
This new space required a large amount of demolition work and modification to the existing structure which all had to be sound-proofed along with installing new house lights.
Project 7 was also required to increase the seating capacity of this new theatre from 150 seats to 310 seats along with widening an existing mezzanine, installing a new spiral staircase and putting in various balconies, all of which allow the dancers to create the 360 degree show.
The company even took on additional tasks such as cutting slabs out of the stage to allow the performers to appear from below.
As if this wasn’t enough, Project 7 transformed a back bar of the venue to match the furnishings and feel of the new stage show.
All of this work had to be done while respecting the architectural history of the venue and gaining approval from the likes of The Theatres Trust.
Alan Brockhouse, CEO of the PHD Group which owns Project 7 said: ‘It was a huge challenge that took some innovative thinking and required us to be incredibly flexible in the way we worked.
‘At times the team was having to work in really cramped conditions to help ensure we didn’t disturb the customers.
‘Even bringing materials on and off the site required logistical planning as they had to ferry everything in and out a small entrance at the back so that they weren’t disturbing people.
‘It seemed that every part of the project had its own challenge.
‘We were determined not to disrupt the casino players and at one point built screened off scaffolding over the bar so that we could access the stage without being seen.’
One of the biggest tasks of the refurbishment was building the large sound-proof acoustic wall which needed to sit behind the original theatre curtain which The Theatres Trust was keen to preserve.
Project 7 created a bespoke steel structure that curves over at the top to match the line of the theatre curtain. This structure then had rubber gaskets attached and plaster board fixed to both sides, with an air gap left in between, which all combined to create the acoustic wall. Again, this all had to be constructed while being screened off from the casino players below.
Scott Bannon, director of Project 7, said: ‘The acoustic wall would have been difficult enough to build anyway as it was an awkward space but we were then even more restricted as we didn’t want to disturb casino visitors.
‘Not only did it have to meet strict acoustic standards but it also had to be sturdy enough to withhold heavy stage equipment being attached to it as well as match the existing shape of the theatre curtain.
‘All the hard work has been worthwhile. The new theatre is amazing and when you see the dancers performing its really spectacular and uses every part of the space available.’
This major refurbishment work was completed in just 18 weeks with Project 7 staff working 24 hours for the final six weeks to ensure it was ready for the opening night.
TRADGuard is a highly versatile system, with a range of attachments to suit a wide range of applications. The system boasts unrivalled strength, containment and flexibility, and is suitable for nearly all types of construction where temporary edge protection is required. To find out more, contact TRAD Safety Systems on 08450 50 70 50.
TRAD Safety System’s is part of the TRAD Group, which also comprises of TRAD Scaffolding Contractors and TRAD Hire & Sales. TRAD Safety Systems are the UK’s market leader in the design, manufacture and supply of innovative fall safety solutions for the building, construction and maintenance industries. With six depots nationwide, TRAD Safety Systems can effectively service any project in the UK. 
TRADGuard is a highly versatile system, with a range of attachments to suit a wide range of applications. The system boasts unrivalled strength, containment and flexibility, and is suitable for nearly all types of construction where temporary edge protection is required. To find out more, contact TRAD Safety Systems on 08450 50 70 50.
TRAD Safety System’s is part of the TRAD Group, which also comprises of TRAD Scaffolding Contractors and TRAD Hire & Sales. TRAD Safety Systems are the UK’s market leader in the design, manufacture and supply of innovative fall safety solutions for the building, construction and maintenance industries. With six depots nationwide, TRAD Safety Systems can effectively service any project in the UK. 
A trial version was erected in Bulgaria at a third of the size of the eventual structure in London, so that the obstacle of erecting scaffolding on a floating platform could be tackled. The weight of the scaffolding meant the platform sagged, but this was overcome by implementing a steel grid from which the scaffolding could be erected.
Work then began in London on 23rd April 2018 with a team of over 100. Owing to fixed sizes of the barrels, as well as the 4x3x2 proportions of the structure, tolerances were down to the very last millimetre. The barrels also had to be installed after the scaffolding was erected, and the first line of barrels needed to be supported below the base line of the scaffold in order to achieve the perfect aesthetic for the artist – it was crucial the barrels looked like they were floating on the lake, so the scaffolding could not be visible.
Plettac Metrix was the perfect partner to this complex project. The system’s simplicity, which is enhanced by its unique divisibility, allowed the demanding two month timeframe to be easily achieved. TRAD Hire & Sales were very proud to supply the scaffold on such a unique and impressive structure, and congratulate Coventry Scaffolding on their successful win at the NASC Annual Ball & Awards Ceremony.
Plettac Metrix® System Scaffold is exclusive to TRAD Hire & Sales and is offered on both a Hire and Sale basis. TRAD Hire & Sales offer an unrivalled commitment to service, including extensive User Guides, Nationwide Training, Engineering and Design Support, Estimating Software, and a full on-site support service – their UK-wide network of depots have the resources and capabilities to meet every demand. 
A trial version was erected in Bulgaria at a third of the size of the eventual structure in London, so that the obstacle of erecting scaffolding on a floating platform could be tackled. The weight of the scaffolding meant the platform sagged, but this was overcome by implementing a steel grid from which the scaffolding could be erected.
Work then began in London on 23rd April 2018 with a team of over 100. Owing to fixed sizes of the barrels, as well as the 4x3x2 proportions of the structure, tolerances were down to the very last millimetre. The barrels also had to be installed after the scaffolding was erected, and the first line of barrels needed to be supported below the base line of the scaffold in order to achieve the perfect aesthetic for the artist – it was crucial the barrels looked like they were floating on the lake, so the scaffolding could not be visible.
Plettac Metrix was the perfect partner to this complex project. The system’s simplicity, which is enhanced by its unique divisibility, allowed the demanding two month timeframe to be easily achieved. TRAD Hire & Sales were very proud to supply the scaffold on such a unique and impressive structure, and congratulate Coventry Scaffolding on their successful win at the NASC Annual Ball & Awards Ceremony.
Plettac Metrix® System Scaffold is exclusive to TRAD Hire & Sales and is offered on both a Hire and Sale basis. TRAD Hire & Sales offer an unrivalled commitment to service, including extensive User Guides, Nationwide Training, Engineering and Design Support, Estimating Software, and a full on-site support service – their UK-wide network of depots have the resources and capabilities to meet every demand. 
Other speakers at the NASC AGM, held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, included Des Moore, NASC President and TRAD Group CEO and Gerry Cooper, NASC President 2010-2011, who gave an overview of entries shortlisted for the NASC 2018 Awards, which were due to be held at the same venue later that night.
TV presenter and former international gymnast Gabby Logan gave the keynote speech.
Des Moore said: “The AGM was incredibly well attended by our members, which demonstrates how much they value membership.
“It was a great opportunity to take stock of what the NASC has achieved in the past year and from a personal point of view, how much progress we have made against the four objectives I announced at the beginning of my tenure as President.
“I am immensely proud of our successes in 2018 and believe we’re on the right track to delivering even greater results in the year ahead.” 
