First female completes Overseas Scaffolder Training

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First female completes Overseas Scaffolder Training

Female Safety Officer becomes the first woman to attend and complete CISRS Overseas Scaffolder Training.

CISRS have announced that Miss Hien Pham, a Safety Officer with Black Cat JSC Ltd has successfully completed both OSTS Level 1 Scaffolder and Basic Scaffold Inspection courses at the AIS/Blackcat CISRS approved Training centre located in Vang Tau, Vietnam. Miss Pham becomes the first female to attend CISRS Overseas scaffolder training, the overseas scheme is hoping that she will be the first of many. CISRS say, the level one course includes both theoretical and practical sessions, covering general health and safety, working at height guidance, prevention of fall from heights, component recognition, understanding basic drawings, safe methods of erection and dismantle of basic structures such as towers and independent scaffolds. Miss Pham said: “The first time I went on site and witnessed scaffolding operations taking place I realised I wanted to learn more about how these structures where constructed. Participating in the Level 1 course has highlighted to me, the correct way to build scaffolding. I think the information on fall protection and avoiding falls from height is especially important for everyone involved in the sector.” “The Inspection course is essential to me as a safety officer, it has given me a lot more in-depth knowledge of scaffolding and will help me to spot hazards, either with defective equipment or poor construction and allow me to identify corrective actions.” “I am really happy and proud to have completed these two courses.” Miss Pham said. The partnership with North East Training Provider AIS and Blackcat JSC Ltd gained CISRS OSTS accreditation in October 2017 with the aim of upskilling and improving the competencies of its own employees, as well as servicing the training requirements of the lucrative Indo-China oil and gas and construction markets. David John Adams Lead Instructor for AIS training said: “Blackcat has invested a huge amount into the development of scaffolding training and safety in Vietnam and AIS will continue to help them achieve that aim.” “It’s great to see CISRS OSTS promotes equality and diversity, both AIS and Blackcat are committed to delivering high-quality training to all, within the region and worldwide.” “The drive and dedication of Mr Ho Kha the Chairman of Blackcat JSC to improve the levels of Scaffolding safety and competence and of his employees are evident from the quality of centre he has established and the training programme he has put in place.” Mr. Kha added: “Hien is the first female scaffolder in Vietnam, her passion and commitment to the industry is fantastic, she is a highly valued member of the Blackcat team. We will continue to invest in the whole of our workforce for the benefit of our organisation and our client base.”

U.S. Scaffold collapse caught on video

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U.S. Scaffold collapse caught on video

Workers had to run for their lives as strong winds cause a scaffold collapse in Rockford, Illinois USA.

The terrifying video below caught by onlooker Nicholas Layng shows the tremendous force of mother nature.
Workers from the construction site have said four people were on the scaffolding when they noticed it began to detach from the side of the building. All four were able to quickly make it off the large scaffolding structure safely before the collapse. No one was reported hurt. According to the City of Rockford Government’s Facebook page, the scaffolding was installed in late January 2018 shortly after work began on the building. A hoist was also installed to carry equipment and construction materials to all floors of the building. The $87.5 million development project to turn the historic building in a 160-room hotel and conference center is expected to be complete by 2020.

Formark Scaffolding welcomes their first female apprentice

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Formark Scaffolding welcomes their first female apprentice

Formark Scaffolding is celebrating the successful qualification of its first female apprentice scaffolder.

Charlie-Lauren Whitear gained her CISRS Labourer Card after achieving the COTS Site Safety Plus Certificate and passing the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test. The 23-year-old joined the Surrey-based Formark Scaffolding as an office administrator in 2015. After giving as good as she got when bantering with the scaffolders about site work, she decided to go one step further, and join them. “I told them that anything they could do, I could do with a bra on,” said Charlie. “So I couldn’t really back down.” “It certainly wasn’t a dream of mine to become a labourer or indeed a scaffolder, but why not?” “A lot of people were very apprehensive when I said what I wanted to do. But when I got a chance to qualify as a labourer everyone at Formark was supportive and now I have got the Labourer Card the scaffolders treat me as one of the team.” Charlie still works in the office at Formark’s yard on the London/Surrey border and has already been on site, carrying tubes during the dismantling of a scaffold in Kent. Formark Scaffolding First Female Apprentice “It was very challenging and very different but made a nice change from the office,” she said. “I intend to mix working in the office with site work – and I haven’t ruled out becoming a qualified scaffolder one day.” “Once Charlie got started, there was no stopping her,” said Mark P Coote, Director of Formark Scaffolding. “We were delighted to support her through the process and look forward to seeing where this new qualification will take her next.”

Birmingham builder dies in scaffold fall

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Birmingham builder dies in scaffold fall
The Police and the HSE are currently involved in a joint investigation after a 78-year-old builder died after falling from scaffolding. On March 5, the builder from Birmingham was working on the refurbishment of a new Go Outdoors retail unit at Centaurus Business Park, South Gloucestershire. While fitting a large window the builder fell around 15ft. He was taken to Southmead Hospital but died from his injuries the following day. Detective Inspector Dave Lewis said: “This is a tragic incident in which a man fell from scaffolding while fitting a large glass window. His family have been informed and are being supported at this very difficult time. “We’ve been working closely with our colleagues in the Health and Safety Executive, who are assisting with our enquiries, to establish what happened. “We want to appeal to anyone who was in the area of Centaurus Business Park on Monday morning, who saw or heard any part of this incident, to come forward and speak to us.”

2018 CN Specialists Awards winners revealed

Daniel Norton
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2018 CN Specialists Awards winners revealed

PHD Modular Access Services has come out top in this year’s Construction News Specialists Awards.

At a glittering ceremony held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel over 750 attendees from the UK’s leading specialists firms and clients came together to celebrate the best in construction. Against stiff competition in the category which included previous winners GKR Scaffolding, PHD Modular Access Services was named this year’s Access & Scaffolding Specialist 2018.
PHD receiving their award, image credit: CN
According to the Construction News (CN), judges were blown away by PHD Modular Access’ entry, describing it as an example of a high-performing business from top to bottom. PHD whom recently became NASC members edged out its competitors with consistently exceptional standards across all the judges criteria says CN. PHD has seen rapid growth other the last few years they expanded from a £10m business in 2016 to a turnover of £19m in 2017. With an increase in work with new clients and repeat business with existing clients PHD expects to hit £26m turnover for 2018. CN judge commented: ”PHD showed consistently high performance. The company shows continued growth, has a number of highly impressive projects and its clients are clearly satisfied” Access & Scaffolding Specialists of the Year Finalists:
  • Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding
  • Controlled Scaffolding
  • GKR Scaffolding
  • JECS Offshore Scaffolding
  • Premier Technical Services Group
  • QFS Scaffolding
  • WellMax Scaffolding

Innovation of the Year (Contractor): Winner

The scaffolding sector also saw success from GKR Scaffolding after they were awarded the impressive title of Innovation of the year. For their groundbreaking Virtual Reality Working At Height Safety Training that we previously reported on.
GKR Scaffolding receiving their award, Image credit: CN
Teaming up with VR Learning Studios with almost £100k of investment, GKR created a mind-boggling virtual reality environment. By using actual scaffolding structures GKR aims to influence scaffolders behavioral and attitudinal change using a VR world and a set of real-life scaffolding scenarios. CN Judge commented: “An excellent innovation based on exciting ideas, this training will have broader applications both within and outside the industry” Innovation of the Year Finalists
  • Bachy Soletanche
  • Kelly Formwork UK
  • Keltbray Piling
  • NG Bailey
  • O’Donovan Waste Disposal
  • Premier Technical Services Group

New report shows Scaffolders earn more than Architects

Grahame Anderson
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New report shows Scaffolders earn more than Architects

Revealing survey shows a changing UK skills base.

A new report from The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) reveals staggering evidence the average salary of a scaffolder is actually higher than a university-trained architect. In fact, plasterers, bricklayers, plumbers and electricians are all taking home more in a year than teachers, veterinarians, nurses, and accountants. And the highest paid bricklayers in the capital are earning around £90,000 annually, such is the demand for construction skills in the UK. The average salary of a scaffolder is £40,942 according to FMB findings, as opposed to £38,228 for an architect.

The research was carried out among FMB members in the week commencing 29th January 2018. Construction companies across the UK were asked what they pay their skilled trades-people and the results, based on responses from 313 firms, showed  average annual salaries were as follows:

  1. Site managers earn £51,266
  2. Plumbers earn £48,675
  3. Supervisors earn £48,407
  4. Electricians earn £47,265
  5. Civil engineering operatives earn £44,253
  6. Steel fixers earn £44,174
  7. Roofers earn £42,303
  8. Bricklayers earn £42,034
  9. Carpenters and joiners earn £41,413
  10. Plasterers earn £41,045
  11. Scaffolders earn £40,942
  12. Floorers earn £39,131
  13. Plant operatives earn £38,409
  14. Painters and decorators earn £34,587

Bear in mind general construction operatives earn £32,392, with nurses earning just under 32k, teachers 38k and dentists 40k.

FMB chief executive Brian Berry says: “The average university graduate in England earns £32,000 a year whereas our latest research shows your average bricky or roofer is earning £42,000 a year across the UK. In London, a bricklayer is commanding wages of up to £90,000 a year.”

Pursuing a career in construction is becoming an increasingly savvy move. University students in England will graduate with an average £50,800 of debt, according to The Institute for Fiscal Studies, while apprentices pass the finish line completely debt-free. Not only that, apprentices earn while they learn, taking home around £17,000 a year.

FMB is calling on all parents, teachers and young people, who too-often favour academic education, to give a career in construction serious consideration.

Mr Barry said: “The construction industry is in the midst of an acute skills crisis, and we are in dire need of more young people, including women and ethnic minorities, to join us. Our latest research shows more than two-thirds of construction SMEs are struggling to hire bricklayers, and 63 percent are having problems hiring carpenters.”

The FMB used its findings to urge young people to enter the construction industry through paid apprenticeships, rather than working toward a degree and massive debt. The whole exercise points to the current plight of the industry.

Mr Berry added: “This is a stark reminder of how the Government’s housing targets could be scuppered by a lack of skilled workers. The FMB is committed to working with the Government to improve the quality and quantity of apprenticeships because the only way we will build a sustainable skills base is by training more young people, and to a high standard.”

No doubt this revealing report will be some cause for debate amongst industry employees.

CISRS Respond to new scaffolder training scheme announcement

Daniel Norton
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CISRS Respond to new scaffolder training scheme announcement

The Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) has issued a statement after the news of a rival training scheme was announced last week.

The Scaffolding Association (SA) last week unveiled their plans to set up the Access Industry Training Scheme (AITS), which they say will increase training and skills delivery capacity for our industry. Within the announcement, SA claimed research into the availability of training for new entrants in the access and scaffolding sector found that one-fifth of training centres were either unreachable or unable to offer training dates. Their research also found that only six courses out of 30 were scheduled to be run in London – an area that represents 40 percent of total construction demand. ScaffMag approached CISRS in order to respond to this proposed new scaffolder training scheme and current training capacity. In a statement, CISRS have said that they felt that some of the information that has been issued in the article does not reflect a clear picture of current industry recognised training. The research mentioned in the article has not been shared with CISRS, there is no information supplied regarding which centres failed to respond, which courses were requested, dates offered etc. It is therefore difficult for CISRS to make a definitive response. Dave Mosley CISRS Scheme Manager said: “It is tricky to respond to these claims without them being corroborated, however, I feel they are misleading and unhelpful. I do not think that the majority of the sector or the wider industry wants to create another scaffolder training scheme as it will lead to duplication of training and confusion, a topic which was covered by ScaffMag last year.” Claims of New Scaffolders Card Scheme Are Unfounded “The proposed new training appears to cover a lot of areas which are already included within the CISRS scheme, with the initial focus at more of a supervisory level. Delivering this type of training will not increase recogonised training course availability for new entrants or scaffolders. We are currently working with existing and potential new providers to increase capacity.”
CISRS Inspection Training
Image Credit: CISRS
The statement from CISRS continues on to say, In regard to training capacity within the London region there are currently 3 CISRS ‘Core Scheme’ (Part 1, Part 2, Advanced Scaffolder) centres operating. NCC Waltham Forest, NCC South and Training for Construction, who also offer a wide range of other CISRS courses. This is supported by local providers such as Simian/Carshalton College and Construction Health and Safety Group who offer short duration training such as CISRS Operative Training Scheme (COTS) for new entrants and Scaffold Inspection Training Scheme (SITS). Safety and Access Ltd in partnership with Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College are very close to opening a centre at their Barons Court campus, initially offering short duration training COTS and SITS but looking to offer a full suite of courses in the not too distant future. The article does not give any consideration to the numbers of courses that are actually being delivered. Just taking a snapshot of the London region in the 2 weeks commencing 26th Feb – 10th March the following CISRS training courses will be taking place: 8no COTS 5no Apprentice groups (1no Induction, 2no Part 1B, 2no Pt2A) 2no Part 1 2no Part 2 1no Scaffolder Skills test 1no Advanced 1no Advanced Skills Test 4no CPD courses Well over 250 operatives are currently receiving industry recognised training in the London and South East region alone. As no relevant information has been forwarded in relation to course availability, CISRS cannot provide any specific response on this issue. CISRS is aware that due to demand some courses are not always available at short notice. However, the majority of the scheme is structured with minimum work experience time requirements imposed between courses, allowing employers and operatives to book courses in advance of the training actually taking place. Training providers will provisionally set their annual training course programme in advance, however wherever possible they will respond to market demand and will often look to rearrange their schedule to accommodate specific training and ensure they maximise centre capacity. CISRS currently has 32 centres across the UK with 19 of them being ‘Core scheme’ centres. CISRS capacity will increase within 2018 as discussions continue in relation to CISRS provision in West London, Carshalton, Anglesey, Swansea, Weston-superMare, Aberdeen and Hinkley Power Station. The industry is well aware that CITB has announced that they will withdraw from direct training delivery in the next few years. CITB are currently in discussions with other providers who are looking to take over the running of these facilities, which will ensure training capacity will remain for the future.
Bircham Newton base in Norfolk.
CITB have made it clear that they will not withdraw from scaffolding training until alternative suitable provision is in place. This includes the South East region and also the Midlands and Scotland. Several interested parties are considering their options, however CITB has stressed that National Construction College will continue to deliver CISRS training in the interim period. CISRS are working with providers to help establish course availability and will look to match supply with demand, however, it’s advisable wherever possible to proactively plan for future training requirements.

Scaffolder training firm partners with HAKI

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Scaffolder training firm partners with HAKI
Safety & Access have announced a further partnership with HAKI to enable delivery of the HAKITEC 750 system from their training facility in Humberside. The partnership will enable Safety & Access to offer a range of HAKITEC weather protection temporary roof courses. Safety and Access say the available course will be of two days duration and successful candidates will receive certification branded by Safety & Access Ltd and HAKI. The training facilities in Humberside also offer HAKI CISRS two day SSPTS Training. On the new partnership Rick Statham, Joint Managing Director of Safety & Access said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with HAKI to deliver the bespoke training on the HAKITEC 750 roof system. We would like to thank all of the team at HAKI also for providing this opportunity and for the excellent and ongoing support” “As we see in industry the progressive replacement of traditional tube and fitting roofs we feel that this support service on this safe and quality roof system will be a welcome addition for our existing and new customers.  

Scaffolding firm fined 100K after apprentice joiner falls from loading bay

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Scaffolding firm fined 100K after apprentice joiner falls from loading bay
A scaffolding company has been fined £100,000 for safety breaches after a 16-year-old apprentice joiner fell four metres from a scaffold. Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 6 September 2016, the apprentice was passing roof tiles from the loading bay to a colleague on the scaffold when he caught his foot in a gap between the scaffold platform and the loading bay. The apprentice fell backwards under a single guard rail to the ground below, sustaining injuries including a fractured cheekbone, broken wrist and injuries to his ribs. The apprentice also required 13 stitches for a deep cut above his left eye. An investigation by the HSE found the loading bay edge protection did not include an intermediate guard-rail or toe board. Bland Scaffolding Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and has been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £920 in costs. After the hearing, HSE inspector Trisha Elvy commented: “This case highlights the importance of following well known industry guidance to design and erect scaffolding in a safe manner, a fall from this height could have easily been fatal.”

Worker falls from scaffolding on Surrey Quays development

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Worker falls from scaffolding on Surrey Quays development
An operative is currently recovering in hospital after falling 4m from scaffolding erected on a mixed-used development site. A Health and Safety investigation is today underway at the Surrey Quays, Galliard Homes development. According to sources, on Monday (26th February) a contractor fitting glass panels fell from scaffolding approximately 4m to the ground below. The contractor sustained serious injuries and has received medical treatment in hospital. Sources close to the incident say a signed off scaffold onsite had been subjected to unauthorised adaption by contractors resulting in the fall. Galliard Homes declined to comment any further on the incident. The 46-acre Galliard Homes Surrey Quays site is situated within the London Borough of Southwark it is composed of the former Harmsworth Quays printworks and the Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, these will be transformed into a distinctive mixed-used, community-centred leisure hub, comprising more than 5.5 million sq. ft. of office, retail, entertainment and educational space. The HSE investigation continues.
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