Industry Stunned After Death of Safelinx Inventor

Daniel Norton
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Industry Stunned After Death of Safelinx Inventor

Industry in shock after news of well known industry pioneer and inventor dies suddenly

Its with great sadness I have to inform our readers of the sudden death of well know industry pioneer Nick Flynn who passed away from a heart condition late Tuesday afternoon.
Nick Flynn
Father of two children the Advanced Scaffolder turned inventor was very well known and liked within the scaffolding and access industry for his innotive Safelinx Board Retainer that he was so incredibly passionate about and more recently the popular Tamer toe board fitting. Nick was a rarity, he was one of the industry’s nice guys who always offered help and encouragement to others. For many his personality and passion for making a difference shone through within the Linkedin community where he could be found daily participating in industry debate. Tributes have been pouring in across all social media networks since the news broke of Nick’s sudden death. Matt Shore – Metal Spraying/Forgeco Ltd said: I’d only had the privilege of knowing Nick for about two years, but in that time he became an almost daily part of our lives at Metal Spraying/Forgeco, and Dale and I have been proud to be his partners in Safelinx Ltd. Never short of a happy word or joke, often at his own expense. He was one of the genuinely nice people within our industry. Most of his LinkedIn friends will know him best for his belief, and dogged determination, to see every scaffold board in the world being held down by a Safelinx. We’ve felt honoured that Nick chose to share that dream with us and that over the past year or so we’ve begun to make that dream a reality. Along with his family we will continue in his Memory.” Lee Rowswell – GKR Scaffolding Ltd said: “Taken far too young i had the pleasure of meeting Nick earlier this year. A guy that wanted to make a difference in the challenging industry we work in. He will be truly missed and thoughts are with his family at this very sad time.”

Adam Riley – Angelwest Ltd said: “I sadly never met Nick but his comments & appreciation towards others was second to none and that was just on Linkedin, thoughts go out to the family & friends.”

Mark Parkin – Tiger Scaffolding Ltd said: “I feel like I’ve lost a brother, what a great guy he will be sadly missed in this industry, I got to speak to nick on a daily basis discussing innovation & new product ideas and if I get the chance I will bring them to the market in honour of him and his family.”

The family have asked us to pass on details of Nick’s Funeral arrangements as follows:

A service will be held at Burnley Crematorium at 12pm on Thursday 7th September 2017 All are welcome !

I would like to offer my personal condolences, my thoughts are with Nick’s family, friends and work colleges. Nick will be so sadly missed.

The industry has lost a pioneer. RIP Nick Flynn..

 

Simian Partner with NTI to Open Oman CISRS Training Centre

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Simian Partner with NTI to Open Oman CISRS Training Centre

Simian Skill International and National Training Institute (NTI) part of the Babcock International Group have joined forces in order to gain CISRS Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme (OSTS) accreditation for their new centre in the Sultanate of Oman.

CISRS Manager Dave Mosley traveled to Oman back in April for a pre-accreditation visit, Simian/NTI took the decision to source a new location for their new CISRS OSTS practical facility, which is adjacent to another of NTI’s training establishments in the Ghala Industrial Area of Muscat. NTI Business Development Manager Mohammed Atif Uzzaman commented: “NTI Oman are proud to be working in association with Simian Skills and to become the first CISRS approved training centre in the capital (Muscat) which can offer scaffolding programmes that meet PDO’s revised criteria. We are committed to offering world class learning solutions to the Omani market,” said NTI Business Development Manager Mohammed Atif Uzzaman. In a press release CISRS say, The training centre has been fitted out to a very high specification, Simian/NTI has gone to considerable expense to provide new materials and equipment for the centre audit which took place on 9th/10th of August. The new centre boasts newly fitted out air-conditioned classrooms and an on-site restaurant ensure that delegates will enjoy a very comfortable training experience. The investment in the facility has paid off as the centre has gained approval to deliver the following CISRS OSTS courses Level 1, Level 2, Basic Scaffold Inspection and Scaffolding Supervisor training. Ian Fyall Operations Director for Simian Skill added: “Simian has partnered a reputable worldwide company in NTI who are part of the Babcock Group. We look forward to working together delivering quality scaffold training in the region for years to come. The centre is in pristine condition and it shows the commitment of both companies to deliver a quality product.” The first courses will start in a matter of days, with a waiting list for CISRS scaffolder training already building up. Initial courses will be delivered by experienced Simian Instructors Andy Sharp and Abid Gul, who will train and mentor local instructors until they are suitably qualified and experienced to deliver OSTS courses themselves. Dave Mosley CISRS Manager said: “Congratulations to Simian/NTI. They have created an excellent facility here in Oman, they have been very keen to come on board with the CISRS OSTS scheme and already have a number of clients seeking CISRS training, we wish them every success in this venture.”

SCA Group Appoints New Industrial Services Director

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SCA Group Appoints New Industrial Services Director

SCA Group takes on ex-Cape Operations Director, Mark McHale as their Industrial Services Operations Director.

The new appointment comes after significant growth in 2016 for the SCA group and a growing order book in Industrial services in 2017. SCA say Mark brings a wealth of experience to the company with Mark holding previous positions as Operations Director of Cape Industrial Services where he managed over £110m of operation revenue stream and previous to that with Interserve Industrial managing the Industrial services Portfolio.
Mark McHale
Speaking to ScaffMag Mark said: “Making a move away from a large corporate into an SME is a challenging move, however I believe the opportunity to work with the current SCA team and develop their future service provision within industrial will be a great change in direction and make for an interesting future – for everyone.” “SCA are looking to the future and I feel proud to find myself being an integral part of a business seeking to progress into its next stage of safe & sustainable support service provision.” In a statement on the SCA website SCA Group Managing Director, Lee Bennett said: “This is a critical period for SCA Group as we continue to expand our fixed site locations around the U.K, it is clear that our service delivery and project management has been key to the success of our growth to date and the addition of Mark will ensure that we are operationally stable and prepared during our on-going growth strategy, SCA Group have been operating within the Industrial sector for many years and this investment demonstrates our long term commitment and cements our position as a market leading provider.”  

Brickguard designed by Scaffolders hits the market

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Brickguard designed by Scaffolders hits the market

A new brickguard designed by scaffolders has hit the market and is about to create a storm within the scaffolding industry says it’s makers.

The new brickguard called Sureguard is made from a highly durable polypropylene material that has an unrivaled windspeed resilience. Sureguard is simple and easy to stack and reuse and benefits from eco friendly replaceable hooks. Its maker Alan Clark, Managing Director of Taunton based Montana Scaffolding Ltd explains how and why Suregaurd was created:

Like many busy scaffolding contractors we were looking to replace our current stock of plastic coated wire brickguards which were always difficult to handle and visually unappealing. We were looking for a robust brickguard to withstand the day to day rigours of our industry.

The brief was to easily stack for delivery and site storage, be flexible to reduce gaps along scaffolding edges, stand up to severe weather conditions/high winds and save costs.

Nothing we found on the market was assessed to be suitable in all areas, so the decision was made to design our own brickguard, suited to our needs. Perhaps our design would benefit the industry as a whole, as we knew other firms were experiencing similar frustrations which ultimately have an effect on company performance and bottom line.

The result of the design process is the Sureguard, a resilient brickguard which exceeded our expectations, particularly when wind-tunnel tested.  Whilst achieving an upper wind-speed limit of 78mph the unique patent protected replaceable guardrail hooks stayed firmly attached to the scaffolding.  The guardrail hooks are made from strong nylon and are fully replaceable.  In the event of any damage occurring to the hooks there is no need to replace the whole Sureguard.

The patented dual toe board restraint clips were undamaged in the wind tunnel; no falling or flying objects. The mesh at the bottom of each panel and the two independent toe clips are designed to enable guards to simply interlock, eliminating all gaps between brickguards and the risks they cause.  Sureguards follow the shape of scaffolding, effortlessly bending around corners, fully secured to both sides of toe boards. Fiddly zip ties are not required, reducing associated labour and material costs.

The brickguards are easy to handle and are stackable.  The unique moulded shape makes them compact to transport palletised on vehicles and around the yard or site by forklift truck, to reinforce your companies’ commitment to improving site tidiness and safety.

Made from fully recyclable materials Sureguards are available in 7 standard colours – black, blue, red, green, pink, grey and yellow with the option to have your company logo moulded into the plastic for added security when manufactured. For quantities over 2400 units additional colours are available to match your branding.

The Sureguard brickguard is designed and manufactured in the UK to a high standard and is ideal for use in all weather conditions.

Sureguards exceed our original brief.  Bringing them to market now enables other scaffolding companies to benefit from reducing costs associated with waste, labour and brickguard replacement, improved site safety and so much more.

Read more about Sureguard in ScaffMag Quarterly our digital magazine coming soon.

Scaffolding Firm Fined after Scaffold Collapse

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Scaffolding Firm Fined after Scaffold Collapse
A Dorset based company has been fined after a scaffold collapsed at an industrial unit in Wallisdown, Poole. Poole Magistrates’ Court heard how Swanage and Dorset Scaffolding and Roofing Limited (SDSRL) had been contracted to erect scaffolding at the industrial unit in Alder Hills Business Park, Wallisdown, Poole to provide edge protection for work to be carried out on the roof. The scaffolding collapsed on 14 September 2015 narrowly avoiding an office worker as they exited the building but resulting in serious damage to parked cars. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found, the company failed to ensure the scaffolding provided was suitably designed and installed to prevent collapse during use. The company failed to ensure the scaffolding was suitably attached to the building to withstand foreseeable wind loads. Swanage and Dorset Scaffolding and Roofing Limited of Romany Centre Business Park, Wareham Road, Poole pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 19 (2) of the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015. The company has been fined £27,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4051 Speaking after the hearing HSE Principal Inspector Helena Tinton said: “The company failed to ensure the scaffolding was properly secured to the building to avoid it putting workers and members of the public at risk of it collapsing in high winds. “It is very lucky nobody was injured as result of this incident. All duty holders have the responsibility to ensure all scaffolding work is properly designed and installed by competent workers.”

MSUK Group Acquires Scaffolding and Construction Products (SCP)

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MSUK Group Acquires Scaffolding and Construction Products (SCP)
Scaffolding & Construction Products Limited (SCP), the UK’s leading supplier of Acrow props and general construction products, has been acquired by Metal Spraying (UK) Limited (MSUK Group) for an undisclosed sum. In a statement MSUK have said the move will give certainty of supply of safety critical access and scaffolding products and ensure job security SCP was established in 1998 and is a respected supplier of non-mechanical construction equipment which is used widely in scaffolding, demolition, formwork, falsework and temporary staging sectors. SCP’s Acrow Props are the brand leader with a unique design that is FULLY tested under BS 5507 to the BS 4074 standard. Wolverhampton-based MSUK Group is a major manufacturer and distributor of more than 1,000 products covering access and formwork equipment, scaffolding, groundworks and events. The Group is the sole approved manufacturer of the innovative Klawz scaffold fitting, ScottiClip, Tamer and Safelinx scaffold board retaining systems. MSUK Group managing director, Dale R Dale, said: “We’ve worked closely with SCP for almost 20 years and have made this investment to ensure job security and certainty of supply. SCP will integrate seamlessly with the current products and services we offer at MSUK Group. Moving forward we plan to develop and expand this range and help our customers improve performance both locally and in the export market.” City of Wolverhampton Council Deputy Leader, Councillor Peter Bilson, added: “It is excellent news for the city and the Black Country, in terms of investment and jobs, to see MSUK Group’s growth. It demonstrates the business environment in Wolverhampton remains buoyant. There is an excellent business support structure in the Black Country accessed through a wide-range of partners and programmes such as the AIM (Black Country Advice Investment and Markets) programme.”

SMART Scaffolder launches its latest update 2017

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SMART Scaffolder launches its latest update 2017
SMART Scaffolder are constantly adding new functionality to their design, estimating and TG20:13 compliance software. In their latest release, they have added some exciting and innovative features. For example, to allow scaffolding to be modelled against photographs of buildings and to enable scaffolds to be traced onto a ‘Google Maps’ satellite image! Ian Chambers, Sales and Marketing Director at SMART Scaffolder, said “We always listen to what our customers tell us and have an ongoing development programme to make sure we not only meet their needs but add new functionality that surpasses their expectations”. In addition to most leading brands of system scaffolding SMART Estimator now fully supports the Turner OCTO scaffolding system so you can set-out your scaffold automatically and create professional drawings and accurate material lists. SMART Scaffolder 2017 Ian Wilson, Managing Director of Turner Access said “Over the last 18 months Turner Access has been working closely with SMART Scaffolder to ensure that Turner OCTO is fully supported within the software. This collaboration has worked well for us and we are very happy with the finished product, which is now ready to launch and will be a big benefit to us in our own contracting business as well as to our customers who use the Turner OCTO product throughout the world.” There are plenty of other improvements too, including significantly faster performance, advanced guardrails for Plettac Metrix, alternating “checkerboard” decks for system birdcages and HAKI stair components are available when setting-out tube & fitting scaffolds, all of which make SMART Scaffolder the most comprehensive estimating software scaffolders can buy. For more details, visit the SMART Scaffolder website.

Scaffolders Vote to Strike at Eggborough

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Scaffolders Vote to Strike at Eggborough

Cape Scaffolders at Eggborough power station in Goole have voted unanimously to go on strike.

According to Unite union The first 48-hour strike by the scaffs will begin on Thursday 17th August. There will then be a further 48-hour strike starting on Monday 21st August. The scaffolders will then begin continuous strike action from Tuesday 29th August. An overtime ban will also begin from Wednesday 16th August. The dispute concerns payments under the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry the (NAECI agreement). The scaffolders are striking as they are only receiving category 4 payments of £15.12 an hour. The Unite union says that there are local agreements in place that state that when power stations are undergoing maintenance work (which is undertaken at Eggborough from April to September) the normal NAECI rate of £16.97 an hour, plus an hourly bonus of £2.37, should apply. Workers employed by other contractors on the power station are paid the full NAECI rate for the entire 12 month period, Unite said. Unite regional officer Chris Weldon said: “It is highly disappointing that Cape has so far refused to enter into serious negotiations to resolve this dispute. Our members simply want Cape to create a level playing field and pay our scaffolding members on the same basis as other workers on the site. “If the proposed strikes take place then everyone involved at Eggborough power station should brace themselves for widespread disruption. “Our members are taking industrial action as a last resort. This dispute could be easily avoided, if Cape accepts our members are currently underpaid and introduces measures to resolve this matter.”

NASC Release TG20:13 eGuide Version 1.2

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NASC Release TG20:13 eGuide Version 1.2

The NASC has announced the availability of version 1.2 of the TG20:13 eGuide, released in July 2017.

The National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) say the update incorporates a number of enhancements and is supplied as a free upgrade to registered users of the TG20:13 eGuide on Windows, Mac and Android computers and devices. The upgrade is available as a download from the NASC website or, for the Windows and Mac versions, as a CD available on request from the NASC. The upgrade has been developed by the NASC, in association with software developers CADS, in response to feedback received from a consultation held with the NASC membership and purchasers of TG20:13 in 2016. The principal features of the software upgrade are as follows:
  1. Automatic site reference. The site reference displayed on the TG20 compliance sheet now automatically defaults to the address for the location selected on the wind map screen, providing that an internet connection is available.
  2. Checking a compliance sheet. A new option has been provided to indicate that a suitable person has checked that appropriate data input options have been selected in the TG20 eGuide when generating the compliance sheet, for integration with temporary works management processes.
  3. Reporting the permitted seasons. The TG20 compliance sheet now specifies the season(s) during which the scaffold will be standing, either ‘during any season’ or ‘during the spring and summer’ depending on the option selected for the compliance sheet.
  4. Company logo. A company logo may now be added to personalise the TG20 compliance sheet header, including any accreditation logos relevant to the company.
  5. Compliance sheet illustrations. A ‘TG20 compliant’ stamp has been super-imposed on the illustration in the top left corner of the TG20 compliance sheets. This is to clarify that the illustration, although representative, is not intended to be a construction drawing.
  6. Build UK support. The NASC is pleased to announce the continued support of TG20:13 by Build UK, whose logo is now included on the header of every TG20 compliance sheet.
Rob Lynch (Chair of NASC TG20 Working Group and CEO Lyndon Scaffolding plc) commented: “The NASC has worked closely with CADS to develop this latest upgrade. Feedback from the industry-wide consultation in 2016 was carefully analysed. Version 1.2 represents a significant enhancement.” Ian Chambers (CADS International Sales and Marketing) added: “This latest release marks another chapter in the development of TG20:13, and underscores the benefits to the scaffolding industry arising from this collaborative venture between NASC and CADS.” Robin James (NASC Managing Director) commented: “Few can have imagined the penetration which TG20:13 has achieved since launch in 2014. More than 2,000 copies of the eGuide have now been issued by NASC. The TG20 working group will continue to refine and develop this widely-adopted and increasingly iconic product to meet the needs of the temporary works sector.” Help and support To coincide with the launch of version 1.2 of the TG20:13 eGuide, support with installation or activation of the eGuide is available directly from CADS, authors of the TG20 eGuide software at [email protected] To download the upgrade as an existing TG20:13 eGuide user, or for further details regarding version 1.2 please consult the TG20 page on the NASC website www.nasc.org.uk

Rilmac appoints new estimator and business development manager

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Rilmac appoints new estimator and business development manager
As part of the continuing growth in London and across the South East Rilmac Scaffolding have enhanced their estimating team with the appointment of former Tone Scaffolding estimator Andrew Taylor.
Andrew Taylor
Andrew, who hails from Maidstone in Kent, will be based at the Rilmac offices in Waltham, London and working not only in estimating, but also as a business development manager.  Having 18 years experience previously running his own scaffolding business, Andrew is well versed in the different roles he is taking on. A confident and enthusiastic communicator Andrew will act as an ambassador for the whole Rilmac Group in the Southern Region alongside the core Scaffolding elements of his role. He is looking forward to getting stuck in exploring exciting new sectors and developing a wider customer base, using his experience of large scale, high profile projects. Andrew is also a high flyer in his free time, as he holds a helicopter license and enjoys flying in his free time.  When he has his feet firmly on the ground he also finds time to play piano for a funky soul band.
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