On the 15th of April at 12.00 pm a charity football match kicks off in aid of Marie Curie. Eileen King, mother of John King who works for Wates, sadly passed away on New Year’s Eve suffering from cancer.
Eileen King
John said: “Mom was a very loving, caring person who always thought of others first. Eileen was a member of Birmingham City Council Tenant Liaison Board for 20 years and was always helping people in the flats that she lived in, always helping the more elderly residents by collecting pensions and essential shopping.
Everyone in the block adored her. She never stopped helping others. Eileen’s final days were spent at the Marie Curie Hospice. All the staff were so caring, really wonderful people.”
Wates kindly arranged a charity football match in honour of Eileen with all proceeds going towards Marie Curie Hospice. So far, an amazing £1,100 has been raised.
MTD Midlands, who contract for Wates, have kindly donated a football kit for the game on the 15th and Wates are very grateful for their support.
Sarah Vanes, MTD Midlands’ Operating Director pictured above, donning the yellow goalkeeper’s jersey said: “Marie Curie is a charity close to my heart, it is a fantastic cause. MTD Midlands are honoured to support our colleagues at Wates in supporting and donating to such a worthy cause.”
Asset life-cycle support services provider Bilfinger has won a multimillion pound contract with Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij B.V (NAM) and Shell UK.
Aberdeen-headquartered Bilfinger Salamis UK, will team up with Bilfinger Industrial Services NL to provide topside inspection engineering and non-destructive testing services. As a result, more than 30 new jobs will be created to the benefit of the companies‘ onshore and offshore assets in both the UK and Netherlands.
Bilfinger Salamis senior operations manager Craig Taylor said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract which will allow us to support Shell UK and NAM with the delivery of enhanced inspection services. Bilfinger is a leading international industrial services provider.“Securing this long-term contract was a major strategic target for us, and it’s great to once again be working with Shell, who we have worked with extensively in the past.“ The Group enhances the efficiency of assets, ensuring a high level of availability and reduced maintenance costs. The company carries a portfolio covering the entire value chain from consulting, engineering, manufacturing, assembly, maintenance, plant expansion as well as turnarounds. This also includes environmental technologies and digital applications.The initial contract is set in place for three years, with options to extend for a further two years if successful. The scope includes offshore work covering 53 satellite platforms in the Southern North Sea, both in the UK and the Netherlands. It involves Onshore facilities in the UK, including Bacton, and onshore facilities in the Netherlands, including Den Helder, and the Kroonborg maintenance vessel for supporting offshore work. Craig added: “Working across Northwest Europe on onshore and offshore assets, this award consolidates our position as a leading international industrial services provider to the energy industry.“It’s fantastic to be able to introduce our advanced inspection engineering experience to the Netherlands, complementing our sister company Bilfinger Industrial Services‘ extensive service range.“With its 37,000 employees, Bilfinger upholds the highest standards of safety and quality, generating an annual output volume of about €4 billion.The company delivers its services in two business segments. These are Engineering & Technologies as well as Maintenance, Modifications & Operations. Bilfinger is primarily active in the regions Continental Europe, Northwest Europe, North America and the Middle East.
Innovative new scaffold fittings comes to market to bring an end to the use of ‘dead men tubes’
A revolutionary new fitting has come onto the market set to transform the way scaffolding is secured in the industry. Scotti Ledger Ties, are designed to remove the need to install ‘Deadmen’- a vertical tube attached to the handrails able to reach down and attach the toe-board.Invented by scaffolders Aaron Gray and Scott Wesson, the ties openly encourage best scaffolding practice meeting all current safety regulations. The Scotti Transom Tie, is designed to act as both a standard board retaining bracket and a toe board support. Whereas The Scotti Aberdeen Tie, has been created for use in Place of a Scotti Transom Tie where a scaffold has been constructed using structural, or more commonly known, Aberdeen Transoms. The Transom Ties are fitted in the same way as a standard board retaining bracket, being slid in between the board gap with the taller face of the toe board retainer to the outside of scaffold. Traditional methods of holding toe boards in place often involve nailing clips through the board or using singles, which can damage and split the board. Scotti ties use a firm pressure to hold the board and will not cause damage.According to the makers of the Scotti Ties, the revolutionary ties meet all of the requirements of BS EN 12811 and CISRS training guidance for the support of toe boards. Without the labour-intensive in trial conditions, use of Scotti ties has shown savings in time of up to 95 per cent, compared to traditional deadman installation. This can translate into savings of hundreds of pounds on relatively small jobs. Replacing deadmen on scaffolds with Scotti ties can easily reduce annual Co2 emissions by hundreds of tonnes. In terms of the law The Work at Height Regulations 2005 states: ‘Every employer shall, where necessary to prevent injury to any person, take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, the fall of any material or object. It’s common practice, longitudinal toe boards and end toe boards should be securely fixed to all working platforms where there is a risk of a person or materials falling. Scotti ties offer a user friendly, cost effective alternative in preventing such falls in scaffolding operations. Scotti Ledger ties are suitable for fixing to the ledger from either above or below the scaffold platform. For total board protection scaffolders can use the ties at both ends. They are both neat and professional, easy to transport, need less storage and make for lower leg loads. Scott Wesson the co-inventor of The Scotti Fittings said: “I first thought about the fittings after thinking they’re must be a better, safer, simpler way to securing a toe-board. After some trial and error, I found the solution.”The fitting carries huge benefits for scaffolding companies with each single Scotti Fitting saving the use of a Five-foot tube, two doubles and a single coupler. Across a large independent structure or tower the savings could be enormous, drastically cutting down on both erection time and labour costs.
The famous Odeon cinema in Newcastle Upon Tyne’s city centre is lying in ruins today following a collapse of the building late last night. A bus stop next to the building under demolition since January, was completely crushed. Amazingly, no-one was hurt in the incident that happened at around 11 pm on Monday, though around 10 people were waiting at nearby bus stops at the time. The police quickly established a cordon at the scene in Pilgrim Street, closing the road to traffic. A clean up operation took several hours before the road was reopened north-bound early on Tuesday morning. Mangled scaffolding and scattered debris missed bystanders by yards. The collapse was so loud, taxi drivers based around the corner came running to see what had happened. It seems there was some confusion as to whether or not the building was being demolished. One policeman however, did confirm it was due to come down – but not in that way.Moments earlier several workmen were seen standing in front of the building looking very animated. Esther Beadle, 28, standing across the road at another bus stop revealed:“There was a ‘deep rumble’, before what was left of the building and scaffolding slowly collapsed into the street. There was lots of dust flying around as scaffolding poles scattered towards us. The men were stood in the centre of Pilgrim Street and there seemed to be in some sort of disagreement, or at least a heated discussion. Then they left and about three minutes later the building all of a sudden just started to collapse down towards the bus stop. Luckily no rubble made it as far as the pavement on our side, but had it been just a little bit further it would have done. I dread to think what might have happened had things been slightly different. That’s a big worry. Suddenly, there was lots of activity from the workmen who started to swarm towards the building and some started talking on their phones.”The southbound side of Pilgrim Street was closed to traffic at the time. The cinema last screened a film in 2002 and has stood empty for 14 years. The iconic cinema is being removed after its owners submitted plans to clear the site and transform the area of the city into a retail hub. It seems certain an investigation into the incident will take place as a result of the collapse.
UK Power Networks are urging trades people to Work Safe, Stay Safe and Think Electricity.
We all know people’s lives can change within seconds. Let’s be honest, it’s something individuals see happen every day on the news. It’s difficult enough when tragedy isn’t self inflicted. But when lives are lost because we’ve been careless or foolhardy, it can make the situation so much worse.
The fact is, there are hidden killers in our midst all the time, and electricity is one of the most deadly. Terrible burns can be inflicted in just a second or two, and getting too close can be fatal. And yet in terms of the working world, In 2015/16 alone, more than 70,000 trade’s people suffered injuries at work. More often, this results in taking time off and losing money. How would this effect you and your family? People in scaffolding, construction, forestry, agriculture, infrastructure or anyone else who may work near overhead lines are particularly at risk.
It can be all too easy for busy trade’s people to be in a hurry, get distracted or not bother to check for service cables when working on site. It’s sometimes easy to get over-confident in our abilities and assume everything is fine, when dangers are clearly lurking. We know electricity is there, but of course most of the time it can’t be seen. There are also certain situations, in which this necessary source of power can take us unawares. Overhead power lines are often uninsulated (bare) and can carry high voltages. They can look like telephone wires, but you should never assume this is the case.
In fact, you should never assume anything. Always be clear on what you’re dealing with and where the dangers can be. Electricity can jump gaps, so be aware a scaffold tube or equipment does not have to touch a power line to result in a serious or lethal electric shock. And despite what you may hear, materials such as rubber and wood may not be an effective insulator against a high or low voltage charge, and cannot be relied upon to prevent an electric shock.
It’s worth remembering cranes, diggers, trucks, excavators, trailers and other plant can make contact with electricity on a regular basis. Anyone working close to live power lines should take time to read the simple safety leaflets and notices provided by a range of health and safety professionals. Many trade associations and bodies (NICEIC, NAPIT, NFU, Gas Safe Register, Road Haulage Association, and lot of others across various industries are working hard to keep safety at the forefront of their members minds.
The UK Power Networks have produced a free downloadable safety leaflet for scaffolders that can be viewed here and a safety video shown below.
The major UK Power Networks distribute our electricity through a series of networks, sub-stations, underground cables and overhead lines. And no matter who your own personal provider may be, electricity is always there for our use. Sadly, accidents are a part of modern life. But in terms of electricity and the damage it can course, we can all ensure they are kept to the very minimum. So always ‘Think Safe’ – ‘Always Think Electricity
April will see new branding for one of the country’s leading Scaffolding and Fall Prevention Providers. The TRAD Group has specialised in Traditional Contracting, Equipment Hire and Sales, and Specialist Fall Safety Systems for more than 46 years. Now, having become part of the Altrad Group in September 2013, the firm is set to take on a new look thanks largely to investment of £15million.“Even in the depths of the recession, we remained a very strong business,” says Des Moore, the TRAD Group’s CEO. “With both the Altrad Group’s involvement and substantial investment we’ve become even stronger, and the TRAD Group has doubled in size. The new branding reflects this and the Altrad Group’s presence in the UK market.” Hertel and Prezioso apart, the more visually recognizable branding will be seen across the whole Altrad Group, as all business entities will be using an identical core logo going forward.Change can sometimes see companies losing sight of what made them successful in the first place, but this hasn’t been the case with the TRAD Group. The top management team has remained completely intact and the company culture hasn’t changed. “The ideals that exist in the Altrad Group management charter are those at the heart of our values for the last 40-plus years,” added Des.Mohed ALTRAD (mhr)The Altrad Group itself is an astonishing success story, founded by Mohed Altrad, who was born a poor Syrian Bedouin, and then moved to France at the age of 17. He invested in a bankrupt scaffolding manufacturer in 1985, and went on to develop the Group through acquisitions and organic growth. Now a major player in the construction equipment market and Oil and Gas sectors, with 150 subsidiaries and 22,000 employees worldwide, Altrad has an annual turnover of €2.5 billion. Mohed Altrad was named EY Entrepreneur of the World in 2015, and has written three acclaimed novels including his autobiography Badawi, now on the French National Curriculum. He is also the President of Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club, and the Altrad Group are supporting the French Rugby Association in their bid to host the 2023 World Cup.The initial scaffolding business, TRAD Southern, undertakes projects of any scale, including some of the most important construction developments in London and the South. It maintains significant stock levels of both System Scaffolding and Traditional Scaffolding in three large storage facilities strategically located around the M25. This enables it to carry out many large-scale projects simultaneously. Last year, the TRAD Group acquired MTD Midlands, a scaffolding contractor working primarily in the social housing sector throughout the Midlands. The business was founded more than 20 years ago and currently trades out of three Depots in Oldbury, Telford and Loughborough. They are looking to move into Commercial, New Build, High-Rise Refurbishment and Public Sectors. TRAD’s Hire and Sales business is a UK leader in the field, and as well as as complementary services such as design support, it primarily serves several Scaffolding Companies. They are the exclusive UK supplier of Plettac Metrix System Scaffolding, very quick to erect and dismantle. It also offers additional safety features compared to competing systems. The Safety Systems business is market leader in the Design, Manufacture and Supply of Fall Safety Solutions for the Construction, House Building, Roofing and Maintenance Industries.The TRAD Group itself has staff of more than 1,000 people based in 17 UK locations, with a combined turnover of in excess of £100 million. The aim across the Group gradual organic growth, based on introducing new, class-leading products through the Hire and Safety Businesses. “We then introduce these innovative products across the Scaffolding Businesses so our contracting clients see the benefits of the improvements, and receive the most efficient, safest and professional service possible”, explained Des. From a personal perspective, Des has recently joined the board of Directors for Build UK – a UK construction organization providing a strong collective voice on key industry issues. He’s also Director of CISRS, the industry recognized Scaffolding Training Scheme. Later on this year, Des will become President of the NASC, a tremendous accolade for both the TRAD and Altrad Group. It’s been attained due to TRAD’s outstanding reputation and experience. This respected position will give both TRAD and Altrad an even bigger presence in the industry. Their growing portfolio of customers will continue to enjoy the same high standards of service they enjoyed across four decades.
Ground Breaking Scaffolding Contract Awarded To UK Company
A UK scaffolding company is celebrating following the award of a huge £500 million contract for work on the new proposed wall between the United States and Mexico. It’s thought President Trump targeted M R Scaffolding Services of London both because of their worldwide reputation for quality and safety, and a recommendation from British Prime Minister Theresa May.
An Artist’s impression of the proposed scaffolding
Apart from boosting ‘the special relationship’, the contract will also create extra jobs for a large number of currently unemployed scaffolders in the industry.
The fact M R continually use the latest cutting edge technological developments to enhance safety, quality and efficiency was a key player in the contract offer. Working to the latest industry standards, they are innovators in the world of scaffolding. And now they’ve been rewarded with a ground breaking contract.
Established by John and Michael Trayfoot, today the business is run by sons John Jnr as Managing Director and Matthew alongside Frank Pickford as Contracts Director. He said:
M R Scaffolding Services MD John Trayfoot
“The call came out of the blue, but we are naturally proud and delighted to have been offered such a contract by our friends and allies. Our team are looking forward to working closely with our American counterparts in order to help construct the wall as quickly and efficiently as possible. In the light of Brexit, this is great news for UK trade. We are a well-established family run business that has been providing access solutions to the construction industrysince 1974. It’s all just starting to sink in, but we can’t wait to get started.”
Managing Director John Trayfoot is due to fly out to America on Monday 3 April to meet with President Trump to sign the groundbreaking contract.
The success of the project thought to take two years, could open up the way for future trade agreements between both countries. Following the signing of the executive order President Trump tweeted: “Britain, a longtime US ally, is very special! Why not get them involved?”
US President Donald Trump
More than 500 US companies have submitted bids for theconstruction work. Those making the final short-list will asked to build a 30-foot long prototype of the actual wall in San Diego.This is where the second largest Border Patrol sector is located. US Customs and Border Protection will select the finalists, with the goal of awarding the contract in May and starting work in June.
White House officials have previously stated the wall, stretching 1,000 miles must be 30 feet high, and look imposing from the Mexican side and aesthetically beautiful from the US Side.
M R will have full responsibility for the construction’s scaffolding requirements. Many fervent Trump supporters were heard to chant ‘build the wall’, at several events during last years election campaign. Polls suggest however, only 37 percent of Americans are in favour of building it.
To conform with health and safety requirements, a series of doors will be placed at strategic points along the wall. The whole project is estimated to cost more than $10billion.
BillSave UK based in Leicester is set to double its scaffolding division following several recent contract wins.
The company’s scaffolding division carried a staff of 10 people last year. Now, thanks to impressive contracts from two of the UK’s top house builders, a further four employees have been added to their team in the field.
Six more positions will also become available increasing the workforce, and adding strength to the firm’s office-based staff. This will see new, experienced scaffolders working on sites involving 200 and 300 plot developments across both the East and West Midlands. Both long term contracts have multiple phases attached, so the future is certainly looking bright for those involved.
Derek Marsden, operations manager at BillSaveUK, said: “Our scaffolding division has more than 30 years’ experience. Historically our work focussed on a handful of long-standing clients, but following the launch of BillSaveUK 18 months ago, word has spread about our capabilities. And now, thanks to our new contract wins we’re extremely excited about recruiting for a larger, full-time workforce.”
CISRS report positive feedback after completing CPD Pilot Courses.
CISRS has run two fully-funded CPD refresher pilot courses at NCC Midlands in Birmingham during February and March. CISRS say, Both of the courses were delivered by lead Instructor Tony Barry which received very positive feedback from the course delegates.In a press release published this morning CISRS went on to report that, there was a wide range of age and experience amongst those attending the courses. One scaffolder had gained their card via “grandfather rights,” others who qualified over 20 years ago, and some who had completed their training only five years previously. The pilot courses were specifically designed to road test and fine-tune the course content.Tony Barry said: “I was a little uncertain as to how the course would go having both older more experienced Advanced Scaffolders mixed with younger scaffold card holders – but it actually worked well and created more discussion within the group. Other than the inspection module which required us to split the group into Basic and Advanced inspection (with another of our instructors supervising one of the groups), all other information passed on is relevant to both grades of cardholder.”Adding diversity of experience and opinion, Rob Nicholls (lead instructor at Safety and Access) and Neil Gray (lead instructor at LTC) both sat in on the first pilot in February – taking notes on the course from a delivery point of view, assessing content, analysing the length of some course areas and providing feedback on timings and other aspects of the CPD course content and application.After considering delegate feedback and comments along with the findings of Rob and Neil, the first course was very well received, with only a few tweaks needing to be made to Risk Assessment and Method Statements (RAMS), Manual Handling and Anchors/Ties sections.One of the delegates on the first pilot had initially asked if the course could have been completed in one day. However with the practical Scaffold Inspection and Mobile Aluminium Tower session and associated theory tests taking up around six hours alone, combined with the rest of the CPD/Refresher programme necessitated the full two days. The course covers a lot of ground with the pilot courses running from 8.30am to 4.30pm on both days. Following feedback from the first course, all relevant changes were implemented prior to the second course taking place – which was again very well received. All delegates were required to complete a course evaluation form which asked them to rate all aspects of the course including centre facilities, course content course materials, instructors etc. Other than one delegate rating the catering ‘Average’ all other aspects of the course were rated as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good.’Dave Mosley, CISRS Scheme Manager, and CISRS representative, Bob Whincap attended the second CPD course, to monitor the course in action. Mr. Mosley said: “The pilot schemes have proved to be a huge success and have given us the opportunity to fine tune the two-day course content before the July roll-out. “I asked the delegates if they felt that the course was beneficial and the group were very positive. Some had initially been sceptical due to comments made on social media and the internet about costs, duration and content. But having attended, they felt it was worthwhile and that they had been reminded of information they’d forgotten since they last attended a centre, whilst also being brought up to date on current industry guidance. They also enjoyed the opportunity to mix with other scaffolders from different companies”Eligible delegates who took part in the pilot courses will receive their updated CISRS card with CPD, Inspection and Aluminium Tower module endorsements free of charge. A pilot course for CISRS approved Instructors will take place at NCC Midlands on 24/25th April. CISRS are considering offering a few more funded pilot courses in May, to enable a final phase of fine tuning prior to the scheme going live 1st July, after which time all CISRS Scaffolder and Advanced cards can only be renewed by completing the CISRS two-day Scaffolder Refresher Course.
Scaffolding Software firm raises the bar with the launch of a virtual reality app
Ely, Cambridgeshire UK-basedAvontus Software recently launched its new virtual reality app, Scaffold VR, which works in conjunction with its Scaffold Designer software. Scaffold VR provides a walk-through of Scaffold Designer-created designs, and it enables users to view and share these designs in 3D virtual environment. Co-workers and customers can use the app to view drawings on their office workstations as well as on their mobile devices in the field, providing an interactive experience that clearly demonstrates what a user is offering customers and that their requirements are met; while showing the scaffolders the scaffold they will build.
Avontus’ Scaffold Designer enables users to create and print traditional 2D and 3D engineered drawings. With the free app, anyone with a Windows desktop, a smartphone or a tablet can view and rotate those 3D scaffold drawings. But with a smartphone and the Scaffold VR Cardboard Viewer, they can walk through and virtually experience the scaffolding from afar and up close in fine detail. This provides Scaffold VR users with the opportunity to catch mistakes before they become actual reality, which helps to ensure a scaffold is designed correctly and to avoid costly rework from delays and cost overruns.Once a bid is won and users are ready to finalize the scaffolding, they can virtually travel through the structure and identify potential hazards (such as obstructions), which helps them create a safe work plan. Users can thoroughly familiarize crews with the project, so that they can safely hit the ground running. Then, at the job site, crews can access 2D and 3D drawings on any mobile device, or inspect the job virtually through a smartphone and a VR viewer.Scaffold VR is already developing a following. “VR is a great application. I’m loving the VR,” tweeted Mark Parkin of Tiger Scaffolding in Whitby.
Anyone using an iPhone or Android smartphone or tablet, or a Windows desktop can try Scaffold VR for free, just search for “Scaffold VR” in your app store, download and install it. The app comes with sample drawings that provide the 3D experience. However, the combination of Scaffold VR, a smartphone and the Scaffold VR Cardboard Viewer, enables an immersive virtual reality experience that creates a lasting impression.
Along with the release of Scaffold VR, Avontus offers low-cost, custom cardboards with QR codes that point directly to the app on the Google Play and Apple App stores. Users can buy the cardboards through Amazon and ship directly to their customers who can then easily experience their scaffolds in virtual reality.Virtual reality adds a richer experience to scaffold designs and helps companies work more efficiently. Scaffold VR can change the way projects are planned, presented, and built.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
