PERI provides unique scaffolding solution at Farringdon Station

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PERI provides unique scaffolding solution at Farringdon Station
PERI Ltd, the UK’s largest manufacturer of scaffolding and formwork, has provided a unique scaffolding system to help the installation of waterproofing lining at a complex escalator shaft at the new Farringdon Station for the Crossrail project. Crossrail is building 42km of tunnels, 10 new stations and improving 30 more. The finished railway will be named the Elizabeth line when it opens in central London in 2018. After providing an intricate scaffolding system to the tunnel works on the same project, PERI utilised a combination of its Rail Climbing System (RCS), PERI UP scaffolding and heavy duty rollers to provide contractor Bam Ferrovial Kier JV (BFK) with a safe and reliable climbing system for the complicated escalator shaft. The shaft’s 30° incline meant that PERI’s technical design team had to tailor its previous solution used on the horizontal tunnels, while also taking into consideration the various access points and climbing stability. PERI utilised a tailored mobile scaffold system on heavy duty rollers to complete the task of waterproof lining the tunnel walls. The system was able to move along the tunnel and as this method was successful, PERI and BFK took the decision to use the same system for the escalator shaft providing the safest and most beneficial solution. The main challenge for PERI’s design team was the 30° incline. To climb up a standard vertical shaft, PERI’s RCS can be used thanks to its ‘climbing shoes’. The RCS shoe, which is normally fixed to the core walls, allows the rail to be guided up the shaft. However, on this occasion, the RCS shoe required some additional support as the weight from the scaffold, and subsequent friction, would have potentially been too heavy. PERI’s technical team decided to deploy the same heavy duty rollers (as used in the tunnel) for the escalator shaft, meaning the scaffold was securely supported and able to move freely. The heavy duty rollers can withstand more than 250KN of weight, meaning that, when positioned next to the standard RCS shoe, the system would work efficiently and safely. Additionally, the system was pulled up the shaft using an electronic winch, provided by the contractor, which lifted from the RCS system (rather than from the scaffold). Another significant engineering challenge for PERI was the positioning of the platform levels used to access the surface of the tunnel. As the contractor required access to specific points, PERI had to design the scaffolding to have staggered platforms. For a standard horizontal design, the platforms can be positioned at two metre intervals, however for the 30° angle, the platforms needed to be staggered as the heights on the different angles continuously changed. After extensive research and development of the 3D designs, PERI’s team were able to plan and implement a cost-effective and optimised scaffolding solution that allowed three access stations at different heights along the 7.5m long scaffold. Tony Austin, Regional Technical Manager, South at PERI Ltd, commented: “The escalator shaft was a really rewarding project to work on thanks to the originality of the design. The Farringdon project provided our first ever rolling tunnel scaffold designs, and utilising this to an inclined application was another first for us. The end result was ideally suited for the complexity of the project, as the waterproofing could be quickly and safely installed prior to the secondary tunnel lining.”  Nathan Bond, Engineer at BFK, added: “We were happy to once again work with PERI Ltd in the construction of the station. Given the unusual design and incline, we were delighted with the system proposed. The solution was ideal for our needs and the up-front planning, technical expertise and support from the PERI team meant that we were always in safe hands when erecting the system.” To ensure a smooth process, PERI’s dedicated scaffolding site demonstrator regularly visited the site to help with the assembly of the equipment, providing technical advice throughout the duration of the project. PERI’s equipment was delivered to the site in late March and was on-site for just four weeks. For more information.

Search underway for man missing from North Sea Rig

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Search underway for man missing from North Sea Rig

A search is still underway tonight after a man was reported missing from a North Sea rig.

The 49-year-old man who, according to unconfirmed reports on social media is a scaffolder from the Aberdeen area. The man was reported missing at around 9:20pm yesterday from the Noble Lloyd Noble installation, located in the Mariner Field approximately 90 miles (150km) east of Shetland.
North Sea Rig
North Sea Rig Noble Lloyd Noble
Police Scotland can confirm that inquiries are continuing to trace a 49-year-old man who has been reported missing from the Noble Lloyd Noble installation. Searches involving the Coastguard have been carried out but have now been scaled back but the man has not been traced. Rescue vessels are continuing to search and a team of officers led by Detective Inspector Norman Stevenson has flown offshore to carry out inquiries and assist the installation. Detective Inspector Norman Stevenson said: “An extensive search has been carried out which has involved a search and rescue helicopter as well as standby vessels and a platform supply vessel. “The next of kin of the man have been informed of the ongoing inquiries and further information will be made available to the public when we have it. There are no apparent suspicious circumstances.”

TRAD’s people supported Workers Memorial Day

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TRAD’s people supported Workers Memorial Day

TRAD’s people and many of their clients – including Walter Lilly – supported Workers’ Memorial Day, held on Friday, 28th April 2017.

For this poignant memorial event, a minute’s silence was held at 11am, honoring those who have lost their lives or been injured whilst at work, a devastation which has touched so many people’s lives on a deeply personal level without much thought given from the outside world.
 
To mark this event, TRAD office staff wore purple ribbons and TRAD’s site people wore PPE displaying the purple ribbon and Workers’ Memorial Day logo.
 
TRAD Group intend to continue their full support by holding memorials for years to come, reminding us of the importance of supporting Workers’ Memorial Day. Like our clients, we will also strive to improve safety for all, to produce the safest environment for our people, our clients’ people and the general public, to save lives and minimise workplace injuries for future generations:
 
We all deserve to return home from work;  SAFE AND SOUND

Generation Launches New Design Service

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Generation Launches New Design Service
Generation launch new design and support services. The move is combined with investment and development of the Futuro system. The new design and engineering team provide scaffolding sub-contractors who want to adopt a ring system or have a complex structural project with access to:
  • A highly skilled estimation, design and engineering team
  • State-of-the-art design software
  • Project support and financial assistance
The Generation design and engineering team are co-located with Altrad DESSA, to create a shared centre of excellence. Scaffolders, in-house designers and independent consultants can now tap into these skills to support the adoption of new products, such as Futuro, and on structurally challenging projects. The design and engineering service now work with Generation customers to support and deliver:
  • On-site surveys
  • Hand sketches
  • Working CAD drawing production
  • Stress and structural analysis
  • Estimation
  • Material shipping and health and safety advice
  • Equipment solutions based on scaffold and access requirements
The service is in response to our customers increased adoption of system in response to contractor demands, financial and labour pressures. In response, Generation has increased its investment and development of Futuro and the free customer services it provides. Futuro is a versatile Ring system, which is fully compatible with other Imperial ring systems at a fraction of the price. The provision of full design and engineering support means that Generation’s account customers and their design teams have complete support to support the adoption of Futuro and any complex project. Futuro supports a broad range of applications, in particular, construction projects for industrial and civil engineering; where adaptable heavy-duty scaffolding systems are especially important. The vast structures and complexity of these projects make the depth of experience and design support a vital part of the specification process. Generation believes the future of system scaffold is Futuro. Our customers can now tap into the product benefits and the free services provided to grow the projects they work on and their business. Talk to us how we can support you within the estimation, specification, design and delivery stages. www.generationuk.co.uk

Scaffolding collapse narrowly misses school children

Daniel Norton
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Scaffolding collapse narrowly misses school children

School children and staff narrowly miss serious injury after scaffolding collapses onto a school in Wales.

An investigation by Health and Safety and Vale of Glamorgan Council officials is underway after scaffolding collapsed on to the main entrance of Albert Primary School in Penarth, Wales on Friday 5th May.

Reports suggest the scaffolding was erected on a neighbouring property and came down in high-winds. Amazingly no children or staff at the school were injured.

One parent said “My wife and kids had walked through the gate moments before the scaffolding came crashing down. A very close call”.

Image credit: Penarth News

Albert School issued a statement to parents saying “Please be made aware that the Top Gate of the school is not accessible today due to a neighbouring property’s scaffold falling across into the school premises.

Please be assured no one was injured in anyway. Due to restorative works taking place there will be considerable congestion at the end of the day.”

Planet Platforms Flying high for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance

Grahame Anderson
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Planet Platforms Flying high for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance

Planet Platforms has pledged to keep their sponsorship of the life saving YORKSHIRE Air Ambulance (YAA) going beyond the company’s 40th anniversary.

As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of working at height equipment the Wakefield headquartered business, has been proud of their relationship with the YAA. A key maintenance provider for the two helicopter operation, they also see their role as giving something back to the community. With this in mind, the team will be organizing a series of fund raising activities, as well ensuring YAA’s maintenance costs for another 12 months. MD Peter Pemberton said: “Yorkshire Air Ambulance ethos of protecting those in danger resonated with our founding principals. Planet Platforms has worked with Air, Sea and Rescue and the YAA for many years so it seemed logical to support them in our anniversary year. YAA is an independent charity operating two helicopters out of Nostell Priory in Wakefield and North Yorkshire. Being on our doorstep they were an obvious choice for our anniversary year charity. It costs £4.4m each year to keep both aircraft flying and provide the valuable service the public relies on. We have already planned a series of fundraisers throughout the year in addition to the sponsorship and would urge everyone to support them.” As a rapid response air emergency service the Charity serves a population of approximately five million people across four million acres. Planet Platforms makes bespoke working at height solutions and off the shelf scaffolding for major aviation, defence, rail, offshore and construction companies around the world. It was keen to mark its celebration by reflecting its core values.

HSE Inspector Numbers Cut By A Quarter

Grahame Anderson
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HSE Inspector Numbers Cut By A Quarter

Numbers of Front-line health and safety inspectors have been cut by 25 per cent in six years according to figures obtained by the Unite union.

In 2010 the total of inspectors stood at 1,311, but by the end of 2016 this had fallen to just 980. These shocking statistics emerged from a Freedom of Information request in the run up to International Workers’ Memorial Day. This news comes amid revelations acquired from the same source revealing it takes three years four months on average, for any sentence to be handed down after a workplace fatality. Clearly the findings are worrying for industry professionals. “HSE inspectors play a vital role in keeping workers safe,” said Unite acting general secretary Gail Cartmail. “Rogue bosses who are prepared to break safety laws, are only kept in check by the fear of being caught and punished. Fewer inspectors mean more bosses willing to risk workers’ lives to boost profits. In these circumstances it is more important than ever that union safety reps are given the training, support and time to conduct their duties and keep their fellow workers safe.” The Health and Safety Executive is the body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare. It also carries out vital research into occupational risks in Great Britain. As part of its work HSE investigates industrial accidents, small and large, including major incidents. Both Unite and workers in the construction industry will be watching the situation closely in the hope things will improve going forward in terms of growing health and safety inspector numbers going forward.

Contractor Fined More Than £200,000 Over Tragic Death of Scaffolder

Grahame Anderson
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Contractor Fined More Than £200,000 Over Tragic Death of Scaffolder

Steel Fabricator CMF Ltd has been ordered to pay more than £200,000 following the death of a scaffolder crushed by a falling concrete block in London four years ago.

cmf ltd
Richard Laco was crushed to death. He had taken work as a scaffolder after losing his futures trading job in the financial crash
Former City worker Richard Laco, 31, from Hendon lost his life when a stair landing he was hoisting plummeted 20 feet, dragging him into its path. The former futures trader at Amplify Trading fluent in four languages and with a degree in banking, finance and economics, had been working on the £600 million Francis Crick Institute medical research centre in King’s Cross. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive deemed there was no safe system of work in place for the installation of the staircases on the site, which opened last year. The agency also found the Feltham based contractor had failed to appropriately supervise this work activity. At the inquest in 2015 it was cited the 1.2 tonne stair landing had come loose after slipping from a rope. The momentum and angle of the fall meant Mr Laco could not get out of the way in time. The result of the inquest led to a close review on how huge staircase landing slabs were hoisted into place.  CMF Ltd was later fined £185,000 and ordered to pay £20,606 costs at Southwark crown court. The company, a sub-contractor of Laing O’Rourke,  pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. HSE Inspector Stephen Farthing commented: “This incident could have been prevented if the company had properly planned the lifting process before work had begun. Duty holders have the responsibility of ensuring that safe and suitable lifting plans are in place, before carrying out any work involved heavy loads.” This tragic accident came just a short time after Mr Laco had successfully switched careers from city trader to scaffolder following the financial crash.

GKR Scaffolding in partnership with BT Motorsport

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GKR Scaffolding in partnership with BT Motorsport

Bobby Thompson aims to reach new highs in 2017 in the Milltek Sport Volkswagen Racing Cup championship with support from his headline sponsor GKR Scaffolding Limited.

As the hotly contested Milltek Sport Volkswagen Racing Cup rolls towards the Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby, Bobby Thompson is delighted to announce that GKR Scaffolding based in London and Kent, will be Title Corporate Sponsor of the #19 Team Hard VW Golf for the rest of the 2017 Bobby’s familiar black and orange Golf GTI R Cup race car will now sport the GKR Scaffolding livery and logo, as seen on their iconic fleet of trucks. It also displays the ‘Better Future’ branding – a programme that GKR will be launching to focus on helping the construction industry, GKR employees and local communities build a better future. GKR Scaffolding, BT Motosport Bobby commented: “I am really pleased to add GKR Scaffolding to our team for 2017. My aim for the season is to continually promote the company whilst driving to the best of my ability in the hope of winning this season’s championship. Ultimately, I wish to create a ‘better future’ for both myself and GKR. These guys have given me a fantastic platform to work from and can only see things reaching new heights in the future.” GKR Scaffolding work on the most iconic construction projects in London and the South East, and have built a reputation for investing in the future of the industry. Their ability to work on London’s most complex projects such as The Shard, The Royal Albert Hall and Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium has made them leaders in safety and innovation. This year they won Construction News Access & Scaffolding Specialist of the Year and the Training Excellence Award 2017. GKR Scaffolding, BT Motosport Neil Rowswell added: “As a business we know what it takes to go from being a challenger to the leader in our market. Our Better Future programme has enabled us to support talent such as Bobby to help him achieve this too. This year, GKR is focusing on raising the profile of construction amongst young people, whilst investing in our employees and the communities we are part of in the South East. We are very proud to be working with Bobby this season and having him represent our brand.”

TRAD Group supports Workers Memorial Day

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TRAD Group supports Workers Memorial Day
Friday 28th April is Workers Memorial Day it’s an international day to support and remember the lives of those lost, injured, disabled or made unwell by their work; it is a day when we can take a minute in silence and pause to reflect. Workers’ Memorial Day is an opportunity to highlight the preventable nature of most workplace incidents and ill health and to promote campaigns and union organisations in the fight for improvements in workplace safety. The slogan for the day is Remember The Dead – Fight For The Living.  Although 28th April is used as the focal point for remembrance and a day of international solidarity, campaigning and other related activities continue throughout the year right around the world. The TRAD Group will be supporting by taking part in a minute’s silence on Friday 28th April. All their office staff will wear purple ribbons, and scaffolders/yard staff will be wearing hi vis vests and helmets that display the purple ribbon and Workers’ Memorial Day logo. A spokesperson for the TRAD Group said: “Our group of companies continuously strive to improve Health and Safety not just for ourselves but for the scaffolding industry as a whole. It is our company ethos to make sure that all our people, our clients and our supply chain are involved in all aspects of Health and Safety, so they can contribute towards discussions, inform us of potential dangers and issues, and be more proactive in driving the changes to make us a safer organisation. We involve our workforce in several ways to assist in significantly ensuring safe working practices and helping to ensure all go home safely to their families at the end of the day.” The TRAD Group will be planning and organising other events throughout the course of the Year; prior to next years’ memorial.
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