Head for Heights Looking to Solve Scaffolding’s Mental Health Problem

Scott Anfield
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Head for Heights Looking to Solve Scaffolding’s Mental Health Problem

In a bid to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health in the scaffolding industry, the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has announced the unveiling of the Head for Heights campaign, which it hopes will assist sufferers of mental health issues in having more confidence to discuss their problems.

With mental illness such as depression and anxiety becoming more acceptable to discuss in everyday life, there has been a wave of advocates hoping to make it the norm, as well as urging businesses to show more compassion in dealing with their employees who suffer from such issues.

The initiative has been designed to help raise awareness about mental health sufferers and encourage them to feel safe and free to discuss their problems with friends, family, co-workers and employers.

There is also a goal to demonstrate to companies what steps they can take to create safe and positive environments for their employees as well as identifying and introducing solutions to take a proactive approach to helping anyone suffering from mental health problems overcome them.

Mental health problems affect one in four people every year and, according to Time to Change, half of those believe that the stigma and following isolation caused by a culture where discussing mental health is considered taboo exacerbates their troubles and can be more harmful than the condition itself.

In the construction industry, where there is a pronounced macho culture, mental health can be even more troublesome to experience. According to statistics published in Lexology, site workers are three times more likely to commit suicide than the average UK male.

It is not just the culture that makes industry workers feel powerless to discuss their problems though. Issues can also arise due to long hours, homesickness and uncertainty over job security.

Furthermore, surveys taken earlier in the year revealed that two-thirds of workers claim to want more wellbeing support. If anything, this is an indication that Head for Heights came at exactly the right time.

Working alongside mental health advocacy organisation, Time to Change, NASC is imploring its members to sign the Employer Pledge which is a social movement striving to eliminate the discrimination and social stigma surrounding mental health.

In a press release discussing the announcement, NASC Managing Director Robin James said: “We are delighted to launch our Head for Heights campaign and also sign the Time to Change Employer Pledge, demonstrating our commitment to addressing how mental health is viewed in the industry.

“There is a stigma surrounding mental health, one that is felt particularly keenly in a male-dominated industry such as scaffolding and access. That’s why we’re so keen to support people and help them find the confidence to speak up, and also support businesses looking to step up their mental health and wellbeing support.”

It can be a challenge to open up to others when you are suffering from mental health problems, but there are organisations such as Time to Change that are endeavouring to help make the struggle more manageable. To learn more about how Time to Change is making an impact, or to read and sign the Employer Pledge, please click here.

Scaffolder crushed by 500kg concrete bridge panel

Scaffmag Newsdesk
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Scaffolder crushed by 500kg concrete bridge panel

A Demolition firm has been fined after a scaffolder suffered multiple injuries when he was struck by a falling concrete panel.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how Vale Park Demolition Services Limited was contracted to demolish a link bridge structure at Littleborough Primary School, Rochdale. On 29 October 2015, an employee of GT Scaffolding North West Limited was struck by a concrete panel weighing approximately 500kg when he was dismantling scaffolding that was placed in front of the final part of the link bridge that was due to be demolished. The scaffolder suffered from a broken right shoulder, five broken ribs, three fractures to the spine, a punctured lung and a broken left foot. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the work was not suitably planned and the stability of the panel was not appropriately considered when removing the scaffolding. Vale Park Demolition Services Limited of Hazelbottom Road, Crumpsall, Manchester pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and have been fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,397.64. HSE inspector David Norton said “The incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. “Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards”.

Fingerprint Drug Testing Set To Transform Drug Screening At Work

Scott Anfield
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Fingerprint Drug Testing Set To Transform Drug Screening At Work

In the past, if a firm in the construction industry, wanted to screen their employees for drug use, they had to use saliva or urine-based testing. These methods were not only time-consuming, but embarrassing and invasive for both the employees and the actual testers.

A New Way Of Drug Testing

With the next style of drug testing introduced by Intelligent Fingerprinting though, the construction industry has access to a more convenient form of drug testing. Not only is it more convenient, but it produces quicker results in a more hygienic manner.

It can be used for all kinds of drug testing, whether it is screening before individuals are employed as well as tests that are conducted at random intervals or for particular causes. Conveniently, they can be used in both construction site and office environments.

Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Testing – How It Works

As part of the modern system, the initial test involves the analysis of employees sweat taken from their fingerprint. This can be used to check if an individual has recently used the likes of

  • Cannabis
  • Amphetamines (such as Speed)
  • Opiates
  • Cocaine

Collecting fingerprint sweat samples only takes five seconds and the actual screening results can be delivered as quick as just eight minutes covering all four drug groups.

drug testing

What Happens If The Employee/Contractor Tests Positive for Drug Use?

In the event that a contractor or employee tests positive for drug use from the initial screening, something that is likely to contravene the company’s drug misuse policy and/or Health and Safety Regulations, the Fingerprint Collection Kit for Laboratory Analysis would be used for collecting more samples as confirmation. Within this kit, from Intelligent Fingerprinting, employers will find everything they need to send samples securely to a laboratory for testing. This includes the postage-paid returns envelope, bar codes to ensure the identity of the employee/contractor who gave the sample remains anonymous and the appropriate tamper-evident security bag.

For this further testing, the employer needs to obtain written consent from the employee or contractor before obtaining two additional samples. The samples and written consent are sent along with any declaration of prescribed medicine the individual may be taking, if they feel it could have interfered with the testing.

More About Intelligent Fingerprinting

Intelligent Fingerprinting is the company behind the new drug tests and launched its portable and compact Drug Screening System in August 2017. Currently, the system is targeted towards to occupational and workplace health services, offender management, drug rehabilitation services and criminal justice. It is thought though, that in the future, homeland security and healthcare sectors could utilise the testing. Intelligent Fingerprinting have been in operation since 2007 as an off-shoot company of University of East Anglia and is based in Cambridge, and has a workforce totalling at least 30.

Although it is still early days, this testing presents employers with a better way for upholding their Health and Safety and drug misuse policies, without embarrassing unnecessarily their employees or contractors. Gone are the days when you have to give blood or urinate into a container.

PERI hosts event to show how digital capabilities facilitate construction

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PERI hosts event to show how digital capabilities facilitate construction
PERI teamed up with CIOB to host a digital engineering event, providing customers with an insight into their latest technological endeavours. The event took place at PERI’s Glasgow office last month and was led by Sales Engineer, Paul McGlynn. The event began with refreshments in PERI’s exhibition hall, giving customers the opportunity to explore equipment from PERI’s product range such as, TRIO, SKYDECK and PERI UP to name a few. There was also a chance to learn about the fabrication services on offer. Commenting on the event, Senior Site Manager, Peter Brady BEng (hons) MCIOB from BAM Construction Ltd said: “This event really opened my eyes to how PERI are market leaders with regards to all formwork solutions. Their advancements in augmented reality really shows how beneficial this will be to the construction market, especially with regards to health and safety. Great day out and thank you to Paul McGlynn and the team at PERI Scotland for working with the CIOB to deliver an excellent event”. Advance BIM manager, Miguel Lopez and Engineering Director, James Connell, both from PERI, were on hand to demonstrate the digital capabilities that are currently offered alongside PERI’s formwork and scaffolding packages. Customers were given the chance to immerse themselves in a hypothetical on-site situation using PERI’s mixed reality Microsoft HoloLens® technology. The event attracted a lot of interest and was widely attended by 20 customers from all over Scotland, including main contractors and sub-contractors as well as university students. Planning Manager, Paul Brown of Multiplex Construction Europe Ltd commented: “From a construction and quality control perspective, PERI’s attention to detail at the design stage through to the extremely well-organised fabrication and storage facility further demonstrates that they are market leaders when it comes to formwork and scaffold design”. Digital engineering is rapidly becoming a requirement on all projects. The latest digital tools support the planning and build stages, ensuring formwork and scaffolding designs are optimised, safe and cost-efficient across the built environment. Commenting on the event, Sales Engineer, Paul McGlynn said: “The event was a real success as shown by the great number of attendees on a Wednesday night after a busy day’s work. Our purpose-built product exhibition hall in our Glasgow depot was a superb platform to host such a night. It was also really inspiring to discuss the digital engineering potential and range of products that we can offer our industry partners through early project engagement and collaboration. I personally would like to thank everyone that attended and gave up a few hours of their own time”.

CISRS Partners with Providers to Offer Subsidised CPD Courses

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CISRS Partners with Providers to Offer Subsidised CPD Courses

CISRS announces deal with select training providers to deliver CPD courses at £50 per head.

The Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) have announced they are marking the first anniversary of the introduction of CPD courses for scaffolders by running a number of reduced cost courses across the UK. CISRS has stated that they have reached an agreement with a number of training providers that will enable them to deliver the CPD programme at only £50 per head – a price reduction in excess of 80%. A total of 13 courses will be delivered between June and August, allowing for up to 156 scaffolders to take advantage of this offer. David Mosley, CISRS Scheme Manager, said: “I would really like to thank the training centres that have partnered with us on this initiative. Since its introduction in July 2017, the uptake for the CPD courses has exceeded all expectations and providers would have had no problem filling these courses at the usual market rate. “They will effectively be delivering these courses on CISRS behalf for around half the usual income. I think it’s fantastic that we can work with them to do something so positive – and that will benefit so many operatives across the UK – to mark the CPD programme one year on.” CISRS will also waive the usual costs of the delegate guidance notes and card application fees normally incurred in the delivery of these courses. According to the Scaffolders Record Scheme, close to 2,000 scaffolders have completed the two-day CPD programme since it was launched in July 1 2017. The subsidised courses will be held at the following centres: AIS (North Shields) Altrad/Generation (Wakefield) CITB Northern Ireland (Crumlin) LTC (Plymouth) NCC East (Bircham Newton) NCC Midlands (Birmingham) NCC Scotland (Inchinnan) NCC Waltham Forest (Leytonstone) NETA (Stockton) QCF (Cardiff) Safety and Access (Nottingham) Safety and Access (Immingham) Simian Skill (Warrington)

Viridor Leads The Way In Sustainable Hard Hats Recycling

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Viridor Leads The Way In Sustainable Hard Hats Recycling
Alongside Devon based plastic recycling specialist company, Polymer Industries, Viridor recently announced an innovative collaboration that will see thousands of hard hats destined for the landfill be put to better use, protecting both the environment, and providing a practical solution in the form of reusable plastic products, such as bins. Hard hats have always been excluded from traditional recycling due to the complexity of the plastics used to make them, but with these hats having a very short lifespan of only 2-5 years, they have previously been sent to landfills in their thousands, which is simply not an environmentally sustainable solution. The Managing Director of Polymer Industries, Jason Goozee recently stated that the company was working alongside Viridor to provide a commercial solution where one hasn’t existed until now. Jason also said he was confident that with the two companies working together and providing the correct infrastructure and processes that they would be able to convert conventional plastic waste into a reusable commodity. Today, plastic products are a big part of our lives, and many plastics, like hard hats are not able to be recycled using traditional methods which is having a negative effect on the environment and even marine life. Whilst many places are calling for the ban of plastic, it’s perhaps unrealistic to believe we can fully live without any kind of plastic, or that we can simply eliminate its use overnight, but we also have to ensure that we’re using it responsibly. This sustainable solution offered by Viridor and Polymer Industries is more than a good start in the right direction that offers up a way to reuse plastics so they don’t end up in landfills or at the bottom of the oceans. Of course, the project is still in its early days, but things are looking positive with 1,200 hard hats having already been recycled during an ongoing trial with Babcock International Group, and this number is expected to rise during the remainder of the trial. Babcock Devonport’s Waste Services Manager, Laura Parry has spoken positively about the collaboration on this new project by stating that the company are always seeking new ways to be more sustainable, as well as working hard to ensure that they are managing their waste as efficiently as possible. Although the new scheme has only been rolled out in South Wales for now, all involved have big hopes and believe there’s a real potential for bigger expansion as other companies look for ways to maximise the opportunities for more sustainable waste management. The hard hats scheme is really just the start of an ongoing plan to maximise the use of plastics through sustainable innovative recycling methods, though it’s certainly a great start, and hopefully more companies will begin to follow suit as the benefits become more clear, not only to the environment, but also on a practical level when they see how the plastics can be reused for other purposes.

NASC To Show The Value Of A Good Working Breakfast

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NASC To Show The Value Of A Good Working Breakfast

The National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) are to host an event aimed at the adoption of a value-driven approach to procurement at the end of May.

Held at the UK Chamber of Shipping in London, The Future of Safe Scaffolding will offer delegates a greater understanding of how the scaffolding and access industry’s approach to health and safety is evolving. NASC hopes to streamline their procurement process and create a safer and more effective and accountable supply chain. All of the advantages involved in the scheme will be discussed over breakfast, with representatives from health and safety, procurement, major house builders and local authorities from both London and the South East in attendance. There’ll also be a number of expert speakers present including Des Moore, TRAD Group CEO and NASC President, Bob Whincap, former Chair of the Access and Scaffolding Industry Training Organisation, and motivational safety speaker Dylan Skelhorn. Dylan suffered a serious accident a few years ago while working for a now-defunct company who took safety very lightly. He speaks from experience about how the accident affected himself, his family and work colleagues, and of his daily struggles after being forced to work unsafely. Des Moore explained: “This event gives us the opportunity to talk directly with representatives from a wide range of businesses that procure scaffolding and access services. We’re keen to inform delegates of what the NASC is doing to further improve working practices across the scaffolding industry and also learn what challenges they face. “We believe there is a lot of common ground between us and look forward to discussing how the standards and value offered by our members might help them best achieve their goals in an effective and efficient manner.” The NASC is the national trade body for access and scaffolding in the UK – established in 1945 and now serving a family of more than 250 leading contracting firms, scaffolding suppliers and manufacturers. The Confederation produces a wide range of industry-recognised safety and technical guidance for scaffolding contractors, their operatives and their clients. It promises to be a valuable morning of meaningful discussion in pleasant surroundings between 8am and 10.30 am. A limited number of seats are still available. To register your interest in attending please contact Simon Robinson, NASC Marketing Manager, by email: [email protected] The briefing takes place on Thursday 31 May.

Introducing The Lay Flat Fitting

Grahame Anderson
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Introducing The Lay Flat Fitting

Presco and MyInstall collaborate in creating The Lay Flat Fitting – eradicating the process of lapping boards on scaffold returns.

It’s always intriguing when two companies join forces in the industry to work together to finalise any advances in the field. So when MyInstall Ltd based in West Yorkshire and Presco Components Ltd from Walsall joined up recently, ScaffMag was keen to discover the result of their collaborations. Revolving around the area of a scaffold fitting called the Lay Flat Fitting, their aim was to secure the success of a specialist fitting created to make life much easier for scaffolders across the world.

Lay Flat Fitting

MyInstall Director Phil Holdsworth takes up the story: “During the last 12 months we have developed a fitting to omit the need for lapping boards on scaffold returns. This takes out any tripping hazard this causes, and overall safety on the scaffold is increased, which has to be a good thing for everyone involved. “I approached Presco Components Ltd with the idea for the fitting. They thought it was a good one and told me they were willing to work with myself to manufacture and test it.” The company says the Lay Flat Fitting is yet another first-class move forward in terms of the enhancement of safety in the workplace. The scaffolding and construction industry of course views the safety of both its employees and the public, as paramount. This easy to use fitting is now tested to 9.1 KN with a Class B certification complete with EN74 – 1 BM. Phil and his company recently undertook several demonstrations at a number of scaffolding companies to show just how effective this new fitting can be.

Lay Flat Fitting Advantages

MyInstall told us, There are many advantages attached to the use of this flexible fitting including the fact it works with double-arm transoms as well as traditional tube and fittings. The use of the fitting allows all scaffold boards to lay flat on a return thus taking out the potential tripping hazards. The structural integrity of scaffold on returns is actually increased, and it’s both affordable and cost-efficient. More importantly, overall safety is improved. Lay Flat Fitting Phil added: “Health and safety is always the most important thing as far as my company is concerned, so we hope this fitting will make a real difference and it’s great to be able to offer something new to the industry.” Presco is one of the leading driving forces in the market for scaffold fittings, couplers and ancillary items. Their fittings are used with complete confidence worldwide in construction, refurbishment, power stations and petro-chemical and oil-related industries. Their mission statement encompasses maintenance leadership of the market, and to expand into new markets and territories. All of their components are manufactured to the highest British and International standards, so their endorsement of the flat fitting is clearly a major step forward.  

Yorkshire Scaffolding Firm Heavily Fined Over Roof Accident

Grahame Anderson
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Yorkshire Scaffolding Firm Heavily Fined Over Roof Accident

Acorn Scaffolding in Yorkshire has been fined nearly £35,000 after a trainee scaffolder fell through an asbestos roof.

The victim had been working at the company for less than three weeks when he dropped about 13 feet through a roof onto a concrete floor at Lockington Grange Farm, East Riding, in May of 2013.

Serious injuries

The man broke all of the wrist bones in his left hand, also crushing nerves in the wrist. His other injuries included a broken right wrist, broken nose, sprained left ankle and shoulder, together with various cuts, grazes and bruises. Three wires had to inserted into his left wrist to hold it together, and he developed carpal tunnel syndrome. A judge said he was fortunate not to have been more badly hurt. This type of medical condition is caused due to compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist at the carpal tunnel. The main symptoms are pain, numbness, and tingling, in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and the thumb side of the ring fingers.

Risk Ignored

Scaffolding had been changed using existing handrails without a risk assessment. It seems the trainee fell when being handed one of the scaffolding tubes. The business based in Moxon Lane, Moor Lane Trading Estate, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Leeds, admitted failing to ensure the safety of an employee. It did however, take five years for the criminal case to be concluded in a sentencing hearing in early May. A personal injury claim made by the employee had been settled in October 2014.

The court case

Hull Crown Court heard how the trainee fell through a fragile roof light and may not even have known what it was because it was dirty. “The man, as an untrained scaffolder, should not even have been on the asbestos roof, was not wearing a harness, and no safety measures such as a safety net or “crash deck” had been fitted,” said Lee Fish, prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive. “ Acorn Scaffolding (Yorkshire) Ltd had been sub-contracted to erect scaffolding at the site by Dodds Roofing Services Ltd, which was doing roofing work on a number of buildings at the farm. It appears none of the employees had been trained on how to work on fragile roofs. Company supervisor Craig Moreland had previously met Andrew Green from Dodds at the farm to discuss the work and survey the site. Lead scaffolder Gary Eyres was then briefed about the task in hand by Mr Moreland with the firm message of taking time over the job and being careful.” The prosecutor made it clear a method statement completed in April 2013, crucially did not refer at all to the fragility of the roof. He added: “Craig Moreland in his statement accepts candidly when he surveyed the site he had simply not applied his mind to the fitting of safety nets or using a crash deck. “On the day of the accident, after the scaffolding had been erected, Mr Eyres was asked to go back to the site by Dodds, and took the trainee with him. They were told Dodds could not access gutters on a roof next to a barn because scaffolding tubes were in the guttering. They spoke to Mr Green at the site and it was suggested the tubes needed pulling back, but Mr Eyres was not particularly happy and did not have appropriate equipment. Mr Green was described as being quite insistent, and Mr Eyres felt under a degree of pressure. The mistake Mr Eyres made was to bow to this pressure”. Tom Gent, mitigating, apologised to the victim on behalf of Acorn Scaffolding (Yorkshire) Ltd stating: “ Apart from that one incident it had an unblemished safety record in the 20 years it had been trading. Dodds was no longer in business.” Recorder Richard Woolfall said the fine would have been £50,000 but for the guilty plea, which reduced that by a third to £33,333.33. The company was also ordered to pay £14,638.40 costs.

Makers of worlds first on-site Scaffolding Robot bags €1M in funding

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Makers of worlds first on-site Scaffolding Robot bags €1M in funding

Munich based start-up Kewazo has successfully raised over 1 million euros of seed funding for their scaffolding robot.

The funding will enable Kewazo to bring its robotic solution for scaffolding assembly to the market and to establish the company’s sales and distribution network. Last month we reported that the Kewazo scaffolding robot aims to make the erection of scaffolding more efficient by delivering scaffolding materials to scaffolders where and when they need them. The robot moves up, down and along a scaffold by means of a special track attached to horizontal and vertical tubes of the job. Kewazo can “see” its surroundings, and it can plan its journey to the scaffolders who need the components using a path-finding algorithm, and this can be refined using machine-learning, so the robot builds up a better picture of how its human co-workers operate. After entering the scaffolding market, the German company plans to apply the system to other construction trades. Kewazo’s technology has a great market potential the firm says. In Germany alone, the assembly and disassembly of scaffolding generates annual sales of around one billion euro and over 23 Billion euro worldwide. “We are convinced of Kewazo’s business idea and technology and therefore decided to invest in this start-up at an early stage,” says Michael Motschmann, General Partner and CEO of MIG AG. “The introduction of modern robotics into a traditional sector such as the construction industry is an extremely exciting and promising approach. “Kewazo is a pioneer in building automation, which is bringing disruption in the industry. We want to participate in this project right from the start and we believe in supporting a really strong team,” adds Dr. Klaus Feix, Venture Partner of MIG AG and responsible for the investment in Kewazo. “In addition to financing, MIG contributes great entrepreneurial know-how, from which the young founders can certainly benefit.”
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