A list of the most dangerous jobs in Britain has been published. Scaffolding and Roofing has finished high on the list, and even with all the safety and technical guidance around Scaffolding is still classed as one of the most deadliest jobs in Britain.
Highlighted by
Business Insider and using data compiled from the
Office for National Statistics (ONS) workplace mortality figures from 2010-2016, they found that almost 850 people have died at work in the past six years.
The most common cause of death was falling, which accounted for 268 deaths last year. Perhaps not surprisingly, roles that involve working at great heights like construction and scaffolding were some of the most dangerous on the list, but they didn’t come top.
9. Bin Man/Waste Collection – 20 Deaths
Operating heavy machinery and extremely heavy vehicles means that waste collection isn’t only a stinky dirty job, it can be a deadly one.
8. Civil engineering – 20 Deaths
Collapsed excavations, being hit by vehicles, coming into contact with electricity and even hyperthermia were just some of the causes of deaths for civil engineers.
7. Electricians and Plumbers – 26 Deaths
Falls were the top cause of death for electricians, not being electrocuted…as you may of thought.
6. Mechanics – 26 Deaths
With grease monkey mechanics spending much of their working day under cars and trucks it’s quite easy to identify the most immediate risk to them. But many mechanics are also called out to motorway breakdowns, which exposes them to further risks.
5. Chippies and Painters – 28 Deaths
Here once again working from height is the culprit, with 18 out of the 28 deaths resulted from a fall.
4. Lorry Drivers – 41 Deaths
After falling, cars and lorries are one of the biggest causes of workplace deaths, with vehicle-related incidents, making up a fifth of all fatalities at work. Just over 40 HGV drivers have died in road accidents.
3. Roofing and Scaffolding – 69 Deaths
The majority of workplace deaths are due to falls. Falling or injuries sustained while falling accounted for 29% of all workplace deaths last year — and scaffolding is one of the most dangerous careers in the country after 69 people died at work since 2010.
2. Construction – 101 Deaths
Almost 20% of workplace deaths in the UK are linked to accidents with heavy machinery, so it’s unsurprising that 101 people died in construction work. Half of the deaths on building construction sites were a result of a fall from height, but falling objects are also a risk.
1. Farming – 167 Deaths (Most Deadliest) 
Agriculture is the UK’s most dangerous industry, with 167 deaths over the past year. Aside from coming into contact with heavy machinery and working from heights, farm animals also pose a danger. Animal-related incidents have accounted for 29 workplace deaths since 2010.
Data compiled and adapted by adzuna from HSE – 2010-2016 by 
“The Tamer was born from my day to day use of the Ready lock transom (Animals where I come from – hence ‘Tamer’) and being constantly frustrated by the resulting platform,” said Flynn. Although setting the toe boards at an angle seemed to work for a while, in the long run, movement on the platform led to board movement and the dreaded gap appearing time after time. I’ve never personally laid a tube in the gap but am aware of its use – again unsatisfactory,” said Flynn.
“The Tamer rids the platform of the gap and keeps the boards aligned in a simple clip design, from the few incarnations came the final design we have released into the market.”
Also Read: New ‘KLAWZ’ scaffold fitting hits the marketplace
Flynn said that the concept was one thing, “The design process to get a cost effective yet functional product, was the real issue. Many long hours were spent in joint efforts with Matt Shore and the MS-UK development team, their overseas manufacturing group, and various Patent Attorneys before the final multipurpose design you see today was ready for launch.”
The fitting has been tried and tested on site. Flynn said, “Mark Parkin and Barry White of Tiger Scaffolding in Whitby were the guys who gave us the feedback on the design from use in their own projects. Their excellent feedback left us in no doubt to push the button on the mass production of the Tamer and release the fitting as soon as possible.”
There was more usability to the fitting, “The bonus came when we tried the Tamer on Cuplok at the Forgeco base and it fit like a glove, when using 38mm boards and intermediate transoms,” said Flynn. “The unique way in which it holds the toe board proud of the standard cleared the cups and locks again, tidying the platform beyond recognition. AT-PAC kindly offered to try the same cross system use with their Ringlock system and again the results were great.”
Flynn is confident that the Tamer fitting will at £1.45 prove its worth on site. “The primary benefits of the Tamer to the scaffold contractor are that the platform is a much more user friendly place to work,” he said. “Gaps no longer appear over time leaving the client very happy and the general appearance of the completed scaffold is improved overall. Benefits that will be felt over time are the lack of site visits to reseat or replace moving boards.”
According to Tamer fitting documentation the fitting is available exclusively from Metal Spraying (UK) Ltd and their nominated distributors. 
It’s been announced that Kier North Tyneside will initially invest in training 24 of its employees at AIS Training’s 12-acre industrial training village on North Tyneside.
Kier employees will be trained in the CISRS Scaffolding Testing Inspection qualification. The three-day accredited course, which AIS say has been tailored to Kier North Tyneside’s existing processes and practices, will enable employees to inspect and sign-off external scaffolding structures.
Kier regional director, Mike Furze said: said: “At Kier, we are committed to
investing in our workforce to not only improve skill-sets but also to keep
raising industry standards.
“We chose AIS Training to deliver this training because of the high quality
facilities and tuition. The company has invested heavily in the region over the
past few years and now offers a unique training proposition in the North East.”
David John Adams from AIS Training added: “We are delighted to be working with
Kier North Tyneside on this prestigious project to up-skill its workforce. There
are huge skills shortages within the scaffolding sector and Kier North
Tyneside’s investment will help to boost skills levels within the North East
region.” 
