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.
LIMITED OFFER – FULLY FUNDED SCAFFOLDER TRAINING AVAILABLE Last three remaining places for FULLY funded learning at Nottingham.Please be aware that Safety & Access have three remaining places to be filled prior to the end of April and are offering ScaffMag readers the opportunity to take advantage of this.Learners will attend for 11 weeks over an 18 month period and will complete training and assessment to result in the award ultimately of their CISRS Scaffolders Card.Employers that pay into the CITB levy are entitled to additional and significant payments to further support this training and for employers that employ less than 50 people additional grants of around £1500.00 are available.Candidates must be aged between 16 and 24 and must be keen and committed to a career in the scaffolding industry.For more details on this very limited offer please contact Hayley Williams – Training Manager at [email protected] or call our Nottingham Office on 0115 979 4523 and ask for Hayley.www.safetyaccess.co.uk
Cape’sKingdom of Saudi Arabia subsidiary, Cape R B Hilton, has been awarded a contract by Nasser S Al Hajri (NSH) to provide 120,000 m2 of suspended scaffold on the Sulphur Recovery Unit project at Saudi Aramco’s Fadhili Gas Plant.
The Saudi Aramco Fadhili Gas Program in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is planned to have a total processing capacity of 2.5 billion standard cubic feet per day and comprises onshore Khursaniyah upstream facilities, the Fadhili downstream pipelines, a residential camp and industrial support facilities. The new Fadhili Gas Plant will be built approximately 30 kilometres southwest of the existing Khursaniyah Gas Plant.
Established in 1978, NSH is the leading industrial contractor within KSA having in excess of 100,000 employees operating globally in its group.
Paul Cockerill, Managing Director KSA & Bahrain commented:
“This scaffold contract award is a significant strategic win for Cape R B Hilton, it’s an important stepping stone into the Fadhili Gas Plant Project with one of our major clients with whom we have had a long and successful relationship. We are committed to delivering a safe and reliable service and will look to secure additional work packages at this prestigious project.”
The National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has reported another fatality-free year in its highly regarded 2017 Safety Report.
The document analyses accident and injury statistics for its full contract members in the previous 12 months. Representing more than 17,000 UK scaffolding operatives, constituting a significant percentage of the total British scaffolding workforce, its findings are well respected. The good news is, despite a 14 per cent rise in the number of NASC member operatives over the period, the incident rate has been halved to what it was five years ago. The report also reveals the lowest incidence and frequency rates recorded by NASC full contracting member companies, showing a 16 per cent decrease in the frequency of manual handling injuries. Additionally, no members of the public were injured around NASC member scaffolds. NASC full contracting members are required to submit a completed annual accident return as a requirement of membership, and the NASC Safety Report is based on data generated by this exercise. The 24-page report features, Injuries and fatalities to operatives, members of the public and third parties, accident causes and types, a detailed analysis of accidents, comparison of the HSE/NASC accident statistics and what the NASC does to support safe scaffolding practice. NASC President, Alan Lilley said:
“Once again, the NASC Annual Safety Report has highlighted how successful our members are at reducing accidents through compliance with industry safety standards and adherence to NASC guidance. No doubt, the release of SG4:15 ‘Preventing Falls in Scaffolding Operations’ was a major factor in achieving this reduction in accidents. And the fact that there’s been a marked reduction in the number of accidents – despite a record-level of NASC membership, shows what we do for our members in producing quality safety and technical guidance.”
The news isn’t all good however, as slips, trips and falls were the major cause of accident and injury – representing a third of all reported injuries, for the 12th year running. NASC Managing Director, Robin James added:
“The Annual Safety Report clearly highlights what we are doing to drive up safety standards in access and scaffolding, with reliable data to back it up. NASC members are strictly audited to maintain the highest possible standards, helping to keep their contracted operatives safe on construction sites right across the UK.”
The NASC 2017 Safety Report will be officially launched at the ‘Health & Safety Scotland’ Event industry trade show held at Glasgow SEC, May 3-4. The report is also being circulated with Construction News Work at Height issue on June 9th and Construction National Spring issues, with a digital reader/PDF version available here.
The All-round Lightweight scaffolding system from modular specialist Layher will have a major role to play in Aberdeen’s £745Million transport infrastructure development.
The scheme, Linking Stonehaven in the south to Tipperty in the north, will include four sections, 75 principal structures including two river crossings, a railway bridge and 70 culverts. The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will significantly improve travel in and around the north east of Scotland. The scaffolding system will be part of the general construction process.“A project of this size clearly has key scheduling objectives that need to be met,” says Sean Pike, MD of Layher UK, whose involvement was orchestrated by the company’s Livingston facility. “The speed and adaptability of the scaffold installations are critical, particularly as each bridge structure is designed to meet individual functional and location considerations.”The decision by AWPR Construction Joint Venture, reflects key characteristics of the All-round system design. When complete, the project will help to reduce congestion, cut journey times, improve safety and lower pollution in Aberdeen City Centre. It will also enable local authorities to develop public transport solutions.Sean added: “As with all Layher scaffold and weather protection systems, All-round Lightweight benefits from ease of handling and wide bay configuration as well as minimum component requirements resulting from the built-in ‘rosette’ connection system. This also produces clear gains in terms of transportation to, and storage at, site while the absence of separate fittings represents not only an obvious health and safety advantage, but also minimises the risk of materials being accidentally left at a site after removal. In a rural location – as is generally the case here over much of the alignment – this is of particular significance. Importantly, the Layher All-round system also requires minimal cross-bracing, enabling clear walkways to be utilised, aiding the movement of both workforce and materials around each structure. Additionally, the versatility and loading capability of the modular system meets key considerations at the Aberdeen site head on, with consequent gains in terms of safety and project scheduling.”A total of four fully boarded scaffold lifts have been installed, to allow for construction of the bridge support substructure, with Layher stair-towers also used at key points optimising speed of access. The deployment of advanced construction techniques impacts directly on both scheduling and budgetary control. The use of Layher’s All-round Lightweight scaffolding system is a clear demonstration of these objectives in operation. Kenneth Redman, Technical Manager, Scotland and Ireland at Layher’s office in Scotland, said the company’s work on the project included several significant bridge ‘focus point crossings’.“One particular site has called for two separate, yet complementary, bridges to be installed almost at a right angle to each other,” he explains. “While one is designed to raise the new dual carriageway over an existing road below, the other is to carry the new road over major utility services. The speed of erection and adaptability of All-round Lightweight has been clearly demonstrated here and has avoided possible design complications, additional manpower and potential delays that could have arisen from the use of a tube and fitting alternative.”Critically, the scaffold installation must be able to keep pace with the work as it progresses.
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
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. 
The document analyses accident and injury statistics for its full contract members in the previous 12 months. Representing more than 17,000 UK scaffolding operatives, constituting a significant percentage of the total British scaffolding workforce, its findings are well respected. 
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.
