U.K. Edition
TRAD Safety Systems Exhibit at the RCI Show 2016
The UK’s Leading Supplier of Fall Safety Products and Services Receives Great Feedback From its First Year at the Roofing, Cladding & Insulation Event in Coventry.
New North East Training Centre Receives Accreditation from CISRS
CISRS has awarded training provider accreditation to a prestigious industry training centre in the North East – AIS Training in North Shields, part of the Advanced Industrial Solutions group.
The state-of-the-art training village, conveniently located off the A19, in Tyne & Wear and offering 200,000 square foot of first rate training facilities, an on-site hotel and restaurant, is accredited for Part 1 Tube & Fitting Scaffolding and CISRS Operative Training Scheme (COTS) courses, with Basic Scaffold Inspection Training to follow soon. CISRS Scheme Manager Dave Mosley said: “AIS has a very impressive set-up and rich history in training off-shore and other sectors. They have responded really well to the strict criteria and demands it takes to be a CISRS approved training provider and we are very pleased to have them on board.” Part 1 and COTS scaffold training courses got underway at AIS in February. David John Adams, Lead Scaffold Instructor at AIS Training said: “We are delighted to have been awarded approval to deliver CISRS courses at our world-class training village in Newcastle, which will help make construction and work sites a safer place. Scaffolding is a crucial, highly sought-after skill and CISRS is widely acknowledged as the best industry standard available. We are anticipating high-demand for places. “This is the latest course to be added to our comprehensive portfolio of 175 industry-approved qualifications for the construction, oil and gas, wind and maritime sectors. It will be delivered from our brand new multi-million pound training centre of excellence for the construction sector, which offers state-of-the-art facilities and a world-class learning experience.”F-Board Wins the CN Business Innovation of the Year
F-Board has been crowned the winner of the Construction News Business Innovation of the year 2016.
After much debate by the judges, F-Board was crowned the victor of the CN Business Innovation of the year having demonstrated a number of benefits in terms of the environment, cost efficiency and health and safety through the product of the same name. The F-Board is a scaffold board made entirely from recycled plastic, which the company offers to buy back at the end of its life to make into new F-Boards, reducing the amount of timber used in the scaffolding sector. It also lowers the impact on the environment and reduces CO2 emissions – the UK produces millions of timber scaffold boards every year, which need to be replaced after their typical lifespan of 12 to 18 months. Not only were the judges impressed by the product’s green credentials, but also its ability to improve site safety. Each board’s non-slip design reduces the risk of workers slipping or falling from height in all weather, while the F-Board retainer locks the end of boards into place, preventing them lifting or changing position and creating trip hazards. The F-Board also delivers cost efficiencies that can benefit a project’s budget and be passed through the supply chain. Its lifecycle can reduce the frequency of purchasing scaffolding equipment, and by recycling their boards at the end of their lives, businesses also get a return on investment. As a company, F-Board pointed to its focus on research and development, working with academic institutions to improve the product’s performance and expand its application to sectors such as nuclear, transport and oil and gas. “This breakthrough innovation has huge benefits for the construction industry,” the judges said. “The company has shown dedication to innovation through ongoing product development, and by working on that with a number of leading universities in specialist fields. “This ultra green product ticks all the boxes and the market seems huge,” they added.Wood Group wins $120 million industrial services contract with Babcock International
Wood Group has been awarded a new five year framework contract with a five year extension option, valued at approximately $120 million, by Babcock International to provide industrial services to a number of its UK sites.
The contract will be delivered by Wood Group PSN’s industrial service line business, Wood Group Industrial Services (WGIS) and maintains the company’s leading position in the UK marine sector.
More than 400 people will be employed on the contract that builds on Wood Group Industrial Services’ 15 year relationship with Babcock International. Surface preparation, application of protective coatings, scaffolding, insulation, rope access, cleaning and fire sentry services will be delivered under this framework contract.
Hugh Pelham, managing director of WGIS, said: “Securing this new contract is testament to our track record in the marine sector and relationship with Babcock International. We have a strong history of delivering marine projects safely, to schedule and to budget. I look forward to building on this across further Babcock Group sites, and successfully continuing our long-standing relationship with this key client.” The Original Asterix HD Beam
GKR Win the CN Access & Scaffolding Specialist of the Year
GKR Scaffolding Ltd have won the coveted Access and Scaffolding Specialist of the Year award at the Construction News (CN) Specialist Awards 2016
London-based NASC members GKR Scaffolding Ltd have just celebrated 21-years in business and have recently created their own in-house GKR Academy. The academy gives employment training opportunities for scaffolding labourers and operatives to progress to management positions within the firm. GKR have also just celebrated 500,000+ hours without incurring a RIDDOR incident – proving their track record in health and safety. GKR Scaffolding submitted a CN Specialist Awards application in the access and scaffolding specialist contractor category, focusing on their work on iconic London projects, like the complex and high risk, Bloomberg’s new European headquarters, run by principal contractor Sir Robert McAlpine – London’s first billion pound construction job. Speaking about the Bloomberg project, GKR Scaffolding Ltd Director, Lee Rowswell said: “We were appointed early to try and unlock the project and solve workable solutions to the client’s demanding ideas. One of the many challenges was to construct a hoist run-off tower that could be moved at any-time to enable the stone cladding to progress on the external façade of the building. “And as Bloomberg is to be clad in stone and bronze and the bronze is not repairable, GKR made the decision to use a fully tethered system on all scaffolds on the project – giving our client the reassurance that nothing could ever damage the bronze.” Other key GKR Scaffolding Bloomberg project statistics included:- 178,836 Man Hours without RIDDOR or Minor Injury
- 3,836 tonnes of scaffold materials on site
- 1,206 aluminium beams to the base of the scenicliftshafts
- 256 deliveries to site with materials out of hours to avoid congestion within the City of London.
Didcot Power Station Collapse: Major Incident Declared
Update: One person has been killed, three people are missing and five in hospital after a building collapsed at Didcot Power Station.
A major incident has been declared with several casualties after a building collapse at Didcot power station in Oxfordshire, South Central Ambulance Service said. Emergency services are attending a building collapse at Didcot power station in Oxfordshire. Thames Valley police officers are said to be at the scene, along with other emergency services. According to the BBC, three ambulances are said to have also been dispatched, along with a hazardous area response team. The collapse at the Oxfordshire plant was reportedly heard shortly after 4pm. The power station has been listed for demolition but no activity was scheduled for today.Cape awarded new contract in South Korea
Cape plc has secured a contract with Samsung Heavy Industries (“SHI”) in South Korea for the installation of insulation to the Cryogenic Pipework on the Process Topside on Shell’s Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (“FLNG”) facility.
The Prelude FLNG facility is a global project with the key location for fabrication being in Geoje, South Korea. SHI’s shipyard is where the substructure and topsides are currently under construction and is one of the few dry docks in the world large enough to undertake the fabrication. Once complete, the Prelude FLNG facility will be moored 475 kilometres north-east of Broome in Western Australia. The Prelude FLNG facility is 488m long, 74m wide and along with its contents, will weigh around 600,000 tonnes. It will be the largest floating offshore facility in the world. Commenting on the contract award Joe Oatley, Chief Executive of Cape, said “I am delighted that Cape has been able to secure this contract and that we will be further developing our relationship with Samsung Heavy Industries. Prelude will be the world’s largest FLNG facility and we are proud to be involved with such a prestigious project.”Wood Group wins 5 year contract with Valero Energy
Wood Group has gained 5 year contract with Valero Energy at Pembroke refinery in south west Wales.

Wood Group has secured a new five year framework agreement with Valero Energy, an international manufacturer and marketer of transportation fuels, petrochemical products and power. Effective immediately, Wood Group Industrial Services (WGIS), will provide services to the onshore Pembroke refinery in south west Wales.
The contract signifies an important expansion for the firm into the UK petrochemical sector. WGIS will deliver surface preparation and application of protective coatings under the contract, which has a one year extension option.
Hugh Pelham, managing director of WGIS said: “WGIS has the broad capabilities and experience that positions us well to further extend our expertise into the downstream process and energy market. This is demonstrated by this contract win with Valero Energy, where our focus will be working in partnership with our client to deliver effective and efficient services to enhance the integrity of the asset.”
In 2015, WGIS secured more than $300m of new contracts.
Wood Group is an international energy services company with $6bn sales and operating in more than 50 countries.