U.K. Edition
Scaffold Firm Fined 10K For No Scaffolding Licence
A company has been ordered to pay more than £10,000 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to erecting scaffolding without a licence.
Local news has reported that Derby Access Scaffolding Ltd, of Church Lane, Barrow on Trent, Derby, pleaded guilty at Leicester Magistrates Court to 14 offences committed between September 2 2015 and February 16 2016. The court was told that the company was erecting or retaining scaffolding at 33 Hamilton Street, Leicester, without a licence issued by Leicester City Council on September 3 2015, September 23 2015, September 30 2015, October 6 2015, October 30 2015 and November 9 2015, at 9 Chandos Street, Leicester on February 12 2016, at Loseby Lane on February 16 2016 and Loseby Lane on February 15 2016 and February 16 2016. Failing to comply with licence conditions by permitting scaffolding to be erected at 9 Chandos Street, Leicester without a toe-board, hand-rail of reflectorised down-pipes on January 21 2016, the same offence committed at the junction of Loseby Lane and Guildhall Lane on February 1 2016, and willful obstruction of Loseby Lane on February 15 2016. John Moss, for Leicester City Council said that the council must allow scaffolding to be put up unless it took the view that it would obstruct the highway, but needed to be covered by a licence which cost £35. “A retrospective licence can be obtained for £100 and it is also possible to apply on-line for a £35 licence.” Guy Carter for Derby Access Scaffolding, told the court that the company had worked perfectly for the past nine years. “There were no problems until this point in time when a valued member of staff went on long-term sickness leave, resulting in chaos. “The director has been put under a great deal of stress.” He said that, in the case of failing to provide toe-boards, hand-rails or reflectorising down-pipes, the scaffolding, once erected, was used by builders who might adjust them or remove them to suit the particular work they were doing and then not replace them afterwards.CISRS Launch Slick Promotional Video
CISRS has launched a bold new promotional film aimed at attracting people into a rewarding career in scaffolding through the CISRS training scheme.
The short, fast-paced, two-minute viral video was shot at approved CISRS training providers, Simian Risk Management in Warrington. It covers the basics of the industry recognised CISRS training scheme, specifically through the stories of three (Part 1, Part 2 and Advanced) scaffolders currently in training and the 2016 NASC Apprentice of the Year (Paul Howells), as well as featuring quotes from CISRS Scheme Manager, Dave Mosley and Simian Risk Management’s Training Director, Dave Abraham. With the construction industry calling for 230,000 new recruits over the next five years and the scaffolding sector playing such a vital role in the industry, demand for trainee scaffolding operatives has never been greater. And with 50,000+ CISRS card holding scaffolders currently in the UK (and 4,000+ Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme, OSTS, card holders), the scheme is in great shape – helping to meet the strong demand for skilled, regulated scaffolders with the right training in the construction industry. CISRS Scheme Manager, Dave Mosley said: “Scaffolding is a great career choice – full of interesting opportunities and offering the chance to earn good money, working on different locations and projects every week. And it’s a genuine ‘career for life,’ with options to diversify into other sectors, or even start your own company later on. We have created this film to try to encourage people to kickstart a rewarding career in scaffolding – a sector which is greatly in demand. “We’d like to thank CISRS training providers, Simian Risk Management, for granting us access to their training centre and classrooms to shoot the film and to all the scaffolding trainees in the film, for freely offering their inspiring stories about how they got into scaffolding and what the CISRS scheme and industry has done for their lives.” MD of Royle Media, Phil Royle said: “This has been a great project to be involved with – creating a high energy, inspirational viral video to get our there for CISRS and hopefully encourage people of all ages to consider a safe, rewarding career in a booming scaffolding industry, with really good prospects and earning potential.”Cape wins 5 year contract in UAE
Cape UAE wins maintenance contract in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Doosan Babcock at GASCO Habshan Bab Complex.
Cape UAE has announced that they have secured 5 years long term contract for carrying out shutdown maintenance programme with Doosan Babcock at GASCO Habshan Bab Complex, providing integrated Access, Insulation, Coatings and Refractory services. Doosan Babcock are a specialist in the delivery of engineering, aftermarket and upgrade services to the thermal power, nuclear, oil and gas, petrochemical and process industries. Using best-in-class technical expertise and an industry-leading project management capability, the company builds, maintains and extends the life of customer assets worldwide. The Habshan 5 Process Plant is designed to process 1,000 MMSCFD Offshore gas from Umm Shaif and additional 1,000 MMSCFD onshore gas comprising of a mix of associated gas from ADCO (1.8 MBPD Expansion) and non-associated high sour gas from Habshan fields (Total plant capacity : 2,150 MMSCFD). The facilities are designed to produce 750 MMSCFD sales gases, 12,000 TPD NGL and 5,200 TPD Sulphur. Hema Chandran, Operations Director for UAE, said: “Cape UAE is delighted to receive this prestigious contract. This is testament to our team’s commitment, dedication and attention to detail over a sustained period, and Cape UAE Operations will continue to uphold the Group’s reputation for delivering high quality essential industrial services safely and on time, and working closely with likeminded partners such as Doosan Babcock.” Steve Connolly, Managing Director of MENA commented: “This continues our long standing and excellent relationship with Doosan as they expand their wings to the Middle East, and I am delighted for the Cape UAE business to secure this contract with the same spirit that has been built over many years between both organisation in the UK.”Storm Katie Causes Scaffolding Mayhem
Storm Katie has battered much of the UK on Easter Monday with winds of up to 106mph causing serious scaffold damage and collapses across the UK.
One of the most significant scaffold collapses happened yesterday morning (Monday 28th) in a Berkshire shopping area. High winds caused a large sheeted scaffold to buckle from a three-story building crashing down onto a normally busy shopping precinct below. One man was walking underneath at the time and escaped without a single injury. No one else was involved and police have said that it was a lucky escape. Several stores, were unable to open in the aftermath and some were still shut on Tuesday as health and safety experts investigated the extent of the damage. More examples of damage caused by storm Katie
Wood Group awarded industrial services contract by Shell
Wood Group has secured a new three year contract with Shell, to deliver industrial services to the St Fergus gas processing plant in Aberdeenshire and the Mossmorran gas processing plant and Braefoot Bay marine terminal in Fife, Scotland.
Wood Group PSN’s industrial service line business, Wood Group Industrial Services (WGIS), will provide fabric integrity maintenance and site support under the contract, which has the option to be extended for up to four years.
Effective immediately, the contract builds on Wood Group’s 20 year history supporting Shell on these assets.
Hugh Pelham, managing director of WGIS, said: “This contract award is another example of Wood Group’s ability to deliver safe, more productive services. We are committed to leveraging our robust knowledge of the facilities and broad industrial services capabilities, towards the successful delivery of this contract.
“The onshore midstream oil and gas sector is a key growth area for WGIS; our 43 years of experience providing specialist, high quality industrial services, supporting the construction, maintenance, decommissioning and replacement of major industrial assets such as bridges, chemical plants, ships, oil rigs and power stations, positions us strongly to support clients in this sector.”
This is the second contract Wood Group has secured with Shell this year. In January, Wood Group Kenny commenced a three year contract providing specialist consultancy services for flexible riser integrity management prior to and during operation of Shell Australia’s Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas project.
Cape secures three year contract with SABIC UK Petrochemicals
Cape plc has extended their current relationship with SABIC UK Petrochemicals Limited, with the award of a contract renewal until end of December 2018.
The contract is for the provision of maintenance and project work including access, insulation, coating and passive fire protection at the Wilton and North Tees sites in Teesside, UK. The contract is expected to commence in April. Commenting on the contract award Joe Oatley, Chief Executive of Cape, said “I am delighted that Cape has secured this contract renewal at SABIC Teesside. Cape has a longstanding relationship with SABIC UK Petrochemicals Limited, spanning more than a decade and we look forward to continuing to work with this important client to deliver our critical industrial services across their assets”.TRAD Safety Systems Opens New Depot in Bristol
The UK’s leading supplier of Fall Safety Solutions is now the only company of its kind to offer nationwide coverage.
TRAD Safety Systems is celebrating its continued growth with the opening of its newest depot in Avonmouth, Bristol – following previous depot openings in London and Birmingham. The new site was strategically chosen due to its close proximity to the M4 and M5 motorways, enabling TRAD Safety Systems to effectively service customers throughout the South West. The division has successful operations at depots in Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and London and is now able to serve existing customers and develop new relationships in the South West as well. With its new infrastructure and facilities, TRAD Safety System’s new premises provide a truly efficient operating unit, enabling the company to provide a first-class service to existing and new clients. The company will be recruiting further staff using labour from the local area and training them to meet TRAD’s high standards.
Since acquiring the TRAD Group in 2012, Altrad Group has made significant investments towards increasing TRAD Safety System’s UK coverage; Jim Gorman, National Operations Director said:
“We chose the depot in Bristol because it gives us the responsive capability to offer fall prevention safety services to the Building, Construction, Civil Engineering and Maintenance Industries. We believe that for any company in our industry to be successful, good transport links, state-of-the-art equipment and a committed, experienced workforce are essential. In choosing Avonmouth as the location for our new depot, we believe we now have everything we need to continue our success throughout the whole of the UK.
Having a depot close to the M4 and M5 motorways will enable us to supply our diverse range of equipment to meet all customer demands. Whether customers require TRAD Edgeguard Roof Safety System, Horizontal Safety Lines, TRADGuard or TRAD Safety Decking, having these transport links will mean we’re able to service and complete every project effectively.
We have an experienced managerial and sales team of Geoff Sutton, John Kay and Kathy Griffin to run our Bristol depot. With a first-class team like this, we’re looking forward to seeing TRAD Safety Systems flourish in the South West.”
TRAD Group Managing Director, Des Moore stated “Due to great customer demand, the company has taken the decision to open a
sixth depot in Bristol, in which we have invested over £1 million – made possible with the continued support of the ALTRAD Group.”
The new depot opened at the beginning of March 2016 and was fully operational immediately.
TRAD Safety Systems looks forward to welcoming new working relationships, and is encouraging any companies that feel they
would benefit from TRAD Safety System’s market leading products and services to get in touch.
Contact TRAD Safety Systems today and discover how its comprehensive range of services will benefit your business.
To find out more about the safety benefits of TRAD Safety System’s products and services, contact its Bristol Depot on 0117 938 6980, or email [email protected]
About TRAD Safety Systems
TRAD Safety Systems is the UK market leader in the design, manufacture and supply of fall safety solutions for the Building, Construction and Maintenance Industries. With an unrivalled network of depots in Glasgow, Stockport, Leeds, Birmingham, London and now Bristol, TRAD Safety Systems covers all of the UK.
TRAD’s new depot is located at Unit C3, Greensplott Road, Chittening Industrial Estate, Avonmouth, Bristol, BS11 0YB. CISRS grants accreditation to first training centre in Africa
CISRS has granted training provider accreditation to the first CISRS Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme (OSTS) training centre in Africa.
The newly accredited training centre in Ipara Ogun State, Nigeria has been set up by Simian Skills and Falck Prime Atlantic.
Falck Safety Services (trading under the Falck Group of Companies), is the world’s largest provider of safety training for the offshore industry. Each year, they provide safety training to more than 320,000 employees from shipping companies, military defence units, the aviation industry and the oil industry – and now CISRS OSTS scaffolding in Nigeria.
The creation of the first CISRS OSTS training centre in Africa
began in 2013, when Simian Risk first spotted the demand for a recognised qualification via international oil companies and the Department of Petroleum regulators in Nigeria. Simian had received many enquiries from African-based companies and individuals wanting to come to the UK and Dubai to undertake CISRS courses.
Simian contacted CISRS Scheme Manager, Dave Mosley who worked closely with them, advising Falck of what would be required in order to comply with CISRS scheme rules.
Construction of the facility began in the autumn of 2015 and was completed in time for a successful accreditation audit visit in February 2016.
CISRS Scheme Manager Dave Mosley said: “CISRS are very pleased to be working with Simian Skills and Falck Prime Atlantic on this historic project and proud to have granted accreditation to the first training centre of its kind in Africa. It’s an excellent facility, and we wish them the greatest success and hope that it will improve the safety and standards of scaffolding within the region, whilst also offering a potential career opportunity to many Nigerians for years to come.”
The first CISRS OSTS Level 1 course has since been completed at the centre with all delegates passing the courses and now in the process of obtaining their CISRS OSTS cards. CISRS currently has around 4000 OSTS cardholders globally.
Simian Risk Operations Director, Ian Fyall; said: “We are thrilled to be involved in the creation of the first OSTS training provider in Africa – which is absolutely superb and a real feather in the cap of Simian Risk, Falck Prime Atlantic and CISRS. It’s been a long process to get to this point, but we are immensely proud to have done this and are confident the centre will be a roaring success in the region – helping to drive up scaffolding standards.”
Scaffolding Association hits the road with series of roadshows
Trade body continues to grow with a series of UK roadshows.
Over the last two years the alternative scaffolding trade body, The Scaffolding Association has quietly been growing its membership of scaffolding contractors nationwide with increasing momentum after previous successful roadshows. The Scaffolding Association is a not-for-profit organisation which has been founded to improve the understanding, safety and standards of scaffolding across the construction industry. The trade body offers three levels of memberships to all companies within the scaffolding industry to ensure all companies have access to an organisation which will provide them with guidance and support, irrespective of levels of competence or development.- Associate Membership: All companies within the scaffolding industry can have access to this level of membership.
- Assessed Membership: Designed to recognise companies who hold a current SSIP Scheme Certificate.
- Audited Membership: The Scaffolding Association’s third level of membership which was rolled during February! has been developed in line with PAS91 specifically for scaffolding contractors. Offering an independent third party audit, against a Scaffolding Specific Procurement Standard, undertaken by a UKAS accredited certification body.