Two injured as scaffolding collapses in London street

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Two injured as scaffolding collapses in London street

A man is fighting for his life after falling from height while working on scaffolding at an address in London

The incident happened at around 11:30am this morning (Thursday 16th February) in Cricklewood Broadway, Police believe this was due to a scaffolding collapse near The Crown Hotel.

The air ambulance attended the scene along with the London Fire Brigade. A second man is also said to have fallen and was taken to hospital although his injuries are not life-threatening.

A police spokesman said: “We believe this to be a workplace accident and the Health and Safety Executive will be informed. “We were called at 11.38hrs on today (Thursday February 16) to Crickewood Broadway to reports of two males injured after falling from a height.”

Two New Scaffolding Training Centres Open in Oman

Daniel Norton
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Two New Scaffolding Training Centres Open in Oman

The opening of two newly accredited scaffolding training facilities in Oman have been announced.

The new centres situated in Nizwa and Muscat represent a very important strategic base for scaffolding training by providing support to the major oil related industries in Oman. The project is being spearheaded by UK scaffold training provider Safety and Access Ltd (SA) with the established Oman-based training provider, Technical Training Institute (TTI) and training specialist provider Knowledge Grid (KG). Following a recent CISRS accreditation the new centres will now run a wide range of CISRS scaffold related training including scaffolder operative training, scaffold inspection and scaffolding supervisor courses. TTI has a proven track record of delivering training to multidiscipline contracting companies specialising in construction, fabrication and maintenance services for the energy and industrial sectors. Their existing training facility is large and spacious and finished to a very high specification and they are working on plans to build a brand new bespoke training facility for multi discipline trades in Oman in the near future. In a statement sent to ScaffMag, SA state that ‘prior to the accreditation a presentation was arranged with local key clients to outline the present and future plans for training and support in the area. It has been a requirement with several major clients in Oman for some time that independently accredited training is adopted by contractors and this new venture provides such support’. Following the accreditation, SA Joint MD Rick Statham said: ”The new centre represents a very important strategic location for us. We have been offering accredited training in the Gulf for over four years and we can see the requirement for quality training growing. It is yet another major step forward for the clients in the region to affirm their strict requirements for high standards of safety and technical delivery with the requirement for independently accredited training in the high risk area of scaffolding and work at height. The excellent centre here in Oman with our partners TTI will greatly complement the expanding need for such support for clients and contractors across the GCC and Asia.” CISRS Scheme Manager Dave Mosley who carried out the CISRS accreditation audit commented: “It is excellent to see Safety & Access expanding its presence in Gulf Co-operation Countries (GCC). We hope that this venture with TTI will be a great success and will continue to promote CISRS training benefits within the region. It is very encouraging to see a company willing to invest in their practical facility, I was impressed with the current set up and look forward to seeing the new centre when it is completed.”

Middle East Shutdown Win for Cape

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Middle East Shutdown Win for Cape

Cape plc sign major Qatar shutdown contract

International industrial services provider Cape have announced that their Qatar operations have signed a ‘major’ turnaround shutdown contract.

The contract with Qatar Engineering & Construction Company (QCON) will see Cape provide scaffolding, insulation, painting and refractory works at Qatar Petroleum’s NGL-4 plant.

Pre-shutdown activities commenced in December 2016 with all shutdown activities scheduled to be completed by April 2017.

See Also: CAPE extends contracts with EDF Energy

QCON is the leading maintenance contractor in the oil & gas, petrochemical, fertilizer and power industries. Formally known as MECON, the company was established in 1975. Since then, QCON has contributed immensely to the hydrocarbon infrastructural development in Qatar. QCON employs over 5,000 skilled personnel on permanent basis that are supplemented by short-term personnel as required to meet project needs.

Samir Chopra, Operations Director Qatar, commented: “We are proud that Cape is always trusted for such a challenging job and we are confident we will provide our services in a safe and efficient manner.”

The 9 Most Dangerous Jobs in Britain

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The 9 Most Dangerous Jobs in Britain
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 

Update: Electric Shock Scaffolder shows improvement

Daniel Norton
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Update: Electric Shock Scaffolder shows improvement

Scaffolder Jamie Mines who had to have his leg and hands amputated after a severe electric shock is no longer in an induced coma.

As ScaffMag previously reported Jamie was working at Kendrick Industrial Estate, Swindon, in December when he was electrocuted so severely he had to be rescued by emergency services. Jamie’s injuries were also so severe he was placed in an induced coma. To save Jamie’s life doctors had to amputate one of his legs, he lost all the toes on the other, and also had one hand amputated. However several days later, soon after Boxing Day, both his arms had to be amputated. See also: Scaffolder loses leg and arms after being electrocuted
Jamie Mines
Scaffolder, Jamie Mines
The 33 year-old dad of five month old twin girls is “continuing to impress his medical team with his progress” said Jamie’s friend Ian Kennedy. “He is still in intensive care but he is no longer sedated and is aware of his injuries. He is starting to work with the rehabilitation team & is proving very determined. He knows how much support he has and has seen a lot of the video messages. Thank you to everyone for your continued support”. Jamie has had huge support from across the country including famous sporting stars such as Joe Calzaghe and footballing legend Alan Shearer have left video messages pledging their support.

Donate

Tributes continue to pour in for Jamie on his Go Fund Me page. The Go Fund Me page was set up by his close friend Ian Kennedy to help with the costs of his life-changing injuries with a target of £100,000, over 2,368 people have already donated £79,575 in the last four weeks.

Video: Salisbury Cathedral Scaffolding 1950

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Video: Salisbury Cathedral Scaffolding 1950
Great little video showing the old school scaffolding and the nail biting views from 400+ feet from the top of Salisbury Cathedral in the 1950’s. Amazingly the video also shows us the old original winch and the original oak scaffold boards used to build the cathedral in the 13th century. According to Wikipedia – The cathedral has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom (123m/404 ft). Visitors can take the “Tower Tour” where the interior of the hollow spire, with its ancient wood scaffolding, can be viewed. Video Credit: British Pathe

North East training provider secures contract with Kier North Tyneside

Daniel Norton
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North East training provider secures contract with Kier North Tyneside

Scaffolding training provider AIS Training has secured a contract with Kier North Tyneside to up-skill its employees.

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.”

Road closed after truck smashes into scaffolding

Scaffmag Newsdesk
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Road closed after truck smashes into scaffolding

A truck driver has been charged with careless driving after ploughing into scaffolding erected to protect a Scottish bridge.

The Daily Record reports that the accident happened close to Ballat Bridge which spans the A81 at Balfron Station and carries water pipes connecting Loch Katrine and Glasgow. The bridge was badly damaged back in September when it was hit by the arm of an earthmover which was being transported on the back of a lorry. On Monday a articulated lorry, being driven south by a 60 year-old man from County Mayo, Ireland, struck and became entangled in the scaffolding. Scaffolding “height restrictors” had been erected on both approaches to the bridge to prevent vehicles too high for the structure from travelling beneath it. Inspector Gerry McMenemy of Police Scotland told the Observer: “The bridge was open to traffic with restricted movement and traffic controls. “Scaffolding had been erected either side of the bridge, on its approaches, to prevent over-height vehicles from proceeding under the bridge. “An HGV, which was over height, struck the scaffolding on the southern approach and became entangled in it. “It will be quite a job to free the vehicle from the entangled metal work. “No-one was hurt and no other vehicle was involved. The scaffolding was put up to protect the bridge and it appears to have done its job.”    

British Entrepreneur Buys Palmers Scaffolding

Scaffmag Newsdesk
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British Entrepreneur Buys Palmers Scaffolding

The UK’s oldest scaffolding contractor, Palmers Scaffolding – formed in 1880 by Edwin Palmer – has a new owner.

Colin Butt

British entrepreneur Colin Butt who runs a number of established business from his UK base at Aviation House, Aviation Park, Chester becomes the new owner.

In a divestment process at the end of 2016 (which came into effect January 4th 2017), the leading scaffolding and access solutions brand Palmers was sold to businessman Colin Butt by previous German owners XERVON GmbH, who were looking to off-set some of their non-EU businesses, post Brexit.

The now British-owned and run Palmers Scaffolding UK Limited business – which employs 300 staff and consistently ranks in the top 10 of UK scaffolding contractors with multi-million pound turnovers (£15.3M 2016) – will continue to run leading scaffolding and access solutions across the UK operationally from its branches  strategically located across the country, from Vauxhall in central London to Belvedere in Kent, Bristol in the South West, Chester in the North West Middlesbrough in the North East and up to Glasgow in Central Scotland

As one of the UK scaffold industry‘s leading access, scaffolding and related industrial services providers, Palmers Scaffolding UK Limited will continue to focus on working on some of Britain’s leading projects and most important sites within the construction, airport, railway, petrochemical, power generation, marine and nuclear market sectors.

New owner & Palmers Scaffolding UK Limited CEO, Colin Butt said: “We are thrilled to be the proud new owners of such an historic brand as Palmers – who continue to operate at the highest level of Special Access provision, have a highly skilled workforce. They have established excellent, pre-qualified working relationships with some of the country’s leading contractors and we are looking forward to moving the brand forward in 2017 and beyond and working on some of the biggest, most important projects in Britain in coming years.”

Palmers Scaffolding UK Limited Managing Director, Donald Morrison comments: “It is very exciting times for the Palmers brand. Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental excellence has been, and will remain, the number one priority in the delivery of our business. For over 130 years, Palmers have provided a quality service to all industries. We know that the highest levels of service and performance in our areas of supply can only be achieved through collective involvement, commitment and teamwork. And with Colin Butt’s vast experience in the Special Access sector, his connections, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial skill set, it can only mean greater success for Palmers in the future.”

All Palmers corporate branding and staff remain unchanged with Donald Morrison MD supported by Lindsay Harle Director, Ian McFarlane Director Business & Project Development together with Colin Butt as the new CEO

CISRS Announce CPD Pilot Courses

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CISRS Announce CPD Pilot Courses

CISRS announce the running of CPD pilot courses at three of its accredited training providers.

CISRS will be running a series of pilot courses next month for its new controversial Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course, which is set to go live on 1st of July 2017. National Construction College (NCC) Midlands will run the first of the pilot courses at its centre in Birmingham on 15th and 16th February. CISRS will be looking for scaffolders whose card is due to expire in 2017 to attend the (free of charge) pilot courses. Further courses will take place at NCC Midlands on 15th/16th March and 24th/25th April. CISRS accredited providers Safety and Access and Simian Skill are also looking to set dates for further pilot courses to be delivered at their centres in Nottingham and Warrington respectively. Each of the CISRS accredited providers looking to offer CPD training will also be requested to have one of their instructors attend a pilot course, so they can bring themselves up to speed with the content and delivery of the new two-day course. The course will include a general scaffolding update – covering the relevant technical and safety guidance notes, such as SG4, SG6 & TG20 – as well as a scaffold inspection and an aluminium tower module, which if completed successfully can then be endorsed on the rear of the new card. A health and safety test will also be included, which if the delegates pass will negate the need to complete the CITB Health and Safety and Environment test. To assist in this new training module, a bank of health and safety questions will be issued to CISRS CPD delegates prior to attending the course. Dave Mosley, CISRS Scheme Manager, said:
Around 4,000 scaffolders will need to renew either their Scaffolder or Advanced Scaffolder card in 2017 and more than half of these hold cards which will expire prior to 1st July – and as such will renew under the current scheme requirement of completing the CITB Health and Safety and Environment Test or a recognised exemption, not the new CPD.
Card renewal reminders are issued to cardholders three to six months prior to the card expiry date and CISRS envisages that a number of scaffolders may renew their card early in order to beat the 1st of July CPD course deadline.
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