U.K. Edition
Scaffolding Software Giant Avontus Expands Into The UK
Software corporation expands its global reach into the UK to meet the increasing demand for high quality scaffolding software.
Avontus is proud to announce that they are expanding their global reach and have opened a new office in Ely, UK. The new office is located near the tech hub of Cambridge and will employ sales, support, training, and implementation staff. The office has been started to meet the increasing demand for high quality scaffolding software tailored to the industrial and systems scaffolding markets. “The UK is a natural extension to our presence in Australia and we are excited to be opening this office. Our support and development systems allow us to easily expand while still maintaining the high level of service that our customers enjoy,” says Brian Webb CEO and founder of Avontus Software. Leading the team in this new location is Andrew Smith, recently relocated back to the UK from Canada where his extensive scaffolding career and love of technology are perfectly suited to the UK industrial scaffolding market. “Software to manage industrial scaffolding has always been the strength of Avontus. Having used the full suite of software in a scaffolding setting myself, I’m very excited to be in a unique position to bring our design and management software back home,” says Andrew Smith. Avontus has an existing base of customers in the UK and Europe, including some of the world’s largest equipment supply and manufacturing companies. Avontus has been developing software specialized for scaffolding, formwork, and small tool management for over a decade. Avontus customers include owner-operated single-branch companies as well as major multinational firms, all of whom receive full support and ongoing software updates. For more information and a free trial of their scaffolding software please contact Andrew Smith at Avontus on:- Tel: +44 0122 392 6298
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: http://www.avontus.co.uk
Union warns possible strike action by North Sea oil contractors
Offshore contractors are to be balloted on possible industrial action in a row over changes to working conditions.
Unite members of the Offshore Contractor Association (OCA) failed to agree with employers on proposals to alter shift patterns and cut pensions. Several oil and gas firms operating in the North Sea have announced plans to axe jobs and reduce salaries. Unite said “knee jerk cuts to jobs and standards” would undermine “future prosperity and safety” in the industry.
Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding Ltd completes challenging Cornish Viaduct project.
The Hayle Viaduct
The Hayle Railway, opened in 1837, it was situated in front of the magnificent viaduct, built in 1852 by the West Cornwall Railway to I. K. Brunel’s design. The original viaduct, which was made of wooden trestle, stood for 34 years before being rebuilt in granite in 1886. Hayle viaduct is very unique due to having three roads that run under it. Infrastructure contractors Dyer & Butler enlisted Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding Ltd to erect a 300m long x 12m wide x 12m high scaffold for major refurbishment works on the viaduct. Approximately 1,000 life expired deck timbers, old track, ballast, 4,500 rivets and existing handrail needed to be replaced within a challenging 6 week period.Work Commenced
NASC registered scaffolding contractors Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding Ltd commenced works with the main access scaffold which was 300m long x 12m wide x 12m high. Using the time saving Plettac Contur scaffold system the scaffold was erected to the outside face of the viaduct plus in-between each of it’s 37 piers. 250 x 780mm deep beams were used to bridge under the viaduct, in total over 10,000 system components, 5,500 short boards and a 1000 sheets of ply-wood were used. Six access staircases and a secondary birdcage came together to complete this impressive structure. Eight highly skilled scaffolding professionals from Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding Ltd were given the task to erect the main scaffold working twelve hour day shifts completing the structure in five weeks. Once railway line closures were in-place four men were on day shifts and four on nights. A rolling temporary roof was also erected as Dyer & Butler had only 16 days to complete the works. The roof was to enable the client to remove and renew approximately 1000 sleepers, old track and ballast. Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding Ltd were rolling on average 25m a shift and the roof was erected and dismantled in 6 days.
Once the line re-opened, scaffolders then shrink-wrapped the underside of the track and the sides of the viaduct for replacing steel work and repainting the whole viaduct. These works are still on going.
Project Challenges
- Timescales in which to erect the scaffolding.
- The viaduct curved for 10m over the length of the viaduct.
- Access to the site was very restricted and difficult to deliver scaffolding equipment.
- Working over public roads had to allow for traffic with stop go boards.
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VIDEO: Shocking CCTV footage of a falling scaffold tube seriously injuring two female pedestrians
A man has been in police custody after a falling scaffold tube seriously injures two women on a busy London city street.
On Tuesday 20th January 2015 a scaffolding contractor was in the process of dismantling a large scaffold in the heart of london’s financial district, when a scaffold tube became dislodged it plummeted towards the city street below striking two female pedestrians as this shocking CCTV footage shows…. Read the full report here – Investigation underway after two pedestrians receive serious head injuries from falling scaffold tubeScaffMag Achieves A Record Breaking January
ScaffMag has achieved a personal record with over 100,000 page views during the month of January 2015.
ScaffMag continues to expand its industry reach with the announcement of record visitor numbers to the site. Between January 3rd – February 3rd 2015 ScaffMag.com generated 111,752 page views with a bounce rate of only 36%.
Cape Agrees On Joint Venture With Prezioso Linjebygg SAS
Cape & Prezioso Linjebygg SAS join forces to create a ‘complete service capability’ to support the upcoming new-build nuclear programme in the UK.
Cape plc and Prezioso Linjebygg SAS, the international providers of essential support services to the energy and natural resources sectors, have announced that they have concluded an agreement to create a Joint Venture company to bring together the capacity, experience and skills of both organisations in order to support the upcoming new-build nuclear programme in the UK. The agreement is subject to necessary regulatory approvals. This new company will offer the programme a complete service capability in terms of industry know-how in Europe, both organisations having a significant heritage in this sector in the UK and France. Joe Oatley, Chief Executive of Cape commented:“We are pleased to enter into this joint venture with Prezioso Linjebygg to establish a company dedicated to the UK’s nuclear new-build sector, capitalising on the substantial structure and experience of both organisations for the benefit of our potential customers and our shareholders.”
About Prezioso Linjebygg SAS
Prezioso Linjebygg SAS (www.prezioso-linjebygg.com) assists its customers in extending the life and optimising the cost of their most critical assets by designing and implementing services for protective and insulation coatings (with related access means) and engineering and deploying solutions for asset inspection, repair, maintenance and modification. With 60 years of experience, Prezioso Linjebygg has built up a portfolio of blue-chip customers, especially in the Nuclear and Oil and Gas sectors. The group has more than 5,600 employees working in 17 countries and reported a revenue of 480 million Euros in 2014.Bilfinger Salamis fined £100,000 after death of offshore worker
Bilfinger Salamis UK Ltd have been fined for serious safety failings following an incident in which a rope access worker died after plunging 23 metres from a platform into the sea.
Lee Bertram, then 37, from Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, was working for Bilfinger Salamis UK Limited on a Shells Brent Charlie platform in the North Sea when the incident happened on 16 June 2011. Mr Bertram was using ropes to access below the deck and carry out a sweep for dropped objects that could fall into the water, potentially injuring divers working in the sea below. Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard on 2nd February 2015 that Mr Bertram had successfully abseiled around an area about eight square feet taking photographs and removing debris. He then started back up the ropes and was a metre from the top when he noticed a beam clamp that needed to be removed, which he did with a hammer. As Mr Bertram started his ascent to the deck he had to stop, suspended, just below the hatch in order to open the rope protector so he could move his ‘jammer’ up the working rope and past the edge allowing him to move through the hatch. However, as he pushed down on his foot loop to come up through the hatch both the main and the safety rope sheared against the sharp edge and he fell to the sea – a distance of 23 metres – striking steelwork as he fell. When he landed in the water, his lifejacket inflated and a rescue vessel was deployed. Despite showing some signs of consciousness during the rescue he died from his injuries before reaching the onsite hospital. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the job Mr Bertram was undertaking had not been properly planned and was contrary both to industry (IRATA) guidelines and the company’s own procedures. Inspectors concluded that had the work been properly planned the edge of the hatch would have been identified as being sharp and the risk of rigged ropes coming into contact with it could have been prevented. Instead the ropes were rigged against the edge leading them to be severed. Bilfinger Salamis UK Limited of Pinbush Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, was fined £100,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Following the case, HSE Inspector Katie McCabe, said: “This was a tragic incident and Mr Bertram’s death could have been prevented had Bilfinger Salamis planned the job correctly and put suitable safety measures in place. “Assessing the risks of that job properly would have identified that the potentially sharp edge presented a very clear danger to anyone suspended and working on ropes rigged against it. “However, the company failed to do this so failed to take safety precautions and instead, Mr Bertram fell to his death.” A spokesperson for Bilfinger Salamis UK said to chroniclelive.co.uk : “On June 16, 2011, Lee Bertram was working as a rope access technician when he suffered a fatal fall whilst working offshore. “Following the incident we openly communicated with the industry, shared our initial findings, and have subsequently been working with the authorities to fully understand the circumstances of the incident. “Our thoughts at this difficult time are with Lee’s family and friends.”XERVON Palmers Scaffolding at Ovingham Bridge, River Tyne
XERVON Palmers continue to deliver bespoke scaffolding and access on 166m long bridge over the River Tyne.
Scaffolding contractor, XERVON Palmers, are currently in the middle of a contract for Northumberland County Council and the Department for Transport (DfT) providing access for the £3 million refurbishment of the historic Ovingham Bridge over the River Tyne, in the North East. Scaffolding and access work began in March 2014 and the bridge closed to traffic on June 30th – and will remain closed until June 2015, whilst specialist contractors carry out work to prevent the spread of an invasive plant species on the bank which is damaging the structure. In addition, the extensive bridge refurbishment consists of replacing the existing deck construction, cross girders, deck plates and fitting new kerbs, along with refurbishing the bridge metalwork and lattice trusses and waterproofing works.
XERVON Palmers has been providing expert, bespoke scaffolding and access on the 166m long bridge, mainly of a tube and fitting and scaffolding board construction. The XERVON Palmers team, which has been up to 10 operatives, have provided a special design with flood water protected scaffold towers around the bridge columns in a buttress structure, for the sections going under water. These have been specially designed to protect the scaffold from the might of the River Tyne during Winter high-water and flooding.
[quote_center]”Access jobs like these are our ‘bread and butter’ – providing scaffolding expertise, safely, on time and to a strict budget.”[/quote_center]
Further XERVON Palmers scaffold design innovation has been provided at Ovingham Bridge with a Palmers-designed aluminium bridging panel beam system – created to minimise the amount of fittings required, thus reducing the amount of time required to erect and strike the job. This design innovation has kept the contract within the cost constraints of the County Council budget.
Ian McFarlane, Director for Business & Project Development at XERVON Palmers said:
“The scaffolding structure we have provided at the iconic Ovingham Bridge has worked perfectly in providing a safe working platform for the bridge repairs and renovations, whilst standing solid in the middle of the forceful River Tyne. And the job has been erected in such a way to save the contractor money and time – meaning the bridge can open to traffic as soon as possible, which is what the local community want.”
And Donald Morrison, CEO of XERVON Palmers added:
“Access jobs like these are our ‘bread and butter’ – providing scaffolding expertise, safely, on time and to a strict budget. We are very happy with the solutions we have created for the job for Northumberland County Council and the Department for Transport (DfT) and we look forward to working with them again on road network projects in the future in the North East.”
Ovingham bridge was opened in 1883, it operated as a toll bridge until 1944. At which point it was adopted by Northumberland County Council. It has operated with a 3T weight restriction since 1944. Width restrictors were added in the 1970s to enforce this weight limit. It is situated between Ovingham and Prudhoe and carries 4000 vehicles/day over the River Tyne.
XERVON Palmers provided the scaffolding and access for Ovingham bridge for Northumberland County Council on time and on budget. F-BOARD – TRIED, TESTED AND TRUSTED.
A storm is brewing within the Scaffold and Access industry.
It has been said “F-Board is the most significant change in over 30 years”. As with many products, the F-Board was conceived from a flippant remark which then became a passion followed by a crusade to develop this mould breaking product.
F-Board has been over 7 years in its development and following diligent research, development and a very stringent regime of tests. The board complies with BS EN 12810, BS EN 12811 and the standard set out for wood BS 2482:2009. This is the first all composite board to be put through these rigorous standards and fully comply.
[quote_center]F-Board is a direct replacement for the wooden scaffold board[/quote_center]
F-Board has been awarded two very well recognised accolades; in 2012 it won the Plastics Industry “Industrial Product Design” of the year and in 2014 won the National Recycling Awards “Best Recycled Product” of the year.
F-Board is a direct replacement for the wooden scaffold board. The dimensions of the F-Board have been kept the same as the traditional board to enable scaffolding 
contractors to continue using all their existing fittings and transport settings, thereby creating the absolute minimum of disruption during the transition. Although a direct replacement for wood, it is a completely different animal with thorough-bred manners and a smart appearance.
The team producing the F-Board is made up of industry experts who have amassed many decades of experience, from the reclamation of the raw product through to the science of extrusion. The product is cleverly made from a source of 100% recycled uPVC which is designed to give excellent impact and ultraviolet resistance. This material would otherwise be buried or exported halfway around the world to be re-manufactured into other products and then more than likely be shipped back to the western world. The F-Board is manufactured here in the UK near Birmingham. The recycled material is cleaned through F-Board’s own processing unit to ensure a pure product to maintain the highest quality standards. It is then extruded through the best German machinery available today. All production is under continual quality assurance even down to the company having its own laboratory with an in-house polymer technician. Batch testing the F-Board is undertaken on a regular basis for point load strength and impact resistance to exacting industry standards.
Wood has many very positive attributes but none more so though than when it is standing as tree. As a scaffold board, wood splits, warps, rots and will change weight. Wood is regarded as being an unreliable medium when exposed to the elements on a scaffold, slowly degrading and becoming especially slippery in wet and icy conditions. It is a regular occurrence for a scaffold company to have to return to a site to replace boards that have failed safety inspections, taking up the valuable time of an installation team that could have otherwise been working a job that would create revenue not incurring a cost.
The F-board is a very stable platform which maintains its shape and position with precision, offering a very good anti-slip surface which gives great confidence and is made from a material which gives it great flame retardant credentials. The Patented retaining system locks the platform into a strong secure working area that will happily withstand the most rigorous actions during its use.
It has also been noted that with the uniform weight of the board a company can load a vehicle with confidence that they will not be overweight. The saving on transport costs, which over a year total up to considerable amounts. It also makes the loading calculations for a scaffolding project easier to calculate.
[quote_center]F-Board’s low carbon footprint can make the difference between winning or losing a tender[/quote_center]
Another great positive is that F-Board is made from recycled material and then the company completes the package by offering to buy the boards back at the end of life and recycle them back into new boards giving a closed loop recycled product.
The carbon footprint of the F-Board is approximately one-sixth that of a wooden board. In today’s competitive market, contractors are being asked to look very closely at the 
carbon impact that their input will have on a project. F-Board’s low carbon footprint can make the difference between winning or losing a tender. By using F-Board, a contractor does not have to prove that their boards come from a sustainable forestry source with a F.S.C. (Forest Stewardship Council) or P.E.F.C. (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certificate. F-Board is different to handle and use. Two boards can be carried at a time due the light weight of only 13kgs. Due to the impact resistance flex that the board has, feedback from teams working on the board say “it is a bit like walking on air”. The flex is part of the F-Board’s immense strength.
F-Board are also in the final stages of development to produce anti-static and fully rated fire retardant boards. Sealed end caps are expected to be available to order in the next few weeks.
The F-Board has been put into many environments from Power Generation through to General Construction. It is a truly dextrous piece of kit that has multiple times the life expectancy of wood plus all the added health & safety and environmental benefits. Above all, as is regularly stated; “Safety is NO ACCIDENT” and F Board has set the standard for all who are working on access platforms would want to be working with.
F-Board can be purchased outright or can make use of the very tax efficient option of Asset lease finance.
To contact the F-Board team: Email – [email protected], Telephone 01215052360
FIRST ORDER INCENTIVE
Throughout February we are offering all new customers the opportunity to get on
Take advantage of substantial reductions on your first order, call now to find out what we can do to help you (Offer applies to 3.9m boards only and is subject to availability)
CONTACT THE SALES TEAM FOR DETAILS on 01215052360 or 07770607447 Email: [email protected]