ScaffMag gains an insight into the production of graded timber scaffold boards at one of the largest UK manufacturers.
Nestled within the rolling hills of Lincolnshire lies one of the largest UK Scaffold Board manufacturers. Being one of the UK’s principal manufacturers, John Brash produces around 40,000 premier scaffold boards per week – all of which are of the highest British Standard.
In 2014 the firm prospered from the production and sale of over 2 million boards. Supplying a large majority of the well-known scaffold hire & sales depots nationwide and the major scaffold contractors on and offshore, you could say John Brash are kind of a big deal.
ScaffMag was invited to the John Brash scaffold board yard to witness first hand the journey a simple sustainably sourced piece of softwood takes to become a machine-graded kitemarked BSI scaffold board.
John Brash, Production Director, Brian Lancaster who has a passion for scaffold boards showed me the process on the shop floor.
Each board is visually graded to check for obvious defects by an accredited grader.
Production begins with a visual grade of each and every board by an accredited John Brash grader checking for obvious defects, like knots and the position of grain within the timber. The board then continues its journey passing through a sophisticated stress grading machine, furthermore checking the boards integrity by measuring it’s deflection under a load specified by the HSE.
boards continue through a sophisticated stress grading machine.
Once the board has passed through these stringent grading tests the board is then printed with a unique code which identifies the individual grader and as a genuine John Brash board.
Brian said: “At John Brash we are fully aware that a single piece of timber is all that stands between a scaffolder and the floor, that is why we go to such lengths to exceed the British Standards in terms of product strength, quality and safety. You can always depend upon a John Brash scaffold board.”
As well as supplying high quality scaffold boards, the firm benefits from being the first and only manufacturer of timber scaffold boards in Europe to install its own onsite fire retardant treatment facility. This enables John Brash to offer its clients fire retardant scaffold boards for the Oil & Gas industry and many other high-risk fire sensitive projects including the London Underground.
Company Chairman, Christian Brash, added: “Producing scaffold boards is a key part of our overall business – which also includes roofing battens, cedar shingles and decking – and it was a pleasure to welcome ScaffMag to see what we do and the scale of our operation.”
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has announced a fundamental shift in its approach that will affect all operators.
At a conference in Coventry back in May the DVSA’s head of enforcement transformation, Caroline Hicks, announced that DVSA has outlined a fundamental shift in its approach, which will see it move from a culture of enforcement towards a focus on compliance.
The proposed actions are to set up an operator recognition scheme where operators will be expected to demonstrate their compliance by providing data, including vehicle maintenance and tachograph/drivers working time data, on a regular basis which will be reviewed by the DVSA. At the same time it was confirmed that the fixed penalty fees will be increased and the DVSA plan to make non compliance too expensive to be an option.
Anyone who does not comply with their new scheme when it is launched can expect to be targeted for roadside inspections with aggressive fines until they either join the scheme or stop operating.
Please let us know what you think of the proposed changes in the comments below.
The HSE has today released its annual workplace fatalities report showing statistics that again confirm the UK to be one of the safest places to work in Europe.
Provisional annual data released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reveals 142 workers were fatally injured at work between April 2014 and March 2015 (a rate of 0.46 fatalities per 100,000 workers).
This compares to last year’s all-time low of 136 (0.45 fatalities per 100,000 workers). Fatal injuries at work are thankfully rare events and as a consequence, the annual figures are subject to chance variation.
The statistics again confirm the UK to be one of the safest places to work in Europe, having one of the lowest rates of fatal injuries to workers in leading industrial nations.
However, HSE’s Chair points out that every death is a tragedy. Judith Hackitt said: “It is disappointing last year’s performance on fatal injuries has not been matched, but the trend continues to be one of improvement. Our systems and our framework remain strong as demonstrated by our performance in comparison to other countries.“Every fatality is a tragic event and our commitment to preventing loss of life in the workplace remains unaltered. All workplace fatalities drive HSE to develop even more effective interventions to reduce death, injury and ill health.”
The new figures show the rate of fatal injuries in several key industrial sectors:
35 fatal injuries to construction workers were recorded – a rate of 1.62 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to an average of 45 deaths in the past five years and a decrease from the 44 deaths recorded in 2013/14.
33 fatal injuries to agricultural workers were recorded – a rate 9.12 deaths per 100,000 workers, the same as the average of 33 deaths in the past five years and an increase from the 27 deaths recorded in 2013/14.
Five fatal injuries to waste and recycling workers were recorded – a rate of 4.31 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to an average of six deaths in the past five years and an increase from the four deaths recorded in 2013/14.
Tufcoat have successfully carried out an installation project for the £3.8m conservation works taking place at Dyrham Park.
Flame retardant shrink wrap was used in tandem with a Keder roof to encapsulate a 500 tonne scaffold structure supplied by SGB, and provide weather protection for a site which is open to the public. The National Trust have commissioned the roof and stonework restoration of a Grade I listed 17th Century mansion, which had started to experience leaking after 160 years.
The existing roof will be completely replaced, which equates to removing and replacing 8000 slate tiles and 46 tonnes of lead. The project required a solution that would allow the restoration to continue regardless of the weather, and would ensure that no rain reached the exposed roof area where works were taking place.
Using approximately 2000m² of our 300?m flame retardant shrink wrap, we encapsulated the sides of the scaffold structure. Along with the Keder roof, this created a weatherproof environment which prevented project downtime and damage to the sensitive roof works.
Dyrham House will remain open to the public while the restoration takes place, allowing visitors to go inside the shrink wrapped area. For this purpose the scaffold structure has a 230m long walk way around the building’s roof with two viewing platforms, so visitors can see the restoration works as they take place. Using Tufcoat Shrink Wrap meant that Dyrham Park could effectively deliver this unique opportunity for the public to witness the heritage conservation project, and also ensured their safety by preventing exposure to adverse weather.
Visitor numbers could reach 75,000 in total by the time the shrink wrap is removed in December 2015.
Image Credit: National Trust
M&P Insurance Solutions is a well established international insurance broker that provide bespoke insurance policies to a wide variety of markets.
Founded in 1994, M&P Insurance Solutions has thrived from helping to protect people against their biggest risks.
Our approach is simply to provide our clients with a tailored insurance solution, as well as the relevant tools and information in order to manage and even reduce risks.
Our customers out at the heart of what we do and we are with you throughout your whole journey. We understand that it’s not only important to asses risk when your insurance policy starts but also throughout the fem of your policy, ensuring that we identify and deal with any potential risks.
We specialise in trade areas of insurance, particularly in the construction industry including roofing and scaffolding. Our breath of contacts in the market place makes us able to find cover that suits you and your business.
We have a well established claims service.
We have access to specialist schemes for Combined Liability insurance with bespoke policy wordings for your trade, backed by ‘A’ rated insurers which gives you the necessary financial protect and ensures your insurance should not prevent you from being allowed on site to work.
The benefits of working with us:
We can provide cover for up to £20 million for Employers Liability and Public Liability
Comprehensive policy wording
No height limit restriction
Depth limit to 5 meters or lower
Pollution Clean up
Financial loss
Defective Workmanship
Work in hazardous locations – airside, railside, etc
cover from an ‘A’ rated insurer
no restrictions to premises worked upon
discounts available for NASC and CITB members
Access to a Free online Health and Safety Tool
Access to Free Health & Safety ‘Ask the expert’ support
Safety and Access Ltd have announced that the new CISRS accredited training facility in Qatar has received its first customers for CISRS training.
During recent training undertaken at the centre in Al Khor, candidates attended a CISRS Scaffold Inspection Course and a CISRS Scaffold Supervisor Course. The attendees were from various businesses in the region and all gave excellent feedback on the course content and delivery.
Senior Instructor Rob Nicholls from Safety and Access that delivered the course commented: “All the attendees were very enthusiastic about safety in scaffolding and about applying best practice to their workplace. Everyone got involved in the training exercises and showed a great interest and commitment to learning”
Rick Statham, Joint MD also added: “We firmly believe that there is a great appetite for safe and best practice scaffolding training in the region and we have made the commitment to set up here to support local clients and businesses. As always, the candidates in Qatar are eager to learn new practices and techniques and are committed to improving safety and quality at the workplace.”
Altrad and the shareholders of Hertel have today finalized the acquisition of Hertel’s worldwide access solutions, insulation, corrosion protection and mechanical businesses by Altrad.
Scaffmag first reported the £163M acquisition of Hertel in March, today (12 June) the consultation processes with Hertel’s works council has been completed and the competition authorities have approved the transaction.
The Offshore business of Hertel is not included in this transaction and will continue to operate as a separate company under the name CKT Offshore. Hertel’s senior management will continue to be involved in Offshore’s operations to safeguard a seamless transition to the new situation.
The combination of Altrad and Hertel, which will have a joint annual turnover in excess of € 1.6 billion and employing approximately 17,000 people, will result in a leading company in its businesses in Europe, the Middle East, Caspian and Asia Pacific.
SHS Integrated Services has appointed former All Blacks star Xavier Rush to head up its new business development strategy.
A prominent figure in professional rugby for more than 20 years, Xavier Rush won eight caps with New Zealand before retiring from professional rugby in 2012. Xavier, 37, will now be responsible for strengthening SHS’s relationships with existing clients and driving new business leads across the UK.
Prior to joining SHS, Xavier spent time developing residential properties and currently manages a portfolio of properties. He also spends part of the year in his home city coaching Auckland for the ITM cup, one of New Zealand’s most prestigious rugby competitions.
Based in Barry, South Wales, with regional offices in Doncaster and Haverford West, SHS has witnessed a number of high profile contract wins in the last year and successfully developed the insulation arm of the business. In addition to the company’s recent expansion, SHS has diversified its market sector presence, incorporating the specialist power and transmission firm it acquired in 2013 into the business’ long term growth plans.
Xavier said: “I am thrilled to be joining an ambitious company like SHS and I look forward to supporting the business in my new role.“Having previously dealt with SHS while developing properties, I have first-hand experience of the team’s professionalism and expertise and I’m delighted to be in a position where I can contribute to the company’s ambitious growth plans.“I’ve played a number of roles in my career, ranging from player to captain to coach – all of which have taught me important skills both on and off the rugby pitch. Clear communication, analysing situations strategically and team work are all vital to success in sport and I know that the same qualities are required to succeed in the world of business.“Being a rugby coach is like managing an SME; you have to manage up and down the business, working closely with the players and the Board to achieve results. I have seen the same sport-like dedication, motivation and commitment from the team at SHS, and I look forward to working closely with them to achieve the business goals.”SHS currently provides services principally to the utility, petrochemical and construction sectors but hopes to widen its operations into nuclear, rail, marine and pharmaceutical sectors as part of its growth strategy.
Gavin Payne, Chief Executive Officer of SHS, said: “Appointing a dedicated person to drive new business and nurture client relationships is an exciting development at SHS. The skills and knowledge that Xavier can bring to the role are invaluable, and will be of huge benefit in helping to meet our ambitious growth plans.“It is vital that SHS is able to adapt to an increasingly competitive market, securing new business while also maintaining strong relationships with our existing clients. Developing these new opportunities is a challenging and exciting opportunity, and I’m delighted to welcome such a well-known and well-respected personality as Xavier to the team. The business has already gone from strength to strength in recent years and we hope to expand on these achievements and continue to provide exceptional quality to our customers while holding a strong, competitive position in the market.“The company’s success is testament to the quality of people working within the business and demonstrates our commitment to exceptional health and safety and focus on providing a safe, sustainable, high quality and cost effective service.”
Altrad NSG has been awarded a multi-million pound offshore contract by oil and gas exploration and production company Centrica Energy.
The company has won a five-year contract with Centrica to provide access solutions, repair and maintenance services on both onshore and offshore projects, creating 50 new jobs.
The contract, which has the possibility of being extended by two years upon completion, will see Altrad NSG expand on its existing onshore work at Centrica’s gas terminals in Barrow-in Furness. The business will provide full access, repair and maintenance services, including blasting and painting, as well as insulation and passive fire protection (PFP), to both manned and unmanned offshore platforms off the coast of Morecambe Bay in the East Irish Sea.
Altrad NSG managing director Mike Carr said: “This is our first major offshore contract and is a significant milestone for the business. It is a positive endorsement of the hard work and expertise of our teams and the services Altrad NSG provides.“Offshore work provides a fantastic opportunity for us as we continue to build on our complete maintenance solution approach and we are now looking towards the North Sea to expand the offshore division of the business.“Through our onshore work with Centrica in Barrow-in-Furness over the past five years we have built a strong relationship and demonstrated the benefits of our multi-discipline approach. By providing a turnkey solution to clients under one umbrella, we can save time and reduce costs while improving communication and the level of service delivered.”
Blencowe Scaffolding Ltd has invested into it’s future by purchasing new Layher system scaffolding, creating a new division for the growing firm.
Blencowe Scaffolding Limited, whose head office is based in Salisbury, today announced that they will have a new division within the company to handle the recently purchased scaffold system, named Modern Access.
The firm has heavily invested in the new scaffold system, from Layher UK, to compliment their existing traditional tube and fitting scaffold services, in order to continue to move the business forward and allow it to become more malleable, extending their current customer database.
The newly named division, Modern Access within Blencowe Scaffolding, will focus on expanding their current customer database and attracting new customers with a view to working on more special projects throughout Southern England.
Blencowe Scaffolding have trained members of their team to specifically use the new Layher system scaffold and each trained individual will head up a team of their own to roll-out any projects using system scaffold.
The Layher system is centred on a highly versatile ‘rosette’ welded onto each tube that can safely and securely accommodate eight individual connections. Irrespective of height, the scaffolding can be constructed in three dimensions from each rosette. Ledgers or transoms can be connected at right angles as well as the option of different options.
The system is constructed from aluminium material which means that it is low in weight, easy to transport and handle as well as being fully integrated with current health and safety regulations and runs parallel with the safety roll-out from NASC and CSIRS.
Alan Blencowe who is responsible for heading up the new system within the family company says, ‘This is an exciting time for us at Blencowe Scaffolding, not only does it allow us to tender for projects that require a delicate approach, it will also allow us to widen the breadth of products that we can offer existing and new clients and allow us to grow within today’s economy’.
Pat Blencowe, CEO of Blencowe Scaffolding commented, ‘We celebrated 50 years of business last year (2014) and our business has survived 3 recessions. It is imperative to invest in our future and in our work force which is why we chose the system scaffold from Layher UK. It wasn’t an easy decision to make as the investment was so large, but we knew it was the right direction to head in. We’re looking forward to that path that the new system scaffold can lead us!’
As well as supplying high quality scaffold boards, the firm benefits from being the first and only manufacturer of timber scaffold boards in Europe to install its own onsite fire retardant treatment facility. This enables John Brash to offer its clients fire retardant scaffold boards for the Oil & Gas industry and many other high-risk fire sensitive projects including the London Underground.
Company Chairman, Christian Brash, added: “Producing scaffold boards is a key part of our overall business – which also includes roofing battens, cedar shingles and decking – and it was a pleasure to welcome ScaffMag to see what we do and the scale of our operation.” 
The newly named division, Modern Access within Blencowe Scaffolding, will focus on expanding their current customer database and attracting new customers with a view to working on more special projects throughout Southern England.
Blencowe Scaffolding have trained members of their team to specifically use the new Layher system scaffold and each trained individual will head up a team of their own to roll-out any projects using system scaffold.
The Layher system is centred on a highly versatile ‘rosette’ welded onto each tube that can safely and securely accommodate eight individual connections. Irrespective of height, the scaffolding can be constructed in three dimensions from each rosette. Ledgers or transoms can be connected at right angles as well as the option of different options.
The system is constructed from aluminium material which means that it is low in weight, easy to transport and handle as well as being fully integrated with current health and safety regulations and runs parallel with the safety roll-out from NASC and CSIRS.
Alan Blencowe who is responsible for heading up the new system within the family company says, ‘This is an exciting time for us at Blencowe Scaffolding, not only does it allow us to tender for projects that require a delicate approach, it will also allow us to widen the breadth of products that we can offer existing and new clients and allow us to grow within today’s economy’.
Pat Blencowe, CEO of Blencowe Scaffolding commented, ‘We celebrated 50 years of business last year (2014) and our business has survived 3 recessions. It is imperative to invest in our future and in our work force which is why we chose the system scaffold from Layher UK. It wasn’t an easy decision to make as the investment was so large, but we knew it was the right direction to head in. We’re looking forward to that path that the new system scaffold can lead us!’