XERVON Palmers Scaffolding at Ovingham Bridge, River Tyne

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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 Scaffolding 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.

Daniel Norton
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F-BOARD – TRIED, TESTED AND TRUSTED.

A storm is brewing within the Scaffold and Access industry.

F-BOARD1 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 F Boardcontractors 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.F-Board 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 F-Board 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

fboardlogo

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]

CISRS Accreditation Granted For Safety & Access Indian Training Center

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CISRS Accreditation Granted For Safety & Access Indian Training Center
 

CISRS has awarded Safety & Access Ltd full overseas accreditation for its all new Indian joint venture training center.

The news comes after CISRS Scheme Manager & NASC Director of Training, Dave Mosley visited the facility in Chennai, South India for a full audit last week. The purpose-built CISRS OSTS centre cost 1.8 million rupees to create and is a joint venture and long term partnership between Safety & Access and the UG Group who are a growing construction and project management organization in India. The new training facility will provide tube and fitting, system scaffolding and scaffold inspection training to thousands. CISRS Scheme Manager Dave Mosley, has granted the center accreditation for training in CISRS Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme (OSTS), Basic SITS (Scaffold Inspection Training Scheme), SST (Scaffolding Supervisor Training) and CUPLOK Systems Scaffold Product Training Scheme (SSPTS) courses. CISRS accreditation granted Mr Mosley said: “Congratulations to Safety & Access and the UG group opening and gaining accreditation for the new centre, which is finished to a very high specification. “CISRS are very pleased with the facility and think it’s a great opportunity to further establish CISRS outside the UK. There is a vast number of Indian scaffolders working all over the world, and this centre will provide an opportunity to train them at source in India prior to them heading off to seek employment in such places as Dubai, Saudi Arabia and other parts of the UAE. The introduction of CISRS OSTS will only serve to raise standards of scaffolding and safety across the region. We wish them well with their training over the years.” Rick Statham, Joint Managing Director for Safety & Access Ltd, said: “We have been working with our partners on this project for the last year and we are delighted that we have now reached our aim of CISRS accreditation here in Chennai. The availability of scaffolder training in India will be a huge boost for our clients and Indian nationals that seek formal qualifications in scaffolding. There is also a big interest from our clients in the Middle East that look to India for their labour. Formal qualifications will mean that they can offer CISRS registered competent people to the market which obviously gives the client satisfaction and also can boost employment opportunities for scaffolders.”

Pedestrian Trapped After Scaffolding Collapses In Leicester

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Pedestrian Trapped After Scaffolding Collapses In Leicester

Two women were injured when scaffolding collapsed, leaving one of them trapped, in a Leicester street this morning (28th January 2015).

Scaffolding erected on a shop front of a substantial size collapsed into the road hitting a passing bus and van as it fell into a Leicester street shortly after 11:30am this morning. Two women were injured, leaving one woman trapped under the collapsed structure thought to be in her 60s. After paramedics arrived she was helped out of the wreckage on foot. Another person was brought out of a nearby shop on a stretcher and put in the back of an ambulance local media reported. Both women were both taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary for minor injures. Eye witness, Dan Brown told local media:
“I was in the office and heard a massive gust of wind. I stood up, looked out of the window and the scaffolding was coming down. “I ran across the road and a lady was underneath. She was on the floor on her knees. “We pulled seven planks of wood out, enabling someone to get in to make sure she was okay.”
The Health and Safety Executive has been made aware of the incident and is carrying out an investigation. The work was being carried out by Emperor Scaffolding, of Ravensbridge Drive, off Blackbird Road, Leicester. Martin Morley, Managing Director of Emperor Scaffolding, said:
“The HSE are carrying out an investigation and I’ve been advised not to comment while their investigation is under way.”
Scaffolders from the company were waiting to go in and dismantle the collapsed structure.

CISRS finds its first cardholder from 1979

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CISRS finds its first cardholder from 1979

The Construction Industry Scaffolder Record Scheme (CISRS) has unearthed and uploaded an image of it’s first ever registered card.

CISRS now has over 50,000 registered cardholders on it’s record scheme, but who you might ask was the first? Allen Craigen was the first scaffolder to be registered on the scheme back in 1979.
First CISRS card
First CISRS card registered
Fast-forward 36 years and now he is a Managing Director of a NASC member company Heywood Scaffolding Services in Lancashire. Allan, who worked for a small building company in the North West at the time, was amongst the first cohort of trainees to attend National Construction College East (Bircham Newton) under the new CISRS rules introduced at the end of the 1970s. Although a scaffolder record scheme has existed since the mid 1960s, formal training attendance had been on a voluntary basis, with the vast majority of cardholders qualifying through industry accreditation (‘grandfather rights’) – learning their trade on the job with their employer, then applying for a card when they felt they had the required amount of experience and skill. The changes to the CISRS scheme were the beginning of the end for ‘grandfather rights’ within the scaffolding industry, and this route was withdrawn completely in the 1980s, with a requirement for anyone coming into the industry to complete Part 1, Part 2 training etc prior to obtaining their scaffolder card. Allan completed his Part 1, Part 2 and Advanced training at Bircham Newton under what was known as the CECOL course at the time, which was a forerunner to the current scaffolding apprenticeship route. The National Construction College at Bircham Newton was the first training centre in the UK to offer CISRS scaffolding training, and it remains one of the largest construction colleges in Europe to this day.  Upon successful completion of his training, Allan was issued with his new CISRS card, which had the registration number 100001, a plaque from the college, and a golden scaffold spanner by his employer (unfortunately for Allan this was only sprayed gold, not made of gold!) to commemorate being the first scaffolder to complete the new style course. As a long time NASC (National Access and Scaffolding Confederation) member, Allan is fully aware of the importance of the CISRS scheme and understands the benefits of employing a fully qualified workforce. He remains thankful to his employer at the time for supporting him through his training when a lot of other companies had yet to commit to it. Allan said:
“I really enjoyed my time at Bircham Newton and it has stood me in good stead over the last 30+ years. I’ve continued to support CISRS training, making sure the lads who work for me at Heywood Scaffolding Services complete their training and assessments and carry the right card. And, looking at my original card from 1979, it’s nice to see I haven’t aged a bit!”
       

Daughter of Terry Sennett bids to raise money for the UK Sepsis Trust

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Daughter of Terry Sennett bids to raise money for the UK Sepsis Trust

The daughter of the late Terry Sennett is aiming to raise money for the the UK Sepsis Trust after the sudden and tragic death of her father.

Callie Sennett, 22, is the daughter of the well known industry leader Terry Sennett, who on 20th December 2014 sadly passed away after a very short illness in Dubai aged 48.
Callie Sennett
Callie Sennett
In memory of her father Callie is aiming to raise £2,000 for the UK Sepsis Trust by completing the Tough Mudder course in London South, on the 26th September 2015. Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile obstacle course designed to test all-around strength, stamina, teamwork, and mental grit. Callie is about to undertake an intensive training regime in preparation for her challenge that she is determined to finish. Callie has set-up a JustGiving page to receive generous donations and support for her physical and mental challenge. On her page Callie wrote: Hi everyone, At the end of last year I sadly and unexpectedly lost my dad due to a culmination of illness but overall to septicaemia shutting down his organs. It has hit the family incredibly hard as he was the life and soul of us all. He always said to me that I was really talented at starting something and never finishing, so, this has been kept in mind and therefore I have decided that I really want to complete the tough mudder course (London south 26.09.2015) this year and blooming well finish those 12 miles! I would like to donate all proceeds to The Sepsis Trust UK and with a fantastic team of people behind me would like to emphasise how important these trusts for all illnesses actually are! I would like to thank everyone on behalf of the team in advance for all support and donations! See you on the other side of the course! Callie xxx To support Callie, please visit and donate whatever you can afford at Callie Sennett’s JustGiving page.

Experts warn that 35,000 Offshore workers Jobs could be lost in the next five years.

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Experts warn that 35,000 Offshore workers Jobs could be lost in the next five years.

offshore

North Sea oil and gas could lose up to 35,000 jobs in the next five years, industry experts have warned.

A recent report by EY, the financial consultants, was commissioned by Oil & Gas UK, Opito, the safety body, and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has said that employment in the North Sea oil and gas sector is set to fall from 375,000 to 340,000 within the next five years as exploration and production continues to decline. Although some of the job losses will come with the retirement of older workers, the report reveals that more than half of the workforce is under the age of 45. However it does predict 12,000 new staff will be needed to clean up the North Sea and dismantle rigs, while offshore fracking could create jobs. Despite record investment in the North Sea last year only 15 wells were drilled as production costs soared more than 15 per cent. The sharp rise in costs has led oil and gas companies to focus their investments in Norway and North America rather than the North Sea. Jake Molloy, regional organiser of the RMT union in Aberdeen, said to the Dailyrecord.co.uk:
“This report confirms that we are in for a very rough time over next few years and the industry needs the government to act. For every offshore job that is lost, three more industry jobs are lost onshore.” “The offshore industry is facing what amounts to a perfect storm of a falling oil prices on global markets, the shale revolution, rising costs to extract oil and gas from the North Sea, and smaller and harder-to-access fields.” The UK government needed to give companies a tax regime that made investment more attractive, he said.

Review: Dickies Crawford Safety Boot

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Review: Dickies Crawford Safety Boot
Dickies Crawford Safety Boot – £65 dickiesstore.co.uk When working in harsh conditions ‘day in day out’ like us scaffolders do, choosing the right safety boot is critical as fatigue can soon set in if you made the wrong decision.  The Dickies Crawford work boot was a new addition to the range for 2014, Dickies have worked hard to improve their safety footwear range and the Crawford is a great example of a highly technical, comfortable and practical boot at an affordable price. The Crawford boots performed exceedingly well during my week long review period, they ticked all the boxes for my preferred wants in a safety boot and were surprisingly comfy. The boots are of a Goodyear welt construction for heavy duty performance and to maximise the sole’s water-resistance. As standard The Dickies Crawford safety boots have Steel toe-caps and midsole and comprises of a Breathable Cambrelle lining for added comfort. Crazy horse leather uppers finish off the exterior of the Crawford boot with a smart toe cap protector.   All in all, Dickies have stepped up to the mark with the Crawford boot that easily competes with more premium brands like Timberlands and Dewalt for build quality and more importantly affordability. Best price £65, vat free @ www.dickiesstore.co.uk  

Scaffold boss fined for dangerous scaffolding

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Scaffold boss fined for dangerous scaffolding

Dscaffolding

The owner of a small construction firm in Portsmouth has been fined after he erected a series of scaffolds in and around the town over several months in late 2013 that were riddled with dangerous faults.

Graham Pedaltey, trading as Graham’s Scaffolds, put workers lives at risk by putting up scaffolds several metres high for them to work on but with potentially lethal defects that could have seen builders fall from unguarded platforms or through rotting wooden boards. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Mr Pedalty (6 Jan) at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court for safety breaches after investigating a particularly hazardous scaffold that he was responsible for in North End Avenue last year. HSE attended as a result of a complaint made by a member of the public. The court heard that the scaffold, erected on 18 October, had numerous faults: • It was not tied to the building so was insecure and more liable to collapse • It lacked baseplates on many uprights, meaning that the scaffold could have sunk into the ground or ‘punched through’ any drains or cavities it was erected on • There were few, if any, guardrails on the lifts – or working platforms – to prevent falls from height • There was no bracing on the middle scaffold on the middle working platform giving rise to serious stability issues • Many of the boards were rotten and damaged and could have broken under workers’ feet, sending them falling to the ground below. Despite remedial work requested by HSE being carried out on the scaffold by Mr Pedaltey, there were still defects. The court was told that Mr Pedaltey had received previous advice from HSE on poor scaffolding twice during the previous month of September 2013. Graham Pedaltey, trading as Graham’s Scaffolds, of Queens Road, Portsmouth, was fined a total of £1,600 and ordered to pay £600 in costs after admitting breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Work at Height Regulations. After the hearing, HSE inspector Peter Snelgrove said:
“Mr Pedaltey not only erected numerous unsafe scaffolds, but also relied on his knowledge from training delivered in 1979 – more than 30 years earlier. He has now been prohibited from erecting scaffolds until he has completed further training to acquaint himself with up-to-date safety legislation and scaffolding standards. “His failings created a risk of death or serious personal injury. Scaffolds are temporary structures and their integrity and safety must be ensured to, in turn, safeguard the workers and passers-by.”
Source via: HSE

Cape awarded five year contract extension with EDF Energy

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Cape awarded five year contract extension with EDF Energy

CAPEEDF1

Cape plc has announced that it has been awarded an extension to its contract with EDF Energy for the supply of access, insulation and associated services in support of EDF Energy’s fleet of eight nuclear power stations in the UK.

EDF Energy is one of the largest energy companies in the UK, supplying around 6 million residential and business accounts gas and is the biggest supplier of electricity by volume in Great Britain. EDF Energy produces around one fifth of the nation’s supply from eight nuclear power stations, two coal fired power stations, a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power station and a number of wind farms. This substantial contract, which extends Cape’s long standing relationship with EDF Energy, encompasses the supply of specialist access and thermal insulation services for an additional five years to 2021 in support of the fleet’s maintenance, projects and statutory outage programmes, where the requirement for safety, reliability and innovation is paramount. Joe Oatley, Chief Executive Officer of Cape plc, commented:
We are delighted to extend our relationship with EDF Energy. This award is a recognition of both Cape’s and EDF’s hard work and investment in creating a partnership that delivers value to all stakeholders. We look forward to continuing to deliver an outstanding service to EDF Energy throughout the life of the UK fleet of nuclear power stations.
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