Scaffolders Go That Extra Mile To Raise Money For Help For Heroes

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
0
Scaffolders Go That Extra Mile To Raise Money For Help For Heroes
Tower420

A family run Kent based scaffolding  firm will be raising money for our wounded servicemen, women and veterans in the 2014 Hero Ride. 

Mercer Scaffolding are proud to announce their participation in the 2014 Hero Ride on 8th June. The signature event is hosted by the Help For Heroes charity and raises money for our wounded servicemen, women and veterans. 

The Mercer Team has organised its own 30 mile bike ride, from its yard in Longfield to the meeting point at Blackheath Common. We’d love for you to join us on this special occasion and bring your friends along. To add to the challenge and as a token of respect we’ve built a scaffold tower fixed to a bike trailer, which will be shared voluntarily between riders along the route. At the meeting point in Blackheath, over 2000 riders will come together and make their way 10 miles into Central London, after completing their own Hero Rides from different parts of the UK. To mark this occasion riders will then gather at the Cenotaph for a ceremony, before falling into formation for the finale along the Horse Guards Parade. To donate please visit:  http://www.bmycharity.com/Mercerscaffolding For more information please visit: http://www.mercerscaffolding.com/hero-ride-2014.html  

Northampton Scaffolding Firm In Court After Worker’s Life-Changing Injuries

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
0
Northampton Scaffolding Firm In Court After Worker’s Life-Changing Injuries

hselarge

A scaffolding firm and the owner of a roofing company have been fined after a worker suffered serious injuries when he plunged nine metres through a fragile warehouse roof in Northampton.

Labourer Stephen Allibon was walking on fragile asbestos cement sheeting during roofing work on 13 August 2012 when it gave way beneath him. He fell onto a metal pallet and then the concrete floor.

He sustained three fractures to his right arm, multiple fractures to his face and head, a punctured lung, damage to his chest and a severe gash to his right leg.

Mr Allibon, who is still unable to work, now has reduced movement in his right arm and right leg, numbness in his left arm, and suffers chest problems and dizzy spells. His employer, Beekay Scaffolding Ltd, and contractor William Thomas Toone, trading as Industrial Roofing Services (IRS), were both prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation identified they had both failed to make sure the work was carried out safely.

Northampton Magistrates’ Court heard today (19 May) that Beekay had been contracted by IRS to erect scaffolding for a warehouse roof repair in Watford village.

Repair work to the roof was planned in two stages. Protective nets and scaffolding were put in place to the south side to allow repairs to take place there before being moved to the north side to complete the work. However, poor management meant that when Mr Allibon was moving scaffolding tubes from the south side of the roof, there was no edge protection and no netting remaining under the perimeter of the roof where he was walking, nor were the scaffolders using platforms of any kind. HSE found that both companies had agreed safety precautions in advance of the work but both had failed to ensure they were implemented properly during the course of the work, exposing the workers to extreme risk.

Beekay Scaffolding Ltd of Obelisk Rise, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,640 after admitting two breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and a single breach of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. William Thomas Toone, trading as Industrial Roofing Services (IRS), of The Leys, Roade, Northampton, was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,400 after pleading guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Richard Lockwood said:

“Mr Allibon suffered very serious injuries, but we could easily be talking about a fatal incident. Simple, straightforward, common sense procedures could have prevented this fall and the severe consequences it has had for one worker and his family.

“Both IRS and Beekay Scaffolding fell very far short of a safe and reasonable standard. They were clearly informed of the dangers. If properly used, the precautions would have reduced the risk to a minimal level. “The dangers of working at height are well-known in industry, yet workers still die or are permanently disabled because of the poor safety standards and lack of safeguards that still exist among some contractors.

“It is essential that the hazards associated with working at height are recognised and understood by those carrying out the work.”

CISRS Overseas Scaffolding Training Makes Progress In Middle East

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
0
CISRS Overseas Scaffolding Training Makes Progress In Middle East

training1

CISRS have announced that they are very excited about the positive response CISRS scaffolding training is receiving within the Middle East region.

Having recently returned to the UK after carrying out successful annual accreditation visits to two CISRS providers – Safety and Access Middle East in Ajman and Simian Skills in Dubai – CISRS have announced that they are very excited about the positive response CISRS scaffolding training is receiving within the region. Whilst both training providers have only been in operation for a 12 month period, several hundred delegates have now undertaken CISRS Overseas Scaffolder Training Scheme (OSTS) courses. These have included Level 1 training2Scaffolder, Basic Scaffold Inspection and Scaffolding Supervision. Although scaffolding training is not necessarily a new thing in this region it is only in recent times that clients and contractors are beginning to question the suitability, course content and duration of some of the previously available courses. The introduction of the CISRS scheme is seen as a massive step forwards in improving the safety and quality of scaffolding erected on site. As such, many of the major players within the region are looking to implement a scheme which reflects UK standards. Dave Mosley (CISRS Scheme Manager) said:
“I feel that there are great opportunities for the CISRS scheme within the Middle East, as there is a vast amount of work in both construction and the booming oil and gas sectors. Both CISRS providers in the Middle East are making excellent progress with some very important clients. It would be amazing to think that in the not too distant future CISRS could become the qualification of choice for the scaffolding sector within this region.“
The reputation of the CISRS scheme is beginning to grow – with requests for CISRS training coming from all around the Middle East. CISRS training has already taken place in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, and just to emphasise the point that things are starting to happen, Safety and Access Middle East has just gained approval for a new CISRS centre in Ras Laffan in Qatar, where they are supporting QATAR Petroleum with their scaffolding training requirements. Primarily they are looking for Scaffolding Supervisor and Scaffolding Inspection training, but there is scope at the centre through further development to cover the full range of courses. CISRS will be looking to return to the region later in the year for a promotional visit and to meet with further interested parties.

Safety & Access Offer Funded Training

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
0
Safety & Access Offer Funded Training

Safety & Access Ltd

CISRS Scaffolder Part 2 Funded training available now!!

Part Funded CISRS Part Two Scaffolder Course/NVQ & Skills Test Employees that are 24 + years old at date of registration Candidates will be co-funded.  An employer contribution of £245.00 + VAT per candidate will be charged.  This will include Part Two, NVQ level 2 support and 1-Day Skills Test
  • Candidates must be employed
  • Candidates must live in England (Wales and Scotland are not included)
  • Candidates must work for a company with less than 250 employees
(An SME – Small to Medium Sized Enterprise) If candidates are 19 – 23 years old at date of registration the qualification is fully funded Dates & Location: 2nd June Nottingham 16th June Humberside (CATCH) Two week (10 Day) for Trainee Scaffolders who have completed a Trainee Scaffolder (Part 1) training course and at least 6 months of practical experience. Offer Includes Level 2 qualification and one day skills test. Visit our website for more information: www.safetyaccess.co.uk All the above prices are subject to VAT Contact Demi Lawson on 0115 9794523 Email [email protected]

Scaffolding Firm Fined After Scaffolder Falls From Ladder

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
0
Scaffolding Firm Fined After Scaffolder Falls From Ladder

HSE: Builder Sentenced

A Birmingham firm has been fined after a worker suffered life-changing injuries in a two-metre fall from a ladder while constructing scaffolding for the set of a television programme.

Craig Shakespeare, 49, of Birmingham, sustained serious foot injuries in the incident at The Bond on Fazeley Street, Birmingham, on 25 March 2013. He is now reliant on a wheelchair and has been unable to work since.

Mr Shakespeare was working for Solihull-based Swan Scaffolding Contractors Limited, which was today (8 May) prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to ensure sufficient measures were in place to prevent or mitigate the fall.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard the company was building the supporting scaffold to hold a theatrical set in place.

Mr Shakespeare was working from a ladder to attach supporting scaffold to the back of the wooden set. As he pulled a fixture on the set towards the scaffold the fixture came away and he lost his balance.

He realised he was about to fall and jumped from the ladder, but landed heavily on his feet, badly breaking both heels.

HSE established a tower scaffold or elevated work platform should have been used instead of a ladder, as readily-available guidance clearly states. The court was told that had more suitable access equipment been used, the incident could have been avoided.

Swan Scaffolding Contractors Limited, of Knowle, Solihull, pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £535 in costs and a £500 victim surcharge.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Edward Fryer said:

“The danger of using ladders should not be underestimated.  This is another example of serious injuries being sustained where other access equipment could have been used instead. 

“A tower scaffold was available and should have been used. As a scaffolding company, Swan Scaffolding should be experts in access and working at height. They know it is a high-risk activity, and they should know what measures to put in place to keep workers safe.”

Unsafe Towers Lead To New PASMA Safety Campaign

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
0
Unsafe Towers Lead To New PASMA Safety Campaign
Pasma Campaign At this year’s first ever Health & Safety Event in Birmingham, a new campaign on the dangers of using unsafe towers was launched by PASMA. The campaign aims to show the importance of only using properly assembled towers and those certified  to the European standard BS EN1004 over often cheap and potentially dangerous alternatives – saying that “your life or the lives of others may depend” on using the right tower.

PASMA’s campaign has been created in an effort to combat the use of unsafe tower equipment, brought into sharp relief by the HSE’s blitz of construction sites throughout 2013 with month-long spot checks. During September over 1,000 sites – almost half of those visited – were failing to meet basic safety standards including failures related to the work at height equipment used.

Peter Bennett, PASMA’s Managing Director, said: 
“Dangerous work at height is far more common than it has to be, as using safe equipment can prevent many of the issues that repeatedly come up, such as not fitting proper platforms and guardrails. Simply using an EN1004 tower can make all the difference when it comes to a site’s safety. “This campaign aims to show that this isn’t just about fines and figures, but about lives. Falling from height kills more people than anything else in the workplace, which is why it warns people using towers that their lives and the lives of others may depend on only buying or hiring a safe tower.”
There are many examples of people whose falls could have been prevented by using safe towers. Robert Wilkin was paralysed when he broke his back last year after falling from a second-hand scaffold tower put up by an untrained builder.

An EN1004 tower could have easily prevented the structure being used in the unsafe way that led to the fall. Safe towers are designed to avoid anyone ever having to stand on an unprotected platform.

Mr Wilkin said:
“I don’t remember much about what happened after I fell. Lots of people were rushing about and it took the ambulance crew about 20 minutes to get me onto a back board because I had fallen in an awkward place between pallets of bricks.

“My life has been ruined because I can no longer do the things I used to do. I can’t go out on my own or drive. I feel my freedom has been taken from me and it’s been really hard on my family.”
Another example of the unsafe work carried out on non-EN1004 towers involved a boy standing on scaffolding with his father, six metres up on a non-EN1004 tower with wide open unprotected spaces he could easily have fallen from.

The tower was not fitted with proper platforms, built-in access or guardrails. At one point the man had to help his 10 year old son onto a too-short portable ladder above him by his ankles.

Children should not even be allowed on safe towers – work at height is obviously for competent adult workers, not children – never mind one from which it would have been so easy to fall. The HSE inspector ordered the man to come down and help his son off of the structure. Later the builder was fined, and sentenced with 80 hours of community service.

PASMA’s website (pasma.co.uk) has set up a new ‘Scaffold Towers’ section as part of the campaign. It outlines the facts about how dangerous unsafe work at height is, and gives simple and practical advice about how to keep safe, as well as offering a free Tower Safety Pack filled with essential information on buying and maintaining a tower.

Man seriously injured in Newbury scaffolding collapse

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
0
Man seriously injured in Newbury scaffolding collapse
scaffoldcolapsestory

A man has been seriously injured after scaffolding collapsed at a building site in Newbury.

Police said the man was flown to hospital after falling from the structure at the site in West Street shortly after 09:30 BST on Friday 2 May. The South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) said the man’s injuries were non life-threatening. A SCAS spokeswoman said she believed the man was trapped under the scaffolding at one point. Ambulance crews worked with fire crews on an aerial platform to get the man off the building. He was sent by air ambulance to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Sgt Dan Londe, from Thames Valley Police, said:
“We’re just assessing how serious his injuries are, and then there will be an investigation between us and the Health and Safety Executive.”
The road was closed earlier between Northbrook Street and Northcroft Lane while the area was made safe. Via: BBC

Hero Scaffolder Saves Man At Demolition Site

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
0
Hero Scaffolder Saves Man At Demolition Site

shaun

A scaffolder has been hailed a hero after saving a man’s life following a roof collapse in Bedford.

Scaffolder Shaun Morrison, 22 from Bedford was working on a demolition site at Bedford’s old Town Hall when disaster struck. Shaun was among workers who rushed to the aid of an injured man who was trapped by the neck after the roof collapsed and a wall toppled at the site on Wednesday April 23rd. Speaking to local media Shaun said:

 “There were three of us round the corner from where the roof came down and the wall toppled.

“The man who was injured was standing by the wall when it fell, tipping on to him and trapping him round the neck.

“We reacted seconds after it fell.

“When we first got round the corner to help him he wasn’t breathing as the scaffolding tube was pinned on to his neck which stopped him being able to breathe.

“Luckily I had the tools on me to remove the metal tube as the man looked lifeless, and the paramedics were still on their way to the site at that time.” He added: “I didn’t really think about it, I just wanted to help him.

“I knew that the wall could have fallen on all of us but if myself and two workmates ‘Slavi’ and Anthony Woodland hadn’t helped him I really think he would have died.”

Shaun’s dad Ian said:
“Kids these days get a bad press but Shaun is a good lad and loves his job as a scaffolder. “I’m just so proud of him. He just dived straight in there to help. “He’s a hero in my book – if he hadn’t taken the metal tube off that man’s neck he would have died.”
Shaun then helped the paramedics who arrived on the scene, in lifting the injured man on to a spinal board. The paramedics couldn’t reach the man as he was in a precarious position on the site and Shaun continued to assist the medics. Hero Shaun said:
“He was panicking a bit when he came round so we reassured him by saying things like; ‘You’ve got a holiday coming up soon mate. “My boss said to me afterwards: ‘Well done’, but I just wanted to help.”
An air ambulance was called and landed nearby but the man was treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to Bedford Hospital, where he remained this week.  

Innovations: The F-Board, A New Revolutionary Scaffold Board

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
4
Innovations: The F-Board, A New Revolutionary Scaffold Board

F-Board, Scaffold Board

Introducing the F-Board a revolutionary scaffold board that the makers say is set to take our industry by storm.

Made from 100% recycled plastic to the same exacting size of traditional wooden boards. The F-Board is non-slip, constantly lightweight, quick to erect and easy to handle. The question might well be asked “Why hasn’t this been done before?” For centuries now wood has been the only mainstream choice for a scaffold board but now at last a worthy successor has arrived. Wooden scaffold boards have been about for a very long time! Indeed, they were used in the construction of The Great Pyramid of Giza which was completed around 2560 B.C., over 4,500 years ago. Surely it’s time to move on? Whilst wood is an incredible material it is also a problem material and each board will have its own characteristic due to the nature of wood. We all know that a wooden board will have knots and irregularities and can warp, crack, splinter, even break. The weight can vary when water is absorbed leading to rot. How many new wooden boards are wasted in the first week, month or year? A casual remark to an experienced scaffolder back in 2006 about using plastic for a scaffold platform has led all the way to the development of the Patented F-Board system.

”Ultimately F-Board is not only better financially but additionally it will keep your site much safer”

F-Board is made from recycled UPVC making it fire retardant and impact resistant as standard. The manufacturing process gives a board that is stronger than wood. It is a consistent low weight so you can confidently load your vehicle and know exactly what weight you are carrying. F-Board has the same dimensions as wood. A Scaffolder can happily step on to a platform with its anti-slip surface knowing that the boards are safe and secure. The unique design of the internal profile means that you get the inherent strength of a manufactured product, ready to be used time after time. F-Board has a life expectancy of at least 2 to 3 times that of wood. F-Board, Scaffold Board The F-Board system includes a retaining strip which neatly and quickly locks the platform to the ledgers. This retainer can also be used in conjunction with wooden boards during the changeover to using F Board, it also ensures that one of the major trip hazards found on construction sites is eliminated, namely, the end of a scaffold board ‘tipping up’ when a weight is applied to the middle of the board. The use of the retainer also adds security in that boards cannot easily be ‘borrowed’ from the platform to be used elsewhere on the site. Trip hazards caused by warping are eliminated, no more falls through hidden internal rot, no end bands becoming dislodged, and no splinters. The boards can easily be cut to desired length using a hand saw. F-Board, Scaffold Board Another major application where this board excels is the specialist requirements sector such as asbestos and precision clean area environments. A carbon assessment comparing F-Board to a wooden board suggests that F-Board has just one-sixth the carbon footprint compared to its rival and at the end of life, F-Board Ltd will buy the boards back and recycle, subject to certain conditions. So, what’s the cost? Taken over a two or three year period for example, a cost comparison analysis clearly shows that the F-Board is the better financial option. The company has also introduced a leasing model which enables the boards to be purchased over time out of cashflow rather than the traditional method of having to pay ‘upfront’. Ultimately F-Board is not only better financially but additionally it will keep your site much safer, your company greener, it will give you the competitive edge and make your business more attractive when tendering. For more information on the F-Board visit: Website: www.fboard.co.uk YouTube: http://youtu.be/Ohy_N8JYyH8

Alert Issued for Used Imported System Scaffolding

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
15
Alert Issued for Used Imported System Scaffolding

Dangerous Scaffolding

A scaffolding manufacturer has today issued a safety alert about dangerously corroded second-hand system scaffolding flooding the market.

As reported in the Construction Enquirer, Leading scaffolding manufacturer St Helens Plant has found an alarming rise in the amount of older substandard system scaffolding in circulation.

The company blames the situation on the fall in UK based suppliers during the economic downturn, which has forced many contractors to find alternative sources to meet the rising demand.

St Helens Plant said in a recent article, the gap is being filled by outsourced, imported used stock that when shot blasted often reveals potentially deadly corrosion.

The firm has seen a rise in failures of spigot type scaffolding. The area where the spigot comes out the Standard 4mm tube is severely corroding. The firm has alerted relevant Government bodies and contacted major scaffolding suppliers to allow them to alert customers about the potential risk to lives. A St Helens Plant spokeswoman said to the Enquirer:
“At present those within the scaffolding and construction industry cannot source the equipment needed to supply the UK demand. “Outsourcing is now the option for most. The equipment being outsourced is widely inadequate, sub-standard and unsafe.”
1...240241242...305Page 241 of 305