Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding Ltd completes challenging Cornish Viaduct project. 

Daniel Norton
-
6
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. Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding Ltd 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.
Do you have an interesting project you would like to share ? Drop us an email 

VIDEO: Shocking CCTV footage of a falling scaffold tube seriously injuring two female pedestrians

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
2
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 tube

ScaffMag Achieves A Record Breaking January

Daniel Norton
-
4
ScaffMag 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%.
googlescaffmag
Google Analytics stats for scaffmag.com 3rd Jan – 3rd Feb 2015
  Our rapidly growing readership and social media networks expands daily with over 17,000 engaged Facebook followers and 3,000 Twitter followers. Our daily and weekly email industry news alerts are sent to our dedicated subscribers returning an average open rate of 40% ScaffMag’s advertisers are some of the UK’s largest and well known industry brands that continue to benefit from advertising on ScaffMag by raising brand awareness and gaining targeted click throughs each month. To find out more about promoting your business on ScaffMag and to request a Media Pack please contact: [email protected]  

Cape Agrees On Joint Venture With Prezioso Linjebygg SAS

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
0
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

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
12
Bilfinger Salamis fined £100,000 after death of offshore worker

oil-rig

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

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
0
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
-
37
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

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
0
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

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
146
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

Scaffmag Newsdesk
-
9
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!”
       
1...248249250...318Page 249 of 318