Safety & Access Offer Funded Training

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.”

Cape Hong Kong Fuji Awarded Three Year Contract

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Cape Hong Kong Fuji Awarded Three Year Contract

capefeatured

Cape Plc, the international provider of critical support services to the energy and mineral resources sectors, has announced its subsidiary, Cape Hong Kong Fuji (CHKF), has been awarded a three year contract with a major power supplier in Hong Kong, for the provision of safe access services and associated services.

Cape acquired Hong Kong Fuji Technology, now CHKF, in March 2012, in order to expand the Group’s presence in this region. The business has performed well since acquisition and this contract award further demonstrates the successful integration of the acquisition.

Joe Oatley, Chief Executive of Cape commented:

“We are delighted with this contract award and look forward to building on our existing relationships in the region. In order to secure this award a cross-regional team has built on the best practice processes and knowledge in our UK operations and implemented them in our Hong Kong business to deliver an enhanced service and better value to our client. This demonstrates the progress we have made in implementing our strategy to work as one global business to deliver value to our key stakeholders.”

Turner Access Signs Deal with Danish Rental Giant

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Turner Access Signs Deal with Danish Rental Giant

turnerdeal

Turner Access has announced its agreement with Pitzner to be the distributors of the Turner OCTO system scaffolding in Denmark.

After seven months of negotiations in Copenhagen and in Glasgow Turner Access and Pitzner finally signed the agreement last week. Pitzner is the largest Danish owned rental company, providing machinery and equipment hire for a range of business sectors across Denmark. Pitzner is also the largest supplier of scaffolding equipment for hire in Denmark. Turner Access Managing Director, Ian Wilson commented on the company’s website: 

“With over 40 years of experience in the scaffolding sales and rental market in Denmark, Pitzner is the ideal partner to help promote and supply Turner OCTO® system scaffolding in this important sector of the Scandinavian Market.

“Being part of a family owned business group, similar to the Turner Group, Pitzner is also a good fit for Turner Fabrication in terms of vision and values.

“We look forward to a long and successful relationship as we jointly develop our business in Denmark.”

Pitzner CEO, Ole Wamsler, said:
“We have a highly complex product range and volume, which means we have a strong team of experts to build solutions for our customers. “In all other markets that Turner Access operates within, their expertise is undeniable, so we take it as a blue stamp from a real heavyweight in the industry that they have chosen to work with us.”  

Peri provides scaffolding for ISET Tower construction in Russia

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Peri provides scaffolding for ISET Tower construction in Russia

peri

Peri, a leading supplier of scaffolding systems around the world, has been selected to provide the climbing formwork for the construction of the Russian Yekaterinburg’s ISET Tower.

Engineers from Peri have developed a scaffolding system built to withstand the Urals’ high winds and the tower’s unique multi-dimensional elevator shafts. The formwork is a modified version of Peri’s ACS 100 climbing unit and is entirely self-climbing. The unit will feature a suspended TRIO panel and working platforms at every level. The ISET Tower is scheduled to be completed this summer and will stand at a height of 685 feet above sea level. The tower will have 52 floors containing a total of 250 private apartments and a variety of service facilities. Parking spaces for the tower’s future occupants will be held inside four underground levels.
Chief Engineer Golovin Evgeniy Borisovich said:
“We decided to use the proven PERI self-climbing formwork systems, because they are easy to handle and ensure complete safety in high-rise construction. PERI specialists have consistently provided us with operational support.”
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