ScaffMag finally got its first look at the eagerly awaited TG20:13 and the revolutionary eGuide… we wasn’t disappointed.
Simian Risk TG20:13 launch event
ScaffMag was invited to attend Simian Risk’s training facility in Warrington, on arrival guest were offered tea or coffee and bacon butties with the promise of a hog roast for afters. Squeezing into the packed seminar room, industry professionals were greeted by Simian Risk’s MD’s Simon Hughes and Ian Fyall.
Simon Hughes who is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading scaffolding safety advisors kicked off the presentation on the new guidance. The new TG20:13 will take the form of four distinctive guides, including two new easy to follow colour illustrated books and the amazing new software known as the eGuide.
eGuide
Ian Fyall gave a live demo of the revolutionary eGuide, developed by the very talented guys at CADS. The software, like magic automatically calculates a scaffold design as the user is building the job on the screen. The user is able to build many different types of structures using the software including, Independent Scaffolding, Putlog scaffolding, Lift shaft towers and even Chimney stack scaffolding.
Once finished the user is able to print out or email a TG20:13 compliance sheets proving the scaffold to be erected doesn’t need a costly time-consuming engineer’s design. The eGuide runs on desktop, laptop and tablet computers.
NASC members will get one free copy of the suite; Non-members will be able to purchase the new guidance from the NASC website at the cost of around £1,000 from January/February 2014
Many people presume this new guidance will have a knock on effect within the scaffold design industry, in a previous ScaffMag article we spoke to one of the most prevalent scaffold design company’s in the UK 48.3 Scaffold Design Ltd for a comment on the new TG20:13 documents and eGuide and how it will affect the industry.
Managing Director, Ben Beaumont from 48.3 Scaffold Design Ltd said:
“The new revision of TG20 looks like a considerable improvement; the hard work CADS and the NASC working group have put in will be of benefit to everyone in the industry and will no doubt turn into a worldwide benchmark for scaffolding with tube & fittings.
48.3 Scaffold Design Ltd are in full support of this new document – a document of this scope is overdue and desperately needed within our industry. The new range of standard designs will ease the burden on scaffolding design engineers in the UK. Most busy design engineers are not spending their time designing loading bays, short bridging sections or towers. Yes, we all design them, but generally as part of bigger schemes and projects. When these items are the only aspect of scaffolding that should be designed on a smaller site they often go undesigned! TG20:13 will now provide a solution to this problem; the standard designs will mean the scaffolds that often ‘slip through the net’ can be erected by a competent scaffolder to the compliant TG20:13 design.
The new ‘e-guide’ looks like it will be a really useful tool for scaffolding contractors. It provides a quick scaffold selection process which results in a concise and effective document to demonstrate the suitability of the scaffold and list key erection criteria.”
Other speakers on the day included: Dave Randles, Dave Abraham and Keith Squires.
Afterwards
On leaving the warmth of the seminar room 15,000 Sq feet of training goodness greeted us as we entered the practical training area. Here we saw practical demonstrations of Scaffolder Rescue, PASMA training and some innovative access products. Also in the training area stalls had been erected by businesses promoting their wares that included SmartScaffolder,Leaches and Layher UK.
Guests watch Simian’s Scaffolders Rescue demonstration.Layher’s impressive lightweight allround systemGuest’s visiting the Leach’s stall.PASMA demonstration.
London company comes to market with a revolutionary new scaffold inspection device system.
A new company was born earlier this month with the launch of its innovative product at an event in Kings Cross London.
Using the latest cloud technology the new product is set to bring scaffolding inspection systems into the 21st century.
SafeTime®, the London based firm behind the system have designed the product from the ground up with simplicity as its first priority.
Readers of ScaffMag will know that it is a legal requirement to record weekly scaffold inspections, whereby a scaffold inspector would repeatedly fill in the same old tagging system onsite and then input the same data on a scaffold register. With SafeTime® this process is eliminated as this is all done at the same time using Near Field Communication (NFC) and cloud technology.
With the aid of the SafeTime® app and using an android tablet or smartphone the scaffold inspector can upload inspections instantly to the SafeTime® web portal. With this transfer of information everybody involved can view inspections in real time.
The device which is fixed to the scaffold structure displays the load class of the scaffold and the number of days until the next inspection. Once the device has run over the seven days since the last inspection a LED will flash alerting the user immediately. Along side this an email will have already been sent to the relevant parties to inform them that the inspections are due and reminder emails will continue to be sent until the scaffold has been inspected.
Feedback from SafeTime® clients has been overwhelmingly positive, David Martin, Project Manager at United House said:
“We have been using the SafeTime Scaffold Inspection Device on our project for the past couple of months with effortless ease. We have engaged our scaffold sub-contractor to use the system and carry out all of the inspections on a weekly basis. It has been incredibly efficient, once an inspection has been undertaken, anyone of my site team can access the SafeTime online portal and see the inspection information immediately in real time. In addition should any of the site team see an element of scaffold that looks unsafe, they can immediately decommission the device; everybody will receive email notification informing them that the scaffold is unsafe and should not be used. I will definitely be using this product on all my future projects.”
For more information on this new product please visit the SafeTime® website.
www.safe-time.co.uk
Safety & Access teams up with Honeywell to offer Scaffolder Rescue Training, after successful Humberside event.
Scaffolding training firm Safety & Access recently held a free event in partnership with the fall protection and rescue experts from Honeywell Safety Products to present a day focused on rescue planning and compliance to SG4:10 and the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
The event was very well attended with representatives present from HSE, Major Construction, Oil and Gas and Scaffolding Contractors.
Many companies believe that their generic rescue plan is sufficient without understanding the consequences of poor planning. The event focused on the effectiveness of correct planning for emergencies at height, the reality of it going wrong, and how to prevent mistakes being made! The session included a theoretical overview of the requirements and a practical demonstration of a rescue process.
Following the success of the event and the great interest expressed by all that attended, Safety & Access have developed an operative and supervisors course that will shortly be available at their centres across the UK in Nottingham, Humberside and Northampton. There will also be the availability to deliver on site. (Subject to relevant facilities being available)
For more details on Scaffolder Rescue Training please see the Safety & Access website or contact [email protected]
The National Access And Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) have today launched the much anticipated new scaffolding guidance TG20:13
The launch has today (22nd November) taken place at the NASC annual general meeting held at the Marriott hotel, Bristol.
In front of a packed conference hall members were introduced to the new guidance with a presentation by Terry Roberts from (CADS)/(Smart Scaffolder)
Information on the sale and distribution of copies of TG20:13 is to follow…
Related articles:
The new TG20:13 headlines the NASC 2014 YearbookThe NASC release further details on the forthcoming TG20:13
A Scaffolder has told newspapers how he escaped death when a helicopter he was in plunged into the sea, killing four people. Paul Sharp, 48, from Hull, was one of the survivors when the Super Puma L2 hurtled uncontrollably into the North Sea.
Mr Sharp tells his shocking and thought provoking story to the Hull Daily Mail :
Mr Sharp, an offshore scaffolder, was one of 18 on the helicopter, which was returning to Aberdeen from the Borgsten Dolphin platform.
The aircraft was making a stop at Sumburgh Airport to refuel, which is at the tip of the Shetland Islands.
Scaffolder Paul Sharp tell his story to the Hull Daily Mail
“As we approached Sumburgh the pilot said there was ten minutes to landing,” said Mr Sharp.
“I tightened my lap strap and sat up. But that ten minutes became 15 and then 20 and we were all looking at each other asking, ‘what’s the craic?’
“All of a sudden we broke cloud level and there was a whooshing noise.
“Then there was a clicking, like a bone was breaking.
“The helicopter turned on its side and just fell out of the sky.”
The helicopter plunged 600ft into the water, 2.4 nautical miles from the airport.
“It landed on its side and buckled and started to turn over,” said Mr Sharp. “It instantly started to take on water.
“It all happened so quickly, there were about four seconds from the click to it hitting the sea. You didn’t have time to think.
“There was a lot of panic. I knew the protocol and I knew to stay in my seat until it had fully inverted, but a lot of people had taken their belts off and they were floating around.
“The helicopter was full of water and I thought about dying. I felt calm. I can remember thinking, ‘at least I have life insurance’.”
With the helicopter full of water, and everyone trapped under it, Mr Sharp knew if he did not get out soon he would die.
His survival instincts kicked in.
He said: “I had hold of the tab on the window, I pulled but it came to bits. I was pushing the window out with my elbow but it wouldn’t move.
“I punched it two or three times and it popped out. I undid my belt and was straight out.”
Thanks to Mr Sharp’s calm thinking, another four people were able to escape from that window.
“When I broke to the surface to take a breath, a massive swell hit and a load of aviation fluid went into my mouth,” he said.
“I could see someone floating out and I grabbed them, but they were obviously dead. I pulled my life jacket, but it failed to inflate. I started to manually inflate it and it went up.
“There were four or five of us in the water at that time and we were drifting away from the helicopter.
“We tried to get together and buddy up, but one guy was seriously injured and the swell broke us up.”
Mr Sharp said his immersion suit, which is supposed to keep him dry, warm and afloat, began to fill with water.
“It shouldn’t have,” he said. “But I must have ripped it on a rota blade when I came out of the helicopter.”
Mr Sharp continued to put on his emergency equipment, including balaclava and gloves.
But the strobe light, torch and personal location beacon on his life jacket were not working.
He was alone and drifting further from the wreckage.
“I thought ‘I’ll turn round once more to see how far away I am’.
“I looked around and I was miles away.”
Poor visibility from misty weather conditions, coupled with strong tides and the location of the helicopter near cliffs, made the rescue operation hazardous and Mr Sharp had already been in the water 40 minutes.
“As I turned round a swell came up and as it did I saw the rescue helicopter. It was winching someone up and I remember hoping they would see me next. Thankfully, they did, and came over to get me,” he said.
The men winched from the sea were taken to a triage unit at Sumburgh airport and warmed up before being transferred to hospital.
Mr Sharp said: “I remember calling my wife and saying, ‘I’ve been in a bit of an accident’. She said, ‘what have you done to the car?’
“I told her the helicopter had crashed. She turned on Sky News and it was all over there. She was devastated.”
Despite plunging 600ft from the sky, Mr Sharp’s only external injuries from the accident, on August 23, were a hematoma stretching from his knee to his hip from the impact and scrapes and bruising on his knuckles, where he punched the window through.
He was back with wife Jean and daughter Amelia, ten, at their home two days after the crash.
“I came home and hugged them. There were tears,” said Mr Sharp.
“I said, ‘I’m OK, I’m alive’.
“Every day I think, ‘I’m lucky to be alive’, and that’s why I don’t take anything for granted now.
“Everything can be fixed. There’s no rush.
“Trivial things that used to bother me don’t anymore. I see life in a different way.”
Source : http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Holderness-Road-man-escaped-death-helicopter/story-20093886-detail/story.html
Cape Australia Onshore has been awarded the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project in Western Australia valued at over AUD $80 (£45) million.
Cape plc is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary Cape Australia Onshore has entered into an agreement with Bechtel, one of the world’s most respected engineering, project management, and construction companies, for the supply of Scaffold Erection and Dismantling Services on the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project in Western Australia.
The contract, valued at over AUD $80 (£45) million expects to create 135 new Australian jobs, all located onsite at Ashburton North, 12 kilometres west of Onslow in Western Australia. Jobs include approximately 95 skilled scaffold erectors supported by 40 supervision, safety, administration and management roles.
Joe Oatley, Chief Executive of Cape plc, said:
“We are delighted to announce the award of this contract which will create new local employment opportunities and recognises the management and expertise of our recently reshaped Australian business. Building on Cape’s considerable world-class LNG construction expertise, this contract will provide a solid base of project activity for our Australian business.”
“We look forward to working closely with our client, and supporting them in delivering safe, efficient and productive construction activities on one of Australia’s largest resource construction projects.”
About the Wheatstone Project:
The Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project is one of Australia’s largest resource projects. Located at Ashburton North, 12 kilometres west of Onslow in Western Australia, the project will consist of two LNG trains with a combined capacity of 8.9 million tonnes per annum and a domestic gas plant. The Wheatstone Project is a joint venture between Australian subsidiaries of Chevron, Apache Corporation, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), Shell and Kyushu Electric Power Company (Kyushu) together with PE Wheatstone Pty Ltd (part owned by TEPCO).
About Chevron Australia:
Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies and through its Australian subsidiaries, has been present in Australia for more than 60 years. With the ingenuity and commitment of more than 4,000 people, Chevron Australia leads the development of the Gorgon and Wheatstone natural gas projects; manages its equal one-sixth interest in the North West Shelf Venture; and operates Australia’s largest onshore oilfield on Barrow Island. Chevron is also a significant investor in exploration offshore northwest Australia and onshore in the Nappamerri Trough, central Australia. Chevron’s Perth-based Global Technology Centre provides technology support and solutions to the company’s operations in Australia and around the world.www.chevronaustralia.com
About Bechtel:
Bechtel is among the most respected engineering, project management, and construction companies in the world. We stand apart for our ability to get the job done right—no matter how big, how complex, or how remote. Bechtel operates through five global business units that specialize in civil infrastructure; power generation, communications, and transmission; mining and metals; oil, gas, and chemicals; and government services. Since its founding in 1898, Bechtel has worked on more than 22,000 projects in 140 countries on all seven continents. Today, our 53,000 employees team with customers, partners, and suppliers on diverse projects in nearly 50 countries. For more information about Bechtel visit www.bechtel.com
The National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has published its 2014 Yearbook, with the imminent launch of it’s TG20:13 guidance taking center stage.
The annual yearbook features 90 pages of scaffolding news from it’s members over the past year, and CISRS training information.
In this years edition though the NASC has gone to great lengths in promoting it’s latest edition of the Technical Guidance for tube and fitting scaffolding (TG20:13), with an expert guide article that hints at what is to come once launched.
Rumoured to of cost 1ooK+ for the development of the new guidance, TG20:13 takes the form of four distinctive guides including two new colour illustrated books and new revolutionary software called the “eGuide”.
The eGuide aims to make it easy to check scaffolds for TG20 compliance (using new ‘TG20 Compliance Sheets’) and avoids the need for costly design with many types of basic scaffolds.
Incoming President of The NASC, Kevin Ward states:
“I know that members are eagerly awaiting the publication of the latest version of TG20 as are other interested parties such as the HSE, UKCG members & scaffold designers. Those who have seen the document have been amazed by the quality of the work. TG20:13 is not a rewrite or a revision; it is a completely new suite of documents which will be published simultaneously. The size and breadth of the documents have meant that it has taken longer to complete than initially hoped. It will though be worth the wait – the new version of TG20 will see a ‘step change’ in our industry with regard to the design of tube & fitting scaffolds.”
The article also features “What’s new in TG20:13” that highlights some definitive changes from previous versions of the guidance that include:
Single bay facade bracing now been proven to be sufficient
Structural transoms not required for unclad independent scaffolding or most debris-netted scaffolds
Ledgers can be joined anywhere within a bay, (proven by calculation)
Board transoms can be spaceded without reference to standards
Local firm ITP supplies debris netting on East End of York Minster to protect visitors, craftsmen and the historic materials.
Visitors to York may be disappointed that part of the glory of its main attraction is currently concealed by an elaborate shroud of scaffolding. In an unconventional partnership of craftsmanship and cutting edge science, the future of York Minster is being assured by preserving its past.
Bolstered by a generous grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, York Minster Revealed is a £20million project spanning 5 years. The ambitious plans will transform the visitor experience and include interactive galleries and underground chambers designed to showcase the Minster’s historical significance.
Far from shielding the public from this renovation process, the transformation is accessible via interactive displays inside the Minster’s East End and through a series of events. These include behind the scenes tours incorporating a lift to the top of the scaffold, and for the less adventurous, an opportunity to meet the experts and watch the intricate carving and glass restoration at close range.
With the public having access to the Minster throughout the works, a significant focus has been placed on health and safety. To protect visitors, craftsmen and the historic materials, debris netting supplied by Easingwold Based Industrial Textiles and Plastics (ITP) is attached to the scaffold encasing the East End, home of the intricate Great East Window.
Commenting on their involvement in the project, Marc van der Voort Managing Director at ITP said,
“As a local company, we are proud to be involved in the renovation and preservation of such an important piece of our heritage. Our Powerclad Debris Netting is a knitted net incorporating button hole eyelets along the length of the roll for fastening to the scaffold structure. Most relevant to this project is its capacity to improve site safety by reducing the risk of debris and small tools falling outside the scaffold”.
With the renovation due for completion in 2016 there is still a long way until York Minster is finally revealed, but in the meantime the chance to watch the masons, carvers and glaziers in action is really too good to miss.
The GKR team currently working on the prestigious London, South Bank Tower development continue to prove safety is their top priority by winning the monthly safety award.
The team won the award for their continuous effort to raise safety standards by successfully and safely installing 3000 square metres of scaffold 300 feet above street level.
The GKR high rise team used tethered tools, which GKR introduced as a mandatory requirement in 2011, and tethered fittings/tubes to complete the job safely and minimise any risk of falling materials.
The Kent based firm is an industry leader with a highly motivated workforce, providing safe scaffolding access to major construction contractors throughout London and the South East.
GKR have been appointed scaffold contractor on many a prestigious projects throughout London including, The Shard, Covent Garden, Canary Wharf and the O2.
JECS Access Limited`s offshore division which operates its business activities across Europe from its offices in the United Kingdom & Germany has been accepted into the European Wind Energy Association after the EWEA`s membership board met and approved the companies application.
JECS Access provides its services of Offshore Scaffolding Access, Encapsulated Access & Encapsulated Enclosures to the offshore wind industry backed with the experience and excellent track record of delivering quality and practical solutions to their clients. Their offshore division is also known as ”JECS Offshore Access Europe”.
Brett Whiting, Managing Director of JECS Access Ltd said: ”We are extremely pleased to be accepted as members of the EWEA and look forward to growing our business within the Offshore Wind Industry. With this Industry being built by Clients, Specialists, Companies, Contractors & Personnel from all over Europe, although exciting and interesting, is difficult to cover in terms of marketing and business development. We are sure that the EWEA will narrow that gap and we look forward to exhibiting our services at their conferences & exhibitions, bringing European business`s together.”
able to build many different types of structures using the software including, Independent Scaffolding, Putlog scaffolding, Lift shaft towers and even Chimney stack scaffolding.
Once finished the user is able to print out or email a TG20:13 compliance sheets proving the scaffold to be erected doesn’t need a costly time-consuming engineer’s design. The eGuide runs on desktop, laptop and tablet computers.
NASC members will get one free copy of the suite; Non-members will be able to purchase the new guidance from the NASC website at the cost of around £1,000 from January/February 2014
Many people presume this new guidance will have a knock on effect within the scaffold design industry, in a previous ScaffMag article we spoke to one of the most prevalent scaffold design company’s in the UK 48.3 Scaffold Design Ltd for a comment on the new TG20:13 documents and eGuide and how it will affect the industry.
Managing Director, Ben Beaumont from 48.3 Scaffold Design Ltd said:
