GSL Scaffolding collapses leaving 50 staff out of work

  Grace Scaffolding Ltd. has been placed into administration leaving nearly 50 staff out of work. The north west company was established over 10 years ago and employed around 48 staff that operated from its head office in Salford and its other branches in Preston, Wirrall and Blackpool. GSL operated a fleet of 40 vehicles with a huge stock of wholly owned scaffolding equipment that concentrated it’s business in social housing, private new-builds, commercial and industrial sectors. The company had a large number of clients that included Bullock Ltd., Lovell, The Gleeson Group Ltd. and Villa Homes. A shareholder disagreement at the company is understood to have meant the business could not pays its debts which lead to the collapse.

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Safway expands into Brazil with new agreement

  In an effort to grow business internationally and expand in Brazil’s burgeoning market, Safway Services, LLC has announced an agreement with Mecan, the largest producer and renter of scaffold in Brazil. Mecan will manufacture and distribute Safway’s QuikDeck® Suspended Access System in Brazil and in other parts of South America. “Along with the potential for additional revenue, this new agreement gives Safway the ability to introduce the QuikDeck® product into the international market, with excellent distribution and support set up at the local level,” says Jerry Dolly, Safway’s Bridge Division manager. “Having been successfully used in a number of applications and in different markets, we expect QuikDeck® will be as versatile and efficient there as it is here.” The newly signed agreement gives Safway access to Brazil’s rapidly developing offshore market, in addition to its commercial and industrial markets. QuikDeck® is a modular platform system that is easy to install, safe for workers and more economical than traditional scaffold or access solutions in a variety of applications. With its versatility and ease-of-use, QuikDeck® can be assembled from just a few basic components and configured to fit almost any shape or size. Mecan is one of 10 companies that is part of the Grupo Orguel Corporation, which services the commercial and industrial markets. Grupo Orguel has been in business for over 40 years, and the Mecan Company is involved in manufacturing, distribution, rental and installation of scaffold.

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Scaffolders join the protest across the country

  Protests on construction sites across Britain turned into mass stay-aways last week. Groups of other construction workers have united with electricians to walk off the job. At the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire, electricians, scaffolders and welders all stayed out of work. More than 200 electricians picketed both gates at SSI steel works (formerly Corus) in Redcar, Teeside. Scaffolders and electricians refused to work. A student delegation from Teesside University unfurled a banner saying  “Students and workers unite and fight”. One worker from Middlesbrough said, “These protest are about freezing wages. “We’re going to need national action as these changes are going to have a knock-on effect on everybody.” One electrician spoke of the solidarity they have received from students while another spoke about the importance of unity between public and private sector workers. A short meeting concluded with electricians blocking the Redcar entrance of the site. Traffic backed up around the roundabout. Workers also stayed off the job at the Pembroke power station in Wales. Other sites to have walkouts included Stanlow in Ellesmere Port, Grangemouth in Scotland, Sellafield in Cumbria, West Burton in Nottinghamshire, Runcorn, Drax and Eggborough in north Yorkshire, Ferrybridge in west Yorkshire, Hinckley point in Somerset and Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire. In Saltend workers on one project protested and in Liverpool 20 workers from the John Moores University site refused to work and joined a protest there. In London, up to 200 workers protested at the Farringdon Crossrail construction site. The electricians are campaigning to stop building bosses tearing up their national JIB agreement and cutting wages by up to 35 percent. Agencies are already recruiting the new grade of “installers” in preparation for the introduction of the new contracts. Many of the workers protesting aren’t covered by the JIB agreement but are covered by the “blue book” national agreement instead. One scaffolder said, “Our bosses are pushing through a pay freeze for us and pay cuts for the sparks. “They are coming for us all, so we all have to fight back together.” Via: www.socialistworker.co.uk 

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Coalition launches £400m ‘Get Britain Building’ initiative

  Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg will unveil a £400m fund to build 16,000 houses, to reverse the slow rate of house building, and stimulate the economy. The ‘Get Britain Building’ initiative will focus on ‘shovel ready’ construction sites where work has stalled. The government is aiming to build an additional 450,000 new homes by 2015. Developers will compete for funds and building work on selected schemes could start next July. It is hoped that up to 3,200 of the proposed new properties will be affordable homes and that the initiative will support up to 32,000 jobs. The initiative is part of the new government housing strategy, also launched today, which includes: A scheme worth hundreds of millions of pounds to underwrite a small percentage of mortgages for new-build homes. It is designed to reduce the size of a deposit, particularly for first-time buyers, by shifting the loan-to-value ratio. Banks are currently demanding deposits of up to 20% of the value of a property from first-time buyers. An extra £50m on top of the £100m from this year’s budget towards an initiative to refurbish empty homes, mainly in deprived areas. Andrew Stunell, the Liberal Democrat communities minister, has said there are two years’ supply of homes locked up in empty property. In a foreword to the government’s new housing strategy, Cameron and Clegg say: “By the time we came to office, house building rates had reached lows not seen in peace time since the 1920s. The economic and social consequences of this failure have affected millions. “That lack of confidence is visible in derelict building sites and endless For Sale signs. It is doing huge damage to our economy and our society, so it is right for government to step in and take bold action to unblock the market. “With this strategy we will unlock the housing market, get Britain building again, and give many more people the satisfaction and security that comes from stepping over their own threshold. These plans are ambitious – but we are determined to deliver on them.” Via: theconstructionindex.co.uk  

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Harsco helps major new bridge span Norwegian fjord

  Harsco Infrastructure has revealed details of a $3.82 M project it is now working on to help span Norway’s Hardangerfjord with a major new bridge. Harsco has provided a variety of Self Climbing Formwork (SCF) systems, plus MANTO® to wall shuttering formwork, link beams, hoists and other associated equipment to help create the 1380-metre suspension bridge which will have one of the world’s longest individual spans measuring 1310 metres. Main project contractor, Veidekke ASA of Norway, was impressed with Harsco’s ability to understand the complexities of this particular project, and draw on its considerable experience of similar projects to help design a practical, safe and efficient access solution. This is enabling a number of significant challenges to be successfully overcome, including the need to accommodate the changing dimensions of the bridge pylons as they rise, and the requirement to construct SCF units that would operate inside the bridge pylons. These tasks are made more difficult by the difficult weather conditions on site, which at times can produce wind speeds of 36 miles per hour. Harsco’s ability to provide a comprehensive portfolio of products and services for this project was another significant factor in Veidekke’s decision. This is helping simplify the project by enabling Veidekke to work with just a small number of contacts within Harsco, who are now able to co-ordinate the delivery of all the formwork, hoists and consumable materials to the site as required.

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Safeway acquires Waco Scaffolding

  Waco Scaffolding & Equipment a major provider of scaffolding and access equipment and services has been acquired by Safeway Services at an auction held as part of Waco’s bankruptcy proceedings. Waco was founded in 1945 employing 320 people with eight offices in the US. The company is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, selling, rents, erects and dismantles scaffolding and other access equipment for the construction and shipbuilding industries. Marc Wilson, president and CEO of Safeway Services said: “Purchasing Waco is an excellent fit for Safway, The company has a long-standing reputation in the scaffolding business and many loyal customers. We look forward to working with Waco customers to demonstrate our commitment to safety, performance and customer satisfaction.” Safway Services saw revenues of $765 million in 2010 and Waco’s revenues were $37 million, according to reports. www.wacoscaf.com

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Business partners fined £13K for scaffolding collapse

  Two scaffolding business partners that erected unsafe scaffolding were sentenced on Wednesday 16 November. Scaffolding Systems South West bosses were fined a total of £13,000, Terrence Foster was fined £8,000 and his business partner Shaun Greenslade was fined £5,000. Both had to pay court costs of £2,040. Exeter Magistrates court heard that on the 25 March 2009 a large section of scaffolding erected by Scaffolding Systems South West at a builders merchants came away from the building, damaging a number of parked cars. The causes for the collapse that HSE inspectors found was that netting had been fixed to the scaffold that extended nearly a meter above the roof of the building. The netting was also fixed to the inside edge of the scaffold instead of the outside which basically made the scaffold a sail to the prevailing wind. The investigation also found there was inadequate stability measures on the scaffold to withstand foreseeable wind speeds, such as scaffolding ties. HSE Inspector, Andrew Kingscott said:
“The degree of risk and danger to workers and the public was considerable. The standard of the scaffold as installed fell far short of the appropriate level.” “This incident could easily have led to human tragedy and should act as a wake-up call to scaffolders to carry their work out to industry standards.”

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NASC withdraws safe height tables for Vol 2 of TG20:08

  Due to the impending review of TG20:08 Volume 2, which is necessary following the introduction of the European Wind Code and the publication of BS EN1991-1-4:2005 A1:2010 (European Wind) and the National Annexe to BS EN1991-1-4:2005 A1:2010, all the safe height tables, text and diagrams associated with wind loading covered in TG20:08 Volume 2 are no longer valid and the tables detailed below should not be used, with immediate effect: Tables being reviewed: Table 29 – 31 (Pages 154 – 159) Safe heights for Basic independent tied scaffolds fully ledger braced with fully loaded inside boards. Table 34 – 36 (Pages 165 – 168) Safe heights for Basic independent tied scaffolds part ledger braced. Tables A1 – A24 (Pages 172 – 219) Appendix A – Tables of maximum safe eight for fully ledger braced Basic Scaffolds Tables B1 – B12 (Pages 222 – 233) Appendix B – Tables of maximum safe height for part ledger braced Basic Scaffolds with line of ties at alternate lifts. The NASC are currently reviewing the data associated with the wind load calculations and intend to issue revised data shortly. Until this time the NASC advises all users of TG20:08 – Volume 2 that the safe heights identified in the tables mentioned above will have to be determined from first principles. For more information please visit the NASC website 

Scaffolder Training Cards Explained

  Simon Hughes presents a new tool box talk video explaining the many different CISRS cards that are available in the scheme. The video also shows the process in obtaining the cards through training and the content in each course.

httpv://youtu.be/wi6eA2eUDv4

The CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) is the only recognised training scheme for scaffolding operatives. The CISRS scheme is also the only recognised training scheme by the NASC (National Access and Scaffolding Confederation).

Scaffolding contractor fined after scaffold collapse

  The director of a scaffolding contractor from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, has been fined after a roofer smashed his pelvis during a scaffold collapse.
The 48-year-old victim fell six metres and fractured his pelvis in four places after scaffolding built on behalf of David Knowles collapsed at a house in Nottingham, on 20 October 2009. A safety investigation found the scaffolding had not been built by a competent scaffolder, was not erected to a standard configuration and had not been tied correctly. Knowles was prosecuted for failing to ensure that people not in his employment were not exposed to risks to their health and safety. After the hearing HSE inspector Mark Molyneux said: “Construction workers’ lives depend on scaffolds. “Scaffold businesses must ensure their workers are trained and competent and that scaffolds meet the requirements and are tied correctly. “If Mr Knowles had ensured the scaffolding had been properly planned and erected and tied by a competent person, this incident would never have happened and a man would not have suffered a painful injury as a result.” Knowles, of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £3,944 costs. Via: constructionenquirer.com