Worker dies in Shanghai scaffold collapse

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Worker dies in Shanghai scaffold collapse
shanghi One worker was killed and eight others injured when scaffolding collapsed at a Metro Line 12 construction site in the Pudong New Area yesterday, Shanghai government officials said. Three of the injured suffered severe injuries and a search was under way for others believed buried underneath the fallen debris. The accident happened about 9pm in Pudong’s Jinqiao area. The workers were buried under falling scaffolding at the site where a subway train parking space was being built, officials said. It was not clear just how many workers were still buried late last night. The site was undergoing concreting work when the accident happened, according to a witness. The parking place lies close to the terminal of Line 12 at its northeast end. Line 12 is expected to be in operation by 2014 from the city’s northeast to its southwest, with 30-plus stations and 40 kilometers of track. The Shanghai government summoned work safety authorities to a meeting just days ago to emphasize the importance of strengthening safety checks before the holiday to eliminate potential dangers. By the end of last year, at least 454 people had died in work-related accidents in and around Shanghai. That was a decrease but the situation was still serious, officials said.
Source: Shanghai Daily
 

Merry Christmas from Scaffmag.com

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Merry Christmas from Scaffmag.com

snow scaffolding

Well we are here again, yet another year gone.. but before the Christmas doo hangovers set in I wish you all have a very Merry Christmas and a very productive 2013. I Also would like to take this opportunity to thank the many thousands of loyal readers and subscribers to the site that have stuck with us and let us fill your inbox or news feed with up-to date scaffolding information and goodness. But none of this would be possible without our great sponsors: Active-workwear.com , Bettertax.org , Scaff-online.co.uk , Modus-access.co.uk , Loughtonscaffolding.com , Bedsforbuilders.co.uk , skaftray.co.uk , 4safetytraining.com. We will be back on the 3rd January continuing our mission in bringing you all the goings on within our great scaffolding industry. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Dan.

Vantage Delivers An Olympic Service At London 2012

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Vantage Delivers An Olympic Service At London 2012
Olympic Stadium The first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 consisted of nine sporting events: athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.  2012 saw Vantage Event and Media Structures complete their very own Olympic feat of scaffolding services across nine Olympics venues, achieving a personal best in all disciplines. On winning a major sub-contract tender for London 2012 in the face of some stiff competition, Vantage provided a vast range of scaffolding structures for sporting events at The Royal Artillery Barracks, Greenwich Park, the Olympic Village in Stratford, Weymouth, Portland, Hyde Park, Wembley Arena, Hadleigh Farm and Eton Dorney. Forty scaffolders and five carpenters were deployed across the country and worked seven days a week from March 2012, completing work on time and within budget a week before the opening ceremony in July. Our scaffolding teams for such a stratospheric project were selected carefully with utter flexibility and excellence in mind. Across the country we constructed scaffolding ramps for disabled access, scaffold staircases for marquees and temporary buildings, over 25,000 metres squared of marquee sub-structures to enable erections on uneven ground, temporary fire exit staircases for multi-storey marquees, bespoke scaffold platforms for athlete rest areas and hundreds of metres of handrails for site operative edge protection. Further to this, our team of carpenters laid anti-slip membranes on all decking for the safety of workers, athletes and spectators. Needless to say, our Olympic and Paralympic performance has since become our flagship project for showcasing our diverse event products and services. Like all Olympic quests, ours wasn’t without some golden moments: one such scenario was the discovery of a badgers’ set bang in the middle of a plot destined for a scaffolding sub-structure. Contrary to popular belief, scaffolders are big softies at heart, and this wildlife conundrum caused almost two days of delays and a slight relocation of the structure in the end. Meeting Freddie Flintoff was another notable moment on our Olympic journey, but the real reward for us was the privilege of playing an integral part in what has been called the greatest show on earth. There is no better accolade. On the back of our London 2012 success we hope to deliver our bespoke services to similar sporting events in the future. The opportunity to reprocess approximately 80% of the wood purchased for the Olympic contract ensures that our services for similar events in the future will be environmentally sustainable and economically attractive, given that financial savings on these purchases will be passed onto the client. Via: Press Release

Leicester scaffolding firm goes under – 35 jobs lost

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Leicester scaffolding firm goes under – 35 jobs lost

BLscaffolding

 About 35 jobs have been axed after a scaffolding firm ceased trading. BL Scaffolding, in Queen Street, Leicester city centre, has been forced to close after being left with crippling debts following the collapse of a major customer. The company was owed £96,000 by Hallam Contracts, of Oadby, which ceased trading last month. BL bosses announced the closure of the 30-year-old firm to workers yesterday(5th December). No one from the company, which is set to go into voluntary liquidation, was available for comment last night. Neil Money, of CBA Insolvency, of Leicester, who will oversee BL’s liquidation, said: “The company is unlikely to get back any of the money owed by Hallam for some time, which for a company of its size has left it crippled.” It is believed the 300 sub-contractors and suppliers owed £4 million by Hallam are likely to get back just a quarter to a half of the debt. Hallam’s administrators have warned that a number of those creditors have been left close to collapse.

The NASC implements the use of black & yellow hazard tape change

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The NASC implements the use of black & yellow hazard tape change
The NASC is implementing the use of black and yellow hazard tape on scaffolding in areas open to pedestrian traffic. The National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) yesterday released a statement regarding  implementing the use of black and yellow hazard tape on scaffolding in areas open to pedestrian traffic – following safety advice from the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB). The move comes after the NASC’s Health & Safety Committee – working closely in partnership with theUK Contractors Group (UKCG) and Health & Safety Executive (HSE) – received data from the RNIB clearly stating it is much easier for visually impaired people to see black & yellow tape, rather than the commonly used red & white tape. Following the release of the RNIB data, the NASC, UKCG and HSE are suggesting all members should switch to using black and yellow hazard tape – as the standard in areas open to pedestrians – as soon as possible. And, as part of an education and awareness program, the NASC has also made The Highways Authorities aware of this information and asked for their co-operation in order to facilitate an efficient, orderly change over. NASC’s Health & Safety Committee Chairman, Adrian Rooney, said: “We are very pleased to be given such clear data from the RNIB, making our decision to switch to a safer, more visible hazard tape clear and simple. Safety of the public is of paramount importance to the NASC and our members. In addition to being more visible to those with impaired vision, black and yellow tape is also less associated with danger (unlike the current red and white tape), and is more associated with a hazard. We are confident the move will reduce the risk of accidents. Naturally, the NASC recognises the time scale for current red and white stocks to expire and suppliers to restock with the new black and yellow will delay implementation. But we would ask members to make this change as soon as possible and encourage the development of this practice throughout the Construction Industry.”

China wants to slash scaffolding use by half

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China wants to slash scaffolding use by half
Access International have today reported that China plans to half the use of scaffolding in the country by the end of 2015 – the final year of the current five year plan – by dramatically increasing the use of mechanised access, including aerial work platforms and mast climbing platforms. The policy was described by Mr Li Shoulin, a research fellow at the China Academy of Building Research, during the most recent meeting of the Work Safety Committee, the organisation created by US equipment manufacturers Terex and Oshkosh alongside the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham). The committee is lobbying for improved work safety practices in working at height and mining. The latest Work Safety Committee meeting was held during the bauma china exhibition and attended by western and Chinese manufacturers including Terex, Oshkosh, Snorkel, Haulotte, Sinoboom and Dingli, as well as IPAF. CEOs from Terex AWP, Haulotte and JLG were in attendance. Mr Li described how scaffolding collapses and falls from height are the cause of 62% of all work-related accidents in China. As part of the country’s 12th Five Year Plan (2011-2015), the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has set itself the target of reducing scaffold use by more than 50%. Around 400 million tonnes of steel scaffolding are in use in China today, according to Mr Li. Mr Li said China has already taken major steps towards this goal by developing, over the past five years, domestic manufacturing capacity in powered access for machines including self-propelled booms, underbridge inspection platforms, mast climbers, atrium lifts and building maintenance units (BMUs). These ‘centres of excellence’ for powered access include Beijing Jingcheng Heavy Industry (self-propelled booms), CABR Construction Machinery Technology (underbridge inspection units), Hangzhou Sivge Aerial Work Machinery (vertical mast platforms for low level building access) and Hebei Pufeng Construction Machinery (mast climbing work platforms). Terex AWP said during its press conference at bauma china that it expected the aerial work platform market to grow at an annual rate of between 25% and 50% in the years up to 2015, driven both by the growth of the equipment rental sector in the country and by Chinese government drives to improve worker safety, of which the scaffolding replacement programme is one example. Via: Access International

Cape appoints new Chief Financial Officer

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Cape appoints new Chief Financial Officer
Cape plc, the international provider of essential, non-mechanical support services to the energy and mineral resources sectors, is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Speakman as Chief Financial Officer with immediate effect. 
Michael Speakman
Michael has 30 years of experience with public and private companies across a range of industries, holding senior operational, divisional and corporate roles, within TI Group plc and Smiths Group plc between 1982 and 2004, before being appointed as Chief Financial Officer for the oil field services company Expro International Group plc. In his position at Expro he played a key role in the development of the company from a FTSE small cap company to a business that was on the verge of breaking into the FTSE 100 when it was successfully auctioned and taken private in 2008.  Since the change in ownership, Michael has been engaged in a combination of CFO and General Management responsibilities within Expro. Michael holds a BSc in Engineering and he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Joe Oatley commented: “I am delighted that Mike is joining Cape at what is an important time for the business. He brings a wealth of skills and experience to Cape and I am looking forward to working with him to develop and grow the business.” Michael Speakman commented: “I am excited to be joining Cape at this time and I look forward to building on the core strengths of the Group to deliver long-term value to shareholders.” Michael is a former director of Expro International Group plc. In accordance with the UK Listing Rules, the Company confirms that there are no further details that are required to be disclosed under paragraph LR 9.6.13 R of the UK Listing Rules in respect of Michael Speakman.

Christmas gifts for scaffolders

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Christmas gifts for scaffolders
With just 21 days to Christmas its time to start thinking about what your going to buy for that die hard scaffolder in your life, here is just a couple of ideas we have found from around the web. Scaffold Spanner Cufflinks Check out these bobby dazzlers, these solid silver handmade scaffold spanner cufflinks are available from LWsilver.com for a large price of £185. Steel Scaffold Model Steelman24.co.uk metal figurines and objects are manufactured in original Steelman quality, elaborately and carefully handcrafted. Due to this workmanship, each individual product is unique and fulfils the highest quality standards. Price: £49.99 Could these be the perfect gifts for scaffolders… I doubt  it ! Probably a crate of beer would do just fine !

Let us know what you think in the comments below

     

Shocking USA video of how NOT to erect scaffolding

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Shocking USA video of how NOT to erect scaffolding

httpv://youtu.be/SPki6RM6kMc

This shocking video was uploaded yesterday and shows US scaffolders working unprotected from falls and working off just 2 boards….

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Harsco helps Manchester student castle development

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Harsco helps Manchester student castle development

The creation of a new, iconic development in the heart of Manchester’s vibrant student district has been aided with an innovative double-decked mechanical access solution from Harsco Infrastructure. Working with main contractor Shepherd Construction Ltd on the prestigious Student Castle project, Harsco designed and supplied a bespoke system using solutions from its range of construction access equipment to provide access to all external elevations, allowing the architectural panels to be easily applied to the 31-storey student accommodation block. The Student Castle, which towers over Manchester Oxford Road rail station from its Great Marlborough Street location, proved a complex building profile with variations in height, projections and recesses. Harsco’s team proposed the use of mast-climbing work platforms to provide clear, unobstructed access to all areas of the facade, while allowing the transport of materials to the working area to be unimpeded. Harsco installed a mix of single and double masted platforms in 17 positions around the exterior of the building, with some reaching up to 100m in height. Of the 17 platforms, 6 were ‘double deck’, allowing two different operations to take place simultaneously with two independent platforms on the same mast. Several of the mast-climbing work platforms installed were mounted on roof areas at various points around the structure, requiring carefully engineered load-bearing support structures. The team innovated further, with the introduction of a unique safety gate system. While most platform access solutions force the user to lower the whole platform to base level to enter and exit the platform, Harsco’s system allowed the team working on the Student Castle to access platforms from the upper floors of the building. As a result, the Shepherd team reported improved efficiency on the job thanks to increased speed of access to the working area. Cameron Reid, UK Mechanical Access Director at Harsco, said:
“We pride ourselves on being able to provide innovative solutions to complex, interesting challenges and feel that we delivered the ideal solution to the Student Castle brief. The building is a unique design, meaning traditional access installations would have been difficult to use. By working closely with our partners on site and having a wide range of creative solutions open to us, we designed and installed a range of access solutions that proved successful.”
 
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