A project to refurbish a dam on the island of Jersey has highlighted the bespoke nature of the access equipment solutions which Harsco Infrastructure provides for its customers.Harsco designed and installed a unique combination of suspended access platforms and a load bearing support gantry system (constructed from MkII shoring soldiers and scaffolding materials) to provide access to the entire inside face of the dam so that vital maintenance work could be completed.
First constructed in 1962, the Val de la Mare dam holds back 900 million litres of water, making it the second largest reservoir on the island. The concrete on the dam is suffering from an alkali aggregate reaction and this created the need for the inside face to be covered with a heavy-duty waterproof membrane to re-seal the dam. This will prolong the life of the dam for many years, but required the reservoir to be drained so that the inside face could be accessed.
“This was a very unusual and difficult project which is why a totally bespoke solution was required,” comments Harsco Project Manager Jon Herbert. “It is the first time the reservoir has ever been partially drained and the project had a very tight schedule as the reservoir needed to be refilled as soon as possible.
“The fact that the trades were working at height, and also above water, made this a very complex project. Access to the façade had to be from the walkway on top of the dam wall which was very narrow. This had to remain clear throughout the project to allow the waterproof membrane to be positioned and unrolled down the inner façade. This was achieved by designing a walk-though, ‘tunnel-like’ support structure from scaffolding and shoring MkII Soldier materials.”
Five suspended access cradles were suspended from the load bearing framework and four were fitted with motorised bogies which allowed them to traverse along the façade as well as up and down. This was made possible by a steel support track supported on the underside of the load-bearing framework structure. The fifth suspended access platform was a specially designed and fabricated horse-shoe shaped machine that provided access to the pump tower. This platform was specially designed with six separate winching units which were also supported by the load bearing framework structure. This arrangement of access platforms and egress to the top of the dam’s façade allowed both the team of membrane installers and concrete repair specialists complete access to the façade.
“It was a terrific piece of teamwork to get this project up and running,” comments Project Manager Nathan Clothier, of civil engineering contractor Jayen Ltd which was responsible for the refurbishment work. “We needed a real bespoke access solution to solve a difficult set of requirements. Harsco’s response was really well thought through and they were even able to build a test section of the support gantry for the project team to evaluate prior to work commencing. The schedule on this job was particularly tight so the access system had to be really effective and I’m happy to say that the suspended access platforms worked very well.”
Via: Press Release
Leading scaffolding health and safety consultancy Simian Risk Group has announced a strong start to 2012 with continued growth forecast for the coming year.The Warrington based firm which offers both consultancy and training arms works within the construction industry across the UK and Middle East, with clients including Construction Skills, Carillion, BAE and NSG UK.
Launched in 2005 by directors Ian Fyall and Simon Hughes, Simian Risk Group has increased turnover year-on-year, hitting £1.5million in the financial year end to October 2011.
Simian Risk Group operates Simian Risk – the core consultancy arm of the business – and Simian Skill, which offers training to some of the UK’s biggest scaffolding firms as well as an apprenticeship programme which has so far trained more than 200 young people to go into the construction industry.
Director Ian Fyall said that despite the recession, the firm has grown steadily over the past 18 months.
“We have had a strong first quarter with a raft of new contract wins and are predicting further growth this year to hit a turnover of £1.7million for 2012. Due to our hard work and expertise in our sector Simian has been able to buck the trend in what has been a tough economic climate.
“Over the next nine months we are aiming to grow both the health and safety consultancy arm and the training arm across the UK, in the UAE and worldwide.
“We improved turnover in all of our departments in the last financial year and gained new contracts with Galliford Try, Bramall, BAE, Carillion, Pochin, Bardsleys and Kier as well as a long list of training clients.”
With 25 members of staff, Simian Risk Group is the UK’s biggest scaffolding health and safety advisor, with Simian Skill providing a combination of practical and classroom-based access and work at height training from their Warrington based training centre. The 15,000 sq ft centre is the UK’s only multi-system scaffolding centre in the UK, equipped with Layher, Kwikstage, Cuplok, Haki, Peri Up, Plettac, K-LOK and Tradlok scaffolding systems.
Director Simon Hughes said: “We have continued to grow Simian Risk Management as the mainstay of the business providing consultancy, retained service agreements in safety, inspections and expert witness work. We are also seeing a significant increase in demand for our Simian Skill training programmes, which offers industry standard qualifications.
“Last Year we entered into a guaranteed apprenticeship contract with the Construction Industry Solutions and have had 25 achievers to date. These out of work young people – many from third generation unemployed families – all passed with a scaffolding diploma and have been found jobs where they can carry on their apprenticeships under Construction Industry Solutions from Manchester.
“This growth has meant we have had to take on two more instructors, one secretary and one apprentice in administration.”
Simon added: “Between Ian and I, we have over 35 years’ experience in the scaffolding industry, as health and safety advisors and Chartered Members of IOSH in the construction, power, nuclear and oil and gas industries.
“Health and safety is most certainly the biggest priority in the scaffolding industry and there are substantial penalties for those firms who act negligently. The construction sector has had to up its game and we all need to take responsibility for the workers in our care. We offer first class up to date training and consultancy which minimises the risk for those working at height and their employers.”
Simian’s success in the Middle East led to the group opening a second training centre in the UAE in April offering scaffolding courses, Safety Training and Work at Height Courses.
Simon said: “We are now working with some of the major players and governments in the region and are often in the Middle East to provide consultancy services.”
Via: specificationonline.co.uk
The scaffolding that has surrounded two buildings on a London High Street for at least seven years is to be dismantled after a campaign by residents and councillors.
King’s College London, which owns the former Shoefayre building at 129-131 Borough High Street and the nearby building at numbers 141-143 in the same street, has written to Southwark Council confirming its intention to remove the scaffolding in advance of this summer’s Olympic Games.
For the past five months Cathedrals ward councillor David Noakes has worked with residents,Better Bankside and campaigning organisations including Southwark Living Streets and Boroughbabies, to urge council officers to take enforcement action against the college if it didn’t take steps to improve the appearance of the buildings.
Now King’s College London has confirmed to the council that it is planning to move the structural support inside the buildings, enabling the pavements to be cleared of scaffolding and returned to their full width.
If the project runs to time, work could start soon after Easter and be completed by mid-July.
KCL says that the internal reinforcement to the buildings is a temporary measure and it intends to redevelop the site in due course.
“Local residents and businesses have consistently told us what a blight this scaffolding is to our historic high street and the prospect that the Borough High Street will finally be scaffolding free is fantastic news,” says Cllr Noakes.
Erina Rayner, a Borough High Street resident and secretary of Southwark Living Streets, said: “It is a huge relief that finally, after 7 years, the ugly scaffolding on the KCL buildings inBorough High Street will be coming down.
“Southwark Living Streets has been actively campaigning since 2005 for improvements to the public realm, including all key high streets. Removal of the scaffolding means that TfL can complete the repaving works, so not only will the barnacles on the High Street be gone, pedestrians will be able to walk unimpaired. Hooray!”
The presence of the scaffolding meant that the pavement in front of the two buildings could not be upgraded during the recent resurfacing of Borough High Street by Transport for London. Southwark Council has agreed to ask TfL to bring the two sections of footway up to the same standard once the scaffolding has been removed.
Construction sites are being put under the spotlight as part of an intensive inspection initiative aimed at reducing death, injury and ill health.Between 20 February and 16 March, inspectors from the Health & Safety Executive will be visiting sites where refurbishment or repair works are being carried out. This is part of a national month-long drive to improve standards in one of the Britain’s most dangerous industries.
Their primary focus will be high-risk activity such as working at height and also ‘good order’ such as ensuring sites are clean and tidy with clear access routes.
The purpose of the initiative is to remind those working in construction that poor standards are unacceptable, and could result in enforcement action.
During 2010/11, 50 workers were killed while working in construction and 2298 major injuries were reported.
Philip White, HSE Chief Inspector of Construction, said:
“The refurbishment sector continues to be the most risky for construction workers, all too often straightforward practical precautions are not considered and workers are put at risk. In many cases simple changes to working practices can make all the difference.
“Poor management of risks in this industry is unacceptable. As we have demonstrated in the past, we will take strong action if we find evidence that workers are being unnecessarily put at risk.”
Further information about safe-working in construction can be found online at www.hse.gov.uk/constructionVia: Press Release
Safway Services LLC, a US leader in scaffolding and access solutions, today announced that effective Feb. 20, 2012, Bill Hayes will become President, COO and a Director of Safway Services LLC, reporting to Marc Wilson, Chief Executive Officer.“Since our partnership with Odyssey in 2009, we have continued to build our business in a challenging market,” says Wilson. “As part of ensuring that Safway is well positioned to execute its long term strategy, we are continually evaluating our senior leadership team’s succession plans and putting in place the key people to lead our business. Bill’s wealth of experience in our end markets and in executing strategic acquisitions, as well as his focus on serving customers, will deepen our management capacity and position us for continued strong growth.”
Hayes comes to Safway with a strong background in successfully leading a diverse group of industrial manufacturing and service businesses. He has spent the last four years at Honeywell International Inc. where he was President of Honeywell Safety Products (HSP), the leader in the personal protective equipment/safety industry with over 10,000 employees and approximately 50 manufacturing sites globally. Under his leadership, HSP more than tripled in size from $600 million to $2 billion, dramatically improved profitability and working capital performance, and successfully executed the most complex acquisition integration in recent Honeywell history.
From 2006 until 2008, Hayes was President of Norcross Safety Products’ industrial business until its acquisition by Honeywell. Prior to Norcross he was President and CEO of the Americas Group for Asia-based Nitto Denko Corp., and a member of Nitto Denko’s Board of Directors, from 1994 to 2006.
“I am very excited to be joining Safway, especially at this point in time. To help lead a company of this caliber and leading market position, and have the chance to partner again with Odyssey Investment Partners, whom I worked with while at Norcross, is truly a unique opportunity. Safway has great customers, committed and experienced employees, and a strong customer service and safety focus that I share.
I look forward to helping lead Safway’s very talented management team and continuing to work with Marc and the Board,” says Hayes.
Hayes, who resides in Lake Forest, Ill., with his wife and three children, graduated with honors from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business in 1991 and conducted his undergraduate studies at Northern Illinois University. He is a certified Green Belt in Lean/Six Sigma and completed Honeywell’s Executive Development Program.
Via: Press Release
Rainham Industrial Services (RIS) is pleased to announce that in order to strengthen their core service offering, they have decided to sell their mechanical division to the newly formed EFW Mechanical Services Ltd.RIS will now focus on their core services business (scaffolding & access – insulation – asbestos – refractory – industrial cleaning – grit blasting & coatings). Current work underway include Power Stations at Tilbury, Littlebarford, Aberthaw, Staythorpe, Rocksavage and Dungeness. Recent awards include contracts at Capenhurst, Belvedere, Ellesmere Port and Billingham.
RIS is a Multi-Disciplined Service provider in the UK specialise in delivery of industrial services for the Energy from Waste, Pharmaceutical, Nuclear Decommissioning, Power Generation, Defence, Food and the Oil & Gas sectors in the UK and Europe.
RIS will support EFW Mechanical Services Ltd throughout 2012 and until the new company has established themselves in the Energy from Waste market.
Chief Executive Tim McCarthy said:
‘ 2011 was a very successful year for RIS, with contract wins for multiple Blue Chip Customers, and a turnover of £35m Gbp. This move sees our company return to focusing on what we are famed for – providing innovative, multi-disciplined services to our market leading clients. And as always, providing the highest levels of health and safety and site efficiency.’
Six scaffold firms have been shortlisted for Magnox £300m scaffolding and insulation framework for its decommissioning programme.Magnox, owned by EnergySolutions, is the management and operations contractor responsible for 10 nuclear sites and one hydroelectric plant in the UK.
the winning firms will be bidding for individual site projects across all of the 10 Magnox sites to provide access systems from scaffolding to powered access systems.
The shortlisted firms are as follows:
There is a new firm in town that goes by the name the ‘Scaffolding Association’ which could well be a viable alternative to the NASC (National Access and Scaffolding Confederation).Today we got a first look at what the organisation has to offer when there website went live although not totaly finished you are able to get a fair understanding of what they are about.
The association is based in Evesham, Worcestershire and is a non profit organisation with a mission statement that details plans for a competence based accreditation scheme.
It also states that the association will also be providing robust technical guidance for scaffolders and their clients and encouraging high standards of training and competence across our industry.
The Scaffolding Association’s key aim’s and objectives are:
To protect and encourage quality and fair competition in the marketplace through a competence-based accreditation scheme.
To promote quality and training through category-specific accreditations.
To provide clear guidance and training to procurement officers, principal contractors and site managers, enabling better decision-making.
To ensure scaffolding companies are only commissioned to undertake work for which they are fully qualified and competent.
To help new and existing scaffolding companies expand their services through access to the appropriate information, training and support.
To raise awareness of the essential role of scaffolding design and designers in improving standards and safety within the industry.
Campaign for the introduction of compulsory continuous professional development (CPD) for the scaffolding industry.
Currently the association has three membership types that include Scaffold Contractors, Scaffold Designers and Information Members although a strict code of conduct is required to be adhered to.
For more information about the Scaffolding Association visit there website.
Do you think the Scaffolding Association could be a viable alternative to the NASC ? let us know in the comments below.
By Daniel NortonA northwest London scaffolding firm could be fined £80,000 after the conpany was raided by officers from the UK Border Agency arresting eight of it’s workers.The employees of Desi Scaffolding which is based in Alperton are all Indian nationals. Out of the nine workers at the site, four were arrested for entering the UK illegally and four were held for being in the country illegally having overstayed their visas.
Seven of the eight are now in detention and awaiting their removal from the UK, while the eighth was granted immigration bail while the UK Border Agency processes his case.
The firm could face a fine of up to £10,000 per illegal worker.
Alex Legg, chief immigration officer who led the operation said: “Those who fail to carry out the legally required checks on staff and choose to break the law should know that we are out there looking for them and they will face heavy fines.”
Harsco designed and installed a unique combination of suspended access platforms and a load bearing support gantry system (constructed from MkII shoring soldiers and scaffolding materials) to provide access to the entire inside face of the dam so that vital maintenance work could be completed.
First constructed in 1962, the Val de la Mare dam holds back 900 million litres of water, making it the second largest reservoir on the island. The concrete on the dam is suffering from an alkali aggregate reaction and this created the need for the inside face to be covered with a heavy-duty waterproof membrane to re-seal the dam. This will prolong the life of the dam for many years, but required the reservoir to be drained so that the inside face could be accessed.
“This was a very unusual and difficult project which is why a totally bespoke solution was required,” comments Harsco Project Manager Jon Herbert. “It is the first time the reservoir has ever been partially drained and the project had a very tight schedule as the reservoir needed to be refilled as soon as possible.
“The fact that the trades were working at height, and also above water, made this a very complex project. Access to the façade had to be from the walkway on top of the dam wall which was very narrow. This had to remain clear throughout the project to allow the waterproof membrane to be positioned and unrolled down the inner façade. This was achieved by designing a walk-though, ‘tunnel-like’ support structure from scaffolding and shoring MkII Soldier materials.”
Five suspended access cradles were suspended from the load bearing framework and four were fitted with motorised bogies
which allowed them to traverse along the façade as well as up and down. This was made possible by a steel support track supported on the underside of the load-bearing framework structure. The fifth suspended access platform was a specially designed and fabricated horse-shoe shaped machine that provided access to the pump tower. This platform was specially designed with six separate winching units which were also supported by the load bearing framework structure. This arrangement of access platforms and egress to the top of the dam’s façade allowed both the team of membrane installers and concrete repair specialists complete access to the façade.
“It was a terrific piece of teamwork to get this project up and running,” comments Project Manager Nathan Clothier, of civil engineering contractor Jayen Ltd which was responsible for the refurbishment work. “We needed a real bespoke access solution to solve a difficult set of requirements. Harsco’s response was really well thought through and they were even able to build a test section of the support gantry for the project team to evaluate prior to work commencing. The schedule on this job was particularly tight so the access system had to be really effective and I’m happy to say that the suspended access platforms worked very well.”
Via: Press Release
The Warrington based firm which offers both consultancy and training arms works within the construction industry across the UK and Middle East, with clients including Construction Skills, Carillion, BAE and NSG UK.
Launched in 2005 by directors Ian Fyall and Simon Hughes, Simian Risk Group has increased turnover year-on-year, hitting £1.5million in the financial year end to October 2011.
Simian Risk Group operates Simian Risk – the core consultancy arm of the business – and Simian Skill, which offers training to some of the UK’s biggest scaffolding firms as well as an apprenticeship programme which has so far trained more than 200 young people to go into the construction industry.
Director Ian Fyall said that despite the recession, the firm has grown steadily over the past 18 months.
“We have had a strong first quarter with a raft of new contract wins and are predicting further growth this year to hit a turnover of £1.7million for 2012. Due to our hard work and expertise in our sector Simian has been able to buck the trend in what has been a tough economic climate.
“Over the next nine months we are aiming to grow both the health and safety consultancy arm and the training arm across the UK, in the UAE and worldwide.
“We improved turnover in all of our departments in the last financial year and gained new contracts with Galliford Try, Bramall, BAE, Carillion, Pochin, Bardsleys and Kier as well as a long list of training clients.”
With 25 members of staff, Simian Risk Group is the UK’s biggest scaffolding health and safety advisor, with Simian Skill providing a combination of practical and classroom-based access and work at height training from their Warrington based training centre. The 15,000 sq ft centre is the UK’s only multi-system scaffolding centre in the UK, equipped with Layher, Kwikstage, Cuplok, Haki, Peri Up, Plettac, K-LOK and Tradlok scaffolding systems.
Director Simon Hughes said: “We have continued to grow Simian Risk Management as the mainstay of the business providing consultancy, retained service agreements in safety, inspections and expert witness work. We are also seeing a significant increase in demand for our Simian Skill training programmes, which offers industry standard qualifications.
“Last Year we entered into a guaranteed apprenticeship contract with the Construction Industry Solutions and have had 25 achievers to date. These out of work young people – many from third generation unemployed families – all passed with a scaffolding diploma and have been found jobs where they can carry on their apprenticeships under Construction Industry Solutions from Manchester.
“This growth has meant we have had to take on two more instructors, one secretary and one apprentice in administration.”
Simon added: “Between Ian and I, we have over 35 years’ experience in the scaffolding industry, as health and safety advisors and Chartered Members of IOSH in the construction, power, nuclear and oil and gas industries.
“Health and safety is most certainly the biggest priority in the scaffolding industry and there are substantial penalties for those firms who act negligently. The construction sector has had to up its game and we all need to take responsibility for the workers in our care. We offer first class up to date training and consultancy which minimises the risk for those working at height and their employers.”
Simian’s success in the Middle East led to the group opening a second training centre in the UAE in April offering scaffolding courses, Safety Training and Work at Height Courses.
Simon said: “We are now working with some of the major players and governments in the region and are often in the Middle East to provide consultancy services.”
Via: 
King’s College London, which owns the former Shoefayre building at 129-131 Borough High Street and the nearby building at numbers 141-143 in the same street, has written to Southwark Council confirming its intention to remove the scaffolding in advance of this summer’s Olympic Games.
For the past five months Cathedrals ward councillor David Noakes has worked with residents,Better Bankside and campaigning organisations including Southwark Living Streets and Boroughbabies, to urge council officers to take enforcement action against the college if it didn’t take steps to improve the appearance of the buildings.
Now King’s College London has confirmed to the council that it is planning to move the structural support inside the buildings, enabling the pavements to be cleared of scaffolding and returned to their full width.
If the project runs to time, work could start soon after Easter and be completed by mid-July.
KCL says that the internal reinforcement to the buildings is a temporary measure and it intends to redevelop the site in due course.
“Local residents and businesses have consistently told us what a blight this scaffolding is to our historic high street and the prospect that the Borough High Street will finally be scaffolding free is fantastic news,” says Cllr Noakes.
Erina Rayner, a Borough High Street resident and secretary of Southwark Living Streets, said: “It is a huge relief that finally, after 7 years, the ugly scaffolding on the KCL buildings inBorough High Street will be coming down.
“Southwark Living Streets has been actively campaigning since 2005 for improvements to the public realm, including all key high streets. Removal of the scaffolding means that TfL can complete the repaving works, so not only will the barnacles on the High Street be gone, pedestrians will be able to walk unimpaired. Hooray!”
The presence of the scaffolding meant that the pavement in front of the two buildings could not be upgraded during the recent resurfacing of Borough High Street by Transport for London. Southwark Council has agreed to ask TfL to bring the two sections of footway up to the same standard once the scaffolding has been removed.
Between 20 February and 16 March, inspectors from the Health & Safety Executive will be visiting sites where refurbishment or repair works are being carried out. This is part of a national month-long drive to improve standards in one of the Britain’s most dangerous industries.
Their primary focus will be high-risk activity such as working at height and also ‘good order’ such as ensuring sites are clean and tidy with clear access routes.
The purpose of the initiative is to remind those working in construction that poor standards are unacceptable, and could result in enforcement action.
During 2010/11, 50 workers were killed while working in construction and 2298 major injuries were reported.
Philip White, HSE Chief Inspector of Construction, said:
“Since our partnership with Odyssey in 2009, we have continued to build our business in a challenging market,” says Wilson. “As part of ensuring that Safway is well positioned to execute its long term strategy, we are continually evaluating our senior leadership team’s succession plans and putting in place the key people to lead our business. Bill’s wealth of experience in our end markets and in executing strategic acquisitions, as well as his focus on serving customers, will deepen our management capacity and position us for continued strong growth.”
Hayes comes to Safway with a strong background in successfully leading a diverse group of industrial manufacturing and service businesses. He has spent the last four years at Honeywell International Inc. where he was President of Honeywell Safety Products (HSP), the leader in the personal protective equipment/safety industry with over 10,000 employees and approximately 50 manufacturing sites globally. Under his leadership, HSP more than tripled in size from $600 million to $2 billion, dramatically improved profitability and working capital performance, and successfully executed the most complex acquisition integration in recent Honeywell history.
From 2006 until 2008, Hayes was President of Norcross Safety Products’ industrial business until its acquisition by Honeywell. Prior to Norcross he was President and CEO of the Americas Group for Asia-based Nitto Denko Corp., and a member of Nitto Denko’s Board of Directors, from 1994 to 2006.
“I am very excited to be joining Safway, especially at this point in time. To help lead a company of this caliber and leading market position, and have the chance to partner again with Odyssey Investment Partners, whom I worked with while at Norcross, is truly a unique opportunity. Safway has great customers, committed and experienced employees, and a strong customer service and safety focus that I share.
I look forward to helping lead Safway’s very talented management team and continuing to work with Marc and the Board,” says Hayes.
Hayes, who resides in Lake Forest, Ill., with his wife and three children, graduated with honors from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business in 1991 and conducted his undergraduate studies at Northern Illinois University. He is a certified Green Belt in Lean/Six Sigma and completed Honeywell’s Executive Development Program.
Via: Press Release 
RIS will now focus on their core services business (scaffolding & access – insulation – asbestos – refractory – industrial cleaning – grit blasting & coatings). Current work underway include Power Stations at Tilbury, Littlebarford, Aberthaw, Staythorpe, Rocksavage and Dungeness. Recent awards include contracts at Capenhurst, Belvedere, Ellesmere Port and Billingham.
RIS is a Multi-Disciplined Service provider in the UK specialise in delivery of industrial services for the Energy from Waste, Pharmaceutical, Nuclear Decommissioning, Power Generation, Defence, Food and the Oil & Gas sectors in the UK and Europe.
RIS will support EFW Mechanical Services Ltd throughout 2012 and until the new company has established themselves in the Energy from Waste market.
Chief Executive Tim McCarthy said:
Magnox, owned by EnergySolutions, is the management and operations contractor responsible for 10 nuclear sites and one hydroelectric plant in the UK.
the winning firms will be bidding for individual site projects across all of the 10 Magnox sites to provide access systems from scaffolding to powered access systems.
The shortlisted firms are as follows:
