Mobile scaffold falls three decks on offshore support vessel

Daniel Norton
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Mobile scaffold falls three decks on offshore support vessel

A mobile scaffold fell three deck levels while being moved on an offshore support vessel, prompting a Marine Safety Forum warning about equipment checks and exclusion zones.

The three-tier structure had seized wheels and was being dragged near a provisions-crane pedestal. After it reached a raised metal plate beside a skylight, the crew lifted it to continue the move.

It became unstable and collapsed onto the main deck. No one was below and no injuries were reported, although no exclusion or drop zone had been established.

Safety Alert 26-17, issued on 28 October 2026, identifies five contributing issues: the scaffold had not been confirmed fit to move; the risks were underestimated; planning and reassessment were insufficient; controls were not effectively implemented; and work was not stopped when risk increased.

The alert says: “Scaffold must be fit for use before handling or movement”. It calls for checks covering wheels, brakes and locking pins, with scaffold height matched to onboard capability and appropriate supervision.

Crews are also urged to verify exclusion zones and pause when conditions change or the task becomes difficult.

The alert does not disclose the incident date, location, vessel or operator.

Source: Marine Safety Forum, Safety Alert 26-17

Doka details climbing systems for Burj Binghatti tower

Daniel Norton
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Doka details climbing systems for Burj Binghatti tower

Doka has detailed the climbing platforms and perimeter protection being used on the Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co Residences in Dubai.

In a project update issued on 5 November, the supplier says its SKE50 plus system is targeting a core and shear-wall cycle of 1 floor a week. The release gives no achieved cycle data.

Scaffmag reported Doka’s wider agreement with Binghatti in December 2024. That partnership covered 4 Dubai developments, including this tower, One by Binghatti, Mercedes-Benz Places and Bugatti Residences. The latest announcement provides detail on the Burj Binghatti package.

Doka says the SKE50 plus system climbs without a crane. A separate self-climbing platform provides additional working levels, while Xclimb 60 screens enclose slab-edge work areas.

The package includes Dokadek 30 slab formwork and a hydraulic table lifting system. Further screens are planned for façade installation.

Taher Rihawi, managing director of Doka Gulf, said: “We value our partnership with Binghatti and are pleased to contribute our expertise to a project of this significance.”

For access contractors, the project puts the movement of working platforms and edge protection alongside the planned floor cycle. Doka lists completion at the end of 2027.

Vistry begins job cuts ahead of January regional shake-up

Daniel Norton
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Vistry begins job cuts ahead of January regional shake-up

Vistry has begun cutting jobs as it prepares to reduce its operating regions from 25 to 12, with the new structure due to take effect in January.

In its 5 November trading update, the housebuilder said regional managing directors and their teams had been confirmed. It reported progress towards £50m of savings in 2027.

Chief executive Adam Daniels said the company had “started the difficult but necessary process of reducing headcount”. The update gave no number for the job losses.

Vistry said it was matching build rates to demand as private housing conditions remained difficult. For scaffolding firms working on housing sites, the pace of construction is the direct point of interest, although the statement identified no changes to specific scaffolding contracts.

Smaller regional footprint

The reorganisation follows September’s strategic review, which set a medium-term target of about 12,000 homes a year and a greater focus on the North, Midlands and West.

That review proposed moving South East operations to a fully pre-sold model, while joint-venture schemes could continue selling privately as they completed. It also set out plans to reduce the owned land bank from about 51,000 to 36,000 plots.

Debt and affordable housing

Vistry now expects average daily net debt of about £800m in the second half, citing market conditions and some partner-funded transactions moving later into the fourth quarter. This is a forecast for the period’s daily average.

The company has begun refinancing its £900m term loan and revolving credit facility. It has also signed its £350m Social and Affordable Homes Programme grant agreement with Homes England.

Its forward order book stands at £3.1bn under the revised definition introduced at the half-year results, which counts exchanged or otherwise legally contracted orders.

Housing weakness deepens as RICS flags tougher credit outlook

Alex Mercer
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Housing weakness deepens as RICS flags tougher credit outlook

Housing workloads weakened in the third quarter as construction businesses faced a worsening credit outlook, according to the RICS UK Construction Monitor.

The headline workload net balance fell from -4% to -7%, its sixth consecutive negative quarter. Private housing dropped to -18%, while infrastructure strengthened to +18%.

These balances measure the difference between respondents reporting increases and decreases, not percentage changes in construction output.

The three-month credit expectations balance deteriorated from -21% to -36%. Financial constraints and planning and regulation were each cited by 62% of respondents as barriers to activity.

Businesses still anticipated modest improvement: the twelve-month workload expectations balance was +12%, down from +13%.

For scaffolding contractors, the contrast between housing and infrastructure offers useful context when assessing their pipeline. The survey does not measure scaffolding demand separately.

Nottingham City Council opens £3.25m scaffolding tender

Alex Mercer
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Nottingham City Council opens £3.25m scaffolding tender

Nottingham City Council is inviting bids for a four-year scaffolding contract with an estimated value of £3.25m.

The works contract covers scaffolding erection, alteration, dismantling, inspection and supervision on council buildings, alongside design and risk and method statements.

The Find a Tender opportunity, is listed as a below-threshold open competition. Its full notice reproduced on Sell2Wales gives an estimated term of 18 January 2027 to 17 January 2031.

The estimated value rises to £3.9m including VAT. The council says spending figures are a guide and do not guarantee the value or volume of orders.

Bids will be assessed on price, weighted at 60%, and quality at 40%. Detailed requirements are contained in the NEC4 Term Service Short Contract form of agreement in the tender pack.

The notice also warns that local government reorganisation in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire could affect the contract, with organisational and contractual arrangements potentially needing to change.

Suppliers must register on Source East Midlands, the procurement portal to which the council is moving from East Mids Tenders.

The full notice on Sell2Wales lists enquiries as closing at noon on 23 November 2026 and tenders at noon on 30 November. Its summary page displays a different tender deadline of 1 December, so bidders should confirm the closing date through the buyer’s tender portal.

Worker seriously injured in Swiss scaffold dismantling fall

Daniel Norton
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Worker seriously injured in Swiss scaffold dismantling fall

A 37-year-old worker has been seriously injured after falling from scaffolding during dismantling work in Oberstammheim, Switzerland.

The incident happened at about 9.40am on Tuesday 3 November, Zürich cantonal police said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Initial findings indicate that the man was dismantling the scaffold when he fell to the ground from height. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The cause of the fall has not been established. Zürich cantonal police are investigating the circumstances with the Winterthur/Unterland public prosecutor’s office.

Police specialists attended to secure evidence and document the scene. An ambulance team from Winterthur hospital, an emergency doctor and a Suva construction-site safety specialist were also involved in the response.

The police statement did not identify the worker’s employer or specify the height of the fall. It gave no further update on his condition beyond confirming that his injuries were serious.

First Scaff wins NSW Employer of Choice award

Alex Mercer
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First Scaff wins NSW Employer of Choice award

First Scaff, based in Albury, New South Wales, Australia, has won the 2026 Business NSW State Award for Employer of Choice in the 20 employees and under category, with the scaffolding firm now calling for greater investment in training and higher industry standards.

The Ettamogah-based company received the award at the International Convention Centre in Sydney on Friday 30 October. It was one of 11 regional winners competing for the category’s state title at an event bringing together 216 finalists across 22 categories.

The result follows First Scaff’s wins at the Albury Wodonga and Riverina Murray awards earlier this year. The company was also a state finalist in Excellence in Small Business.

Director Mick Beaumont said the recognition belonged to the crew.

“This is the award that means the most to us because it’s about our people,” he said.

“People expect a tradie workplace to be tough and not much else. We want to show it can be a place where people grow, feel looked after and get home safe to their families.”

Four-year internal training

First Scaff says it has grown to a team of twelve since 2016, delivering scaffold and access work on power stations, dams, rail corridors and industrial sites across regional New South Wales and Victoria.

Its approach includes a four-year internal traineeship for every new full-time team member, tailored to their interests and starting skill level. The company says team leaders record a morale check at the end of each shift, with any drop followed up within 24 hours.

Regular one-to-one meetings and rosters that accommodate family commitments sit alongside quarterly team summit days. These bring together training, problem-solving and sessions with outside coaches, as well as time for staff to set personal goals for the following 90 days and beyond.

Beaumont said the business wanted future leaders to come from within its existing team.

“We don’t get everything right, and we’re not finished. We’ll keep improving how we train and support our people, and we want our next leaders to come from within our own crew,” he said.

Call for higher standards

First Scaff wants to use the award to press for more training, stronger standards and formal recognition of scaffolding as a skilled trade in Australia.

Beaumont said clients also needed to consider the experience, training and safety behind an access contractor’s price.

“Working at height is dangerous work, and our industry needs more from itself,” he said.

Business NSW Riverina Murray regional director Serena Hardwick said the award demonstrated the role employers could play in addressing the region’s skills shortage.

“First Scaff demonstrates that being an employer of choice is about creating an environment where people can develop their skills, build a career and feel valued by the organisation they work for,” she said.

Business NSW’s regional awards programme named First Scaff as its Employer of Choice winner before the company progressed to the state final.

Four injured in Taiwan market scaffold collapse

Daniel Norton
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Four injured in Taiwan market scaffold collapse

Four people were injured when scaffolding collapsed at the old Beitou market demolition site in Taipei, Taiwan, prompting a stop-work order and plans for wider scaffold safety inspections across the city.

The collapse happened on Tuesday 3 November. Emergency services were called at 10.35am and the injured were taken to hospital.

In a statement, Taipei City Government said investigators would examine the demolition work, scaffold height and fixing arrangements to establish whether requirements had been met. The cause remains under investigation.

The city said its New Construction Office had imposed a NT$2.5m contractual penalty on the construction contractor and was reviewing the supervision of the project.

Labour inspectors are also examining site protection, scaffold installation and the employer’s safety management arrangements.

The response extends beyond the market site. The city said it would expand safety inspections of scaffolding across Taipei and penalise breaches identified.

Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that Shilin prosecutors and Beitou police had formed a joint investigation team. Investigators visited the site that afternoon and instructed police to preserve evidence and obtain relevant records to establish whether contractors or construction personnel bore criminal responsibility.

The city said it was recording damage to nearby stalls and shops and would require the project team to arrange repairs and compensation.

Separately, figures released by Taiwan’s Ministry of Labour on 3 November show that 102 construction workers died in major occupational accidents in the first nine months of 2026, nine more than in the same period last year.

Falls accounted for 62% of fatal construction accidents, while subcontractor workers made up more than 70% of construction deaths, the ministry said.

NIE Networks tenders £4.8m scaffolding framework for power infrastructure

Daniel Norton
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NIE Networks tenders £4.8m scaffolding framework for power infrastructure

NIE Networks has advertised a scaffolding framework with an estimated value of £4.8m, covering work on Northern Ireland’s electricity infrastructure.

The procurement is divided into two lots, each valued at an estimated £2.4m, for overhead line, substation and associated access requirements.

The notice published on Sell2Wales on 31 October sets out an initial four-year term, with options for NIE Networks to extend it by up to a further four years.

Two lots for electricity network work

Lot one covers distribution overhead lines, including scaffolding for the erection, maintenance and replacement of electricity poles. It also includes low-voltage wires and cables beneath the eaves of customer properties, alongside fault and emergency response work.

Lot two covers distribution and transmission substations and transmission overhead lines. Its scope includes access for work on substation equipment, buildings and apparatus, electricity poles and towers, and roadside protection schemes when overhead lines are raised or lowered. Fault and emergency work is also included.

Design and inspections included

The requirements extend from pre-site assessments and scaffold planning through to design, hire, delivery, erection, alterations, maintenance and dismantling.

Contractors will be required to provide task-specific risk assessments and method statements, together with the necessary designs, calculations, engineering assessments and drawings.

The scope also calls for inspections after erection and before first use, at intervals of no more than seven days, and after alterations, weather, impacts or other circumstances that could affect safety.

NIE Networks specifies competent personnel for design, erection, inspection and supervision, with supporting inspection records and certification.

Framework could run for eight years

The notice gives estimated initial contract dates of 29 December 2027 to 28 December 2031. Extension options could take the arrangement through to 28 December 2035.

The £4.8m figure is the estimated framework value, rather than a guaranteed amount of work or an awarded contract.

Both lots are to be assessed on a weighting of 70% price and 30% quality. Procurement documents and participation requirements are available through eSourcing NI under reference S1138 (2027).

Tube costs rise, but the CBAM outlook eases

Trevor Inns
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Tube costs rise, but the CBAM outlook eases

Scaffold tube costs up 5% this quarter, and HMRC’s first CBAM numbers point to a far smaller January rise than feared

The TUBEIND Index, which tracks the cost of landing imported scaffold tube in the UK, currently stands at 81, up from 77 in the summer. Higher freight and a weaker pound did the damage.

What the index measures

The TUBEIND Index tracks what it costs to import scaffold tube before any importer or wholesaler adds a margin.

The index is set to 100 at June 2023, so a reading of 81 means tube costs 19% less to land than it did then. We show each driver so you can see what is pushing the number up or down. The series is built monthly from actual shipments and shown here by calendar quarter.

The index since June 2023

Tube Industries index chart. – Credit: Tube Industries.

Tube has cost less to land than in June 2023 every quarter since, with the 2024 Red Sea crisis the only period that came close. On HMRC’s illustrative CBAM rate it stays below that level through the first half of 2027.

What moved this quarter

The index rose from 77 to 81, about 5%. Almost all of it came from two places. i) ocean shipping rates have been climbing since the summer as importers are pulling stock forward to land it before CBAM starts ii) Sterling has weakened since the spring. For most of 2025 and early 2026 a strong pound was quietly cutting the cost of imported steel. That tailwind has gone and turned into a small headwind.

Steel prices have hardly changed at all as Chinese domestic demand remains weak and mills have had little room to raise prices. That stability is the main reason tube has stayed cheap through 2025 and 2026.

Tube Industries cost-driver chart – Credit: Tube Industries.

What comes next: CBAM

From 1 January 2027 every tonne of steel imported into the UK carries a carbon charge under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. On 16 October HMRC published draft numbers for that charge. The final rate for ships arriving between January and March will be published before the end of December

That draft rate is lower than most of the market expected. Scaffold tube will be charged roughly an extra 7p per foot. Note: This is the default charge. For importers working with suppliers that have actual emissions data (verified by an approved, independent third party) the charge should be lower.

That lifts the index by about 8 points, from 81 to around 86 in the first quarter, with a range of 85 to 89. Freight easing after the pre-CBAM import rush offsets about 3 of those points. The net effect on landed tube in January is a rise of about 6%.

For fittings, they weigh around the same as a foot of 3.2mm tube, so expect a similar 7p increase in your double, swivels and sleeves which may also be slightly offset by an easing of freight prices.

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