A PENSIONER had to be freed from her car last night after crashing into scaffolding surrounding a house in Finchley.
Police sealed off the area around the semi-detached house on the corner of Lynton Avenue and Mayfield Avenue at 7.30pm while they worked to free the 78-year-old, as they thought the scaffolding could collapse onto the car at any time.
The road was closed for two hours as police worked to contact the owner of the house, who was not at home. Officers who freed the woman from her ordeal said she was “very shaken”.
Via: www.times-series.co.uk U.K. Edition
THE sector skills council and industry training board for the construction industry, CITB-ConstructionSkills, is urging SMEs in the NorthEast to consider the business benefits of taking on an apprentice.
And it is sending out a clear message – recruiting talent now is essential if we are to avoid the skills shortages the industry has seen in the past.
Ezee Scaffolding Ltd, based in North Tyneside, has not only continued to invest in its existing staff, it has also expanded its workforce, strengthening its market position in advance of the upturn.
Managing director Neil Allan oversees 40 employees and five CITB-ConstructionSkills apprentices and believes that young trainees not only help with the business at the moment, but help shape its future.
He said: “We want to be able to mould them to be our future. We are an innovative company wanting to work with innovative people who can help bring this ethos forward.
“We feel that apprentices bring something fresh to the industry and enhance our company; they’re our future. In five years’ time they will be our managers and our supervisors.”
Neil ensures that his workforce get good quality training, as normal, in key areas that will benefit the business.
He said: “We invest in training quite heavily. I believe that investing in training your workforce will give you a return.
“It is seen as a key part of our business. You need to consider what your business will get out of it but you also need to make some sort of investment; not everything is for free. It teaches everyone new skills, which in turn could go on to help us win more work.”
Although Neil has seen the downturn’s effects on Ezee Scaffolding Ltd, he acknowledges that the key is to keep looking forward.
He added: “There have been some ups and downs, including quieter periods but it’s all about planning ahead. We’re fortunate not to have had to lay anyone off.”
Neil is positive about the future of Ezee Scaffolding Ltd because his workforce is training in areas that will benefit his business.
“We see trainees as our next generation,” he said. “We’re happy to invest in training, because the way we see it is if we enhance their skills, they will enhance our company, simple as that.”
With 40 years of experience in the industry, CITB-ConstructionSkills is the UK’s largest supplier of construction apprentices. Some 81% of CITB-ConstructionSkills apprentices finish their apprenticeship, and employers and apprentices will be supported by a dedicated apprenticeship officer.
With advisors based around the UK, CITB-ConstructionSkills provides training advice, products and services, including grants, to help construction firms of all sizes.
CITB-ConstructionSkills is working to deliver a safe, professional and fully-qualified construction workforce. Take advantage to support you and your business, particularly during the downturn, and don’t miss out on opportunities to help your company grow.
For more information on how CITB-ConstructionSkills can help your business grow, go to 
Scaffolders Confederation for Consultation Rights the S.C.C.R are a industry body formed by scaffolders for scaffolders in order to give a voice. The SCCR is a non profit making organisation run by scaffolders for scaffolders it has a democratically elected committee with yearly elections. The SCCR are constantly evolving, listening to the issues that concern scaffolders. The committee members are all currently working within the Scaffolding Industry with first hand experience, ranging from scaffolders on the tools to management. There aim for 2011 is to unite the Industry & get the skills back. Scaffolding is a skilled trade and the SCCR feels it needs to recognised for that.
Why Was The S.C.C.R Formed ?
The SCCR was formed by a group of regular contributors to a online forum for scaffolders as the forum evolved and the membership grew, a common theme began to appear. The major stake holder in the access industry the “scaffolder” had no cohesive voice within the various industry bodies. Members of this online forum decided to form a confederation to voice the working man as well as the small to medium companies. They felt important industry initiatives in training and health and safety were being implemented without any input from the scaffolders having to work in complacence with the initiatives.
What’s The Aim Of The S.C.C.R ?
The aim of the SCCR is to work with Industry bodies offering input and feedback on the latest ACOPs. One major issue which helped spark the formation of the SCCR was the planned withdraw of the ECITB scaffolders registration scheme at the end of 2010, without any contingencies in place to fast track ECITB scaffolders into the CISRS scheme at a level appropriate to the individuals skill and industry experience.
To date after representations to the UNITE union and the ECITB by the SCCR a meeting was held on the 7th 0f October 2010 , in attendance were representatives of the CISRS, ECITB, UNITE and the National Committee for Construction. Without the pressure from the SCCR this meeting would never have taken place. It was agreed by all parties that the ECITB scaffolders registration scheme will now be extended until December 2011.
The SCCR have also arranged a meeting with the CISRS, at which the withdrawal of the ECITB scaffolders register will top the agenda for early 2011.
The SCCR also feels that the CISRS scheme needs an overhaul. The skills are being lost from the Industry, tickets being given out with little or no experience in the industry sectors. The SCCR feel scaffolding should be viewed as four sectors with training reflecting this.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Industrial services company Harsco Corp. said Friday it has two new orders worth $9 million to provide insulation services and scaffolding for a new refinery under construction in the Netherlands.
Harsco said the services are for the new Shell refinery located near Pernis, Netherlands.
The new plant, designed to produce ultra-low-sulfur fuel, is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The new order furthers Harsco’s ongoing role at the plant, where Harsco has been providing onsite scaffolding, insulation and painting services for the past several decades.
Shell Pernis will be the largest refinery in Europe and one of the world’s largest.
Harsco said it also has orders to supply scaffolding and insulation services for the construction of 15 new commercial storage tanks this year at the Vopak terminal in Vlaardingen, Netherlands. The facility handles and stores oleochemicals and vegetable oils, a key component in the making of biofuels and other uses.
Harsco shares fell 28 cents to $31.69 in afternoon trading.
Source: Bloomberg 
The initial incident took place on 20 March 2007 at Bizspace Investment Ltd’s facility at the Craven Court industrial estate at Winwick Quay. A caretaker at the site was cleaning guttering on the roof when he fell through a fragile skylight, and suffered multiple broken ribs.
Following the incident, one of his colleagues, having been sent to take photos of the scene, fell through a different skylight. He landed feet-first on a mezzanine floor and escaped without injury.
The firm hired Anthony Massey, trading as Massey Roofing and Building Contractors, to repair the skylights. On 10 April 2007, one of Massey’s employees was carrying out the work without safety equipment when he, too, fell through a skylight. He sustained serious spinal injuries, which has left him paralysed from the waist down.
HSE inspector Martin Heywood described his astonishment that three similar incidents were allowed to happen on three separate occasions. He said: “A man was sent on to a roof without safety equipment, despite two caretakers falling through skylights less than a month earlier.
“As a result, the worker is likely to need to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. If the project had been properly planned, using appropriate equipment for work at height, then all three workers would have remained uninjured.”
Bizspace appeared at Warrington Crown Court on 7 January and pleaded guilty to s2(1) of the HSWA 1974. It was fined £5000 and ordered to pay £9000 in costs.
Anthony Massey appeared at the same hearing and pleaded guilty to breaching s3(1) of the same Act. As he had been declared bankrupt, Massey received a 12-month conditional discharge.
Following the hearing a spokesman from Bizspace told SHP: “The conviction of Bizspace only related to the falls of their two employees, not that of the specialist roofing contractor, which was clearly the most serious of the three.
“Judge Hales accepted that neither employee was instructed by the company to go onto the roof and indeed, that there was no necessity for them to be there. This was reflected in the low level of fine imposed.”
Inspector Heywood added: “More workplace deaths are caused by falls from height than anything else but companies continue to allow workers to balance dangerously on roofs. It is vital lessons are learnt from this tragic case.
Source: HSE 
Scaffolder Grant Hurlbert, 26, went out drinking with friends after an argument with his girlfriend, Gabrielle Delo, and returned to the flat later after drinking several pints of Stella lager.
Stella Williams, prosecuting, told Medway Magistrates Court on Monday his behaviour was “strange”.
“He was naked and rolling around on the floor” she said, before describing how Hurlburt went into the kitchen and picked up the kitten, which had been given to him by his girlfriend as a present.
Gabrielle’s brother Kristopher Delo went into the kitchen and saw Hurlbert “hold the kitten above his head with both hands and throw it hard on the floor”.
The kitten, which later died, was seen to be twitching on the floor.
Hurlbert then assaulted Gabrielle’s father, Laurent Allswoth, as he forced him out of the house – then wiped mucus on a police officer before trying to kick out the window of a police van. He was also found to be in possession of cannabis.
Hurlbert pleaded guilty to two counts of assault, possessing cannabis and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal at an earlier hearing.
Judge Michael Kelly said drunkenness was no excuse for what was an act of “wanton cruelty”.
Hurlbert was also banned from owning any animal for the rest of his life.
Source: Kentonline.co.uk