ScaffPlan Chosen as Official Scaffold Design Platform for ScaffChamp 2023
The organisers of the annual Scaffolding Championships, known as ScaffChamp, have announced that ScaffPlan has been selected as the official scaffold design platform for this year’s event.
The competition, which showcases the top scaffolders from 11 different countries, is set to take place in Lithuania in May 2023.
Simon Boyes, CEO of ScaffPlan, expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying, “We are honoured to be selected as the official scaffold design platform for ScaffChamp 2023. We are committed to providing the best possible tools and support to help companies design and plan their scaffolds, and we are excited to be part of this impressive event. We have some major surprises in store for the event and will be releasing our newest software release live on stage.”
The two-day event, scheduled for May 26th and 27th, will be live-streamed for viewers across the globe. In addition to the thrilling competition, attendees can expect a number of showcases, stalls, activities, and giveaways.
Oleg Abramov, president of the Baltic Scaffold Association (BSA), praised the collaboration with ScaffPlan, stating, “At ScaffChamp, we’re thrilled to have ScaffPlan as our official scaffold design platform for the next three years. ScaffPlan’s cutting-edge technology and user-friendly interface make it the ideal choice for users looking to design and plan their scaffold structures with total accuracy. We’re proud to partner with ScaffPlan and excited to see how their innovative software will help the teams bring competition design to life. We believe this partnership will inspire future ScaffPlan users to pay attention to this revolutionary software on the market.”
As a leading provider of scaffold design software, ScaffPlan has been selected as a multi-year major event partner. The company will showcase the ease and constructability of top-secret scaffold designs once they have been revealed to the teams during the competition.
ScaffChamp 2023 promises to be an exciting event for scaffolders and scaffold enthusiasts alike. For more information about the event, visit www.scaffchamp.com. To learn more about ScaffPlan, go to www.scaffplan.com.
Surge in Tool Theft Leaves Tradespeople Struggling
A recent LBC analysis has revealed a surge in tool theft across England and Wales, with more than 40,000 cases in 2022 alone.
This alarming statistic equates to at least 110 tools stolen daily, leaving tradespeople struggling to cope with the financial and emotional impact.
Data collected by LBC from 25 of the 45 territorial police forces in the UK highlights the widespread nature of the problem. On The Tools, the UK’s largest online construction community, reports that 80% of tradespeople have experienced tool theft, disproportionately affecting self-employed individuals.
London has emerged as the epicentre of this issue, accounting for nearly half of all recorded cases. Other regions, such as Essex, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands, and Gwent, also reported high levels of tool theft last year.
The financial toll of these crimes is staggering, with an estimated average loss of £4,470.50 per tradesperson in equipment. This amounts to a potential combined loss of over £100 million during a time of economic uncertainty and rising living costs.
Despite the extensive impact of tool theft, charge rates remain disappointingly low. In Surrey, Northumbria, and West Yorkshire, a mere 2% of recorded cases result in a charge. The situation is only marginally better in Merseyside and Northamptonshire, with charge rates below 7%.
Former Deputy Assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, Andy Trotter, called the situation “devastating for tradespeople” and emphasized the enormity of the challenge faced by the police in addressing this crime, particularly amidst dwindling resources.
Victims, such as East London security equipment installation engineer Ian, have spoken about the heart-wrenching effects of tool theft. After experiencing three break-ins, Ian was forced to invest in additional security measures, including a ‘tool-safe,’ extra locks, and stainless steel panels.
In response to the growing crisis, a spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs Council has acknowledged the complexities of tool theft cases, citing limited forensic opportunities as a major obstacle. The spokesperson also reaffirmed the commitment to tackling tool theft and encouraged victims to report incidents to the police.
PERI Names New UK Managing Director
PERI has announced the appointment of Ian Hayes as the new Managing Director of its UK subsidiary.
Hayes succeeds Alasdair Stables, who stepped down at the end of April 2023. Hayes officially joined PERI at the beginning of May and brings with him a wealth of experience from his time in the construction industry.
Before joining PERI, Hayes served as the CEO and Divisional Managing Director of RMD Kwikform for six years. He managed the company’s 1,500 staff and operations in over 40 countries with a turnover of £200 million.
Before that, he held the position of Commercial Services Director at Lafarge, serving on the Aggregates and Concrete UK Executive Board.
PERI expressed confidence in Hayes’ ability to lead the UK subsidiary towards its long-term goals, citing his extensive industry experience and knowledge.
Reflecting on his time at the company, outgoing Managing Director Alasdair Stables said, “It’s been a privilege to work for PERI over the last ten years, and whilst I’m looking forward to my forthcoming sabbatical, I am delighted to handover to Ian. His experience and character suit PERI perfectly, and it’s a great feeling to be leaving the business in such capable hands to care for our customers.”
Hayes expressed his excitement about his new role, stating, “I’m delighted to be joining PERI, a business that is well respected all over the world. Alasdair has successfully led the business over the last 10 years and has grown PERI’s presence in the UK construction market. I’d like to thank him and wish him well for the future. The UK market continues to present new and exciting opportunities for further growth and customer service, which I have great ambition for and look forward to achieving with the entire PERI team.”
Nominations Open for NSW Scaff Star Awards
The National Scaffolding Week (NSW) has officially announced the opening of nominations for its prestigious Scaff Star awards.
The annual event aims to highlight the remarkable achievements of the scaffolding and access sector, showcasing the diverse range of career paths and opportunities available in the industry.
With the countdown to NSW underway, it is the perfect time to recognise the unsung heroes of the scaffolding sector. The industry boasts over 34,000 scaffolding operatives and hundreds of people in related roles, contributing a staggering £2.86 billion to the UK economy.
NSW seeks to honour those exceptional individuals who have gone above and beyond in their contributions to the industry. Be it raising funds for charity through their scaffolding business, playing a crucial role in training and introducing new talent to the industry, or dedicating their entire career to the sector, NSW wants to celebrate their inspiring stories and share them with the broader scaffolding community.
To nominate your scaffolding hero, simply complete the quick form available on the NSW website. Nominees will be listed on the website, promoted on social media with the #ScaffStar hashtag, and honoured at the Scaffold Conference in October, organised by the Scaffolding Association.
Be sure to submit your nominations, as the deadline is Friday, September 22nd, 2023. For more information on the fun and exciting events during National Scaffolding Week, visit www.nationalscaffoldingweek.com.
Tony Barry Takes Helm as CISRS Compliance Director
The Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) has announced the appointment of industry veteran Tony Barry as their new Compliance Director.
Barry, who joined the CISRS Board last week, has been an essential member of the CISRS team since July 2021, when he first started as the Compliance Manager.
Barry brings over 40 years of experience in the scaffolding industry, with 23 of those years spent working as a CISRS scaffolder, supervisor, and manager. Additionally, he has 20 years of experience with the Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) National Construction College as an instructor, assessor, and National scaffolding training programme manager for access and rigging training.
As the CISRS Compliance Director, Barry’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the CISRS training scheme courses remain relevant, robust, cost-effective, and ‘fit for purpose’. He has been actively involved in the recent review and development of the Scaffolding Apprentice Standard, working alongside the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) and the industry trailblazer group.
CISRS Board members are excited about the new appointment. One board member commented in a press release, “Tony’s depth of knowledge and experience within the industry and its recognized training scheme have seen him quickly rise to board level. We are confident that his leadership will further strengthen the quality of our training programs.”
Tony Barry expressed his enthusiasm for his new role, stating, “I am incredibly honored to serve as the CISRS Compliance Director. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues to ensure that the CISRS training courses continue to meet the evolving needs of the industry.”
With Tony Barry at the helm, CISRS is set to maintain its reputation for providing high-quality, cost-effective, and ‘fit for purpose’ training courses to meet the needs of the scaffolding industry.
NASC Takes Top Honors at SHE Awards for Excellence in Health & Safety
The National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has been awarded the prestigious title of ‘Best Health & Safety in Construction’ at the Safety & Health Excellence (SHE) Awards held at The Vox, NEC in Birmingham.
The black-tie event, attended by 550 guests, was hosted by television presenter Tess Daly and organised in conjunction with the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) Awards by Western Business Media Limited, publisher of Health Safety Matters (HSM) magazine.
The SHE Awards celebrate innovation and achievements in the British health and safety industry, emphasising the importance of innovation and the highest standards of excellence within occupational safety and health.
The NASC, the UK’s oldest scaffolding trade body, entered the competition under the ‘Best Health & Safety in Construction’ category for its positive work in publishing industry-standard-setting technical and core safety guidance notes, including TG20:21, SG4:22, and SG6:22. The organisation’s support of health and safety best practices for its 480+ member companies was also recognised, with contributions such as providing access to £280,000 in training grants, publishing over 100 toolbox talks, and offering a range of specialist advisors on various topics.
Acting NASC Managing Director, Dave Mosley, expressed his delight, stating, “It’s absolutely fantastic for the NASC to win this award. Championing health and safety within the scaffolding and wider construction sector is our whole raison d’être, and it’s marvelous to get recognition for the efforts of the hard-working NASC staff, working parties, committees, and scaffold sector experts that make this fine organisation what it is.”
NASC Health and Safety Manager Steve Kearney added, “The NASC works tirelessly throughout the year to produce standard-setting health and safety, technical, contractual environmental, and other such guidance for its members and the whole construction industry. Our guidance helps keep people safe in an inherently dangerous industry – getting scaffolders and those who work on scaffolding home to their families every night. The work matters. It’s nice for that to be acknowledged by the health and safety industry.”
The NASC triumphed over other contenders, Jarvis Contracting and the Stockport Homes Group, to claim the ‘Best Health & Safety in Construction title at the SHE Awards.
NASC Health and Safety Manager Steve Kearney added, “The NASC works tirelessly throughout the year to produce standard-setting health and safety, technical, contractual environmental, and other such guidance for its members and the whole construction industry. Our guidance helps keep people safe in an inherently dangerous industry – getting scaffolders and those who work on scaffolding home to their families every night. The work matters. It’s nice for that to be acknowledged by the health and safety industry.”
The NASC triumphed over other contenders, Jarvis Contracting and the Stockport Homes Group, to claim the ‘Best Health & Safety in Construction title at the SHE Awards. Scaffolding a New Future for Paisley Museum
Paisley Museum, a cherished cultural landmark, is undergoing a major renovation, with JR Scaffold Services playing a pivotal role in supporting the building’s transformation.
The historic Paisley Museum, a Grade A-listed building and one of Paisley’s most well-known cultural landmarks, is undergoing significant renovation. As the main scaffold supplier on this important project, JR Scaffold Services, a division of leading Scottish construction firm The JR Group, has been instrumental in erecting an impressive scaffold structure around the museum. The renovation is part of Renfrewshire Council’s £100 million investment in local cultural venues.
John Jack, Contract Manager for JR Scaffold Services, expressed the company’s pride in being part of the museum’s restoration: “We are incredibly proud to be playing our part in the restoration of Paisley Museum – it is an incredibly complex job with many parts to it, but our expertise lends itself perfectly to the intricacies of it.”
This ambitious project aims to completely renovate the museum, including the Grade A observatory dome, new roofs, façade stone works, glazing for multiple skylights, and a steel frame extension.
To accommodate the diverse requirements of the job, JR Scaffold Services has provided various types of scaffolds, such as edge protection, independent wall, internal birdcage, cantilever, and bespoke scaffolds designed by an expert engineer for heavy loads and lifting points for stone replacement.
Working on behalf of the main contractor Keir Construction, the scaffold project began in July 2021 and will remain on site until the Summer of 2024.
The Paisley Museum, which first opened in 1871, was designed by architect John Honeyman and funded by Sir Peter Coats. The renovation is expected to protect the national significance of the museum for generations to come.
In addition to their work at Paisley Museum, JR Scaffold Services Ltd has supported iconic buildings like the University of Glasgow, The Hamilton Mausoleum, The Hunterian Museum, and the Dounreay Nuclear Power Plant.
The JR Group, which began as a scaffolding business in 1995, has grown into one of the largest building and construction firms in Scotland, employing around 200 staff members.
Working on behalf of the main contractor Keir Construction, the scaffold project began in July 2021 and will remain on site until the Summer of 2024.
The Paisley Museum, which first opened in 1871, was designed by architect John Honeyman and funded by Sir Peter Coats. The renovation is expected to protect the national significance of the museum for generations to come.
In addition to their work at Paisley Museum, JR Scaffold Services Ltd has supported iconic buildings like the University of Glasgow, The Hamilton Mausoleum, The Hunterian Museum, and the Dounreay Nuclear Power Plant.
The JR Group, which began as a scaffolding business in 1995, has grown into one of the largest building and construction firms in Scotland, employing around 200 staff members. Unsafe Ladders Persist Online: Association Seeks Government Action
A new safety report by the Ladder Association has highlighted the ongoing issue of unsafe and potentially dangerous ladders sold online in the UK.
The report is a follow-up to the 2022 telescopic ladder market surveillance study, which found that over 80% of commercially available telescopic ladders failed to meet minimum safety requirements, with over half marked as ‘compliant’ to mislead customers deliberately.
Despite previous campaigning, the problem persists, prompting the Ladder Association to re-test the same products from last year’s study, purchased from well-known online retailers such as Amazon, eBay, and OnBuy.com.
Shockingly, every set of telescopic ladders failed the required safety tests, with over 80% falsely claiming compliance with the EN 131 product standard.
Peter Bennett OBE, Executive Director of the Ladder Association, said: “Our latest report clearly shows that the issue of unsafe telescopic ladders available for sale on the UK market is neither new nor improving. We also know the issue is not constrained to our sector.”
Online marketplaces selling products supplied by third-party sellers currently have no responsibility for preventing unsafe goods from being sold on their platforms and no legal obligation to inform consumers if they have purchased dangerous goods. This allows rogue manufacturers and suppliers to sell unsafe products directly to unsuspecting buyers in the UK, often without any checks made before delivery.
Bennett continued: “The Ladder Association is calling for the Government to step in urgently to make regulatory changes to hold suppliers and online platforms accountable for ensuring the products they sell are compliant and safe to use.”
The association is also urging the government to release the long-awaited Product Safety Review, which is expected to contain proposals to protect people from buying dangerous products from online marketplaces.
To view the latest Telescopic Ladder Surveillance Survey Report, visit: https://ladderassociation.org.uk/step-up/
UK and Australia Withdraw from Scaffolding Championships
In a shock announcement, event organisers today revealed to Scaffmag that the United Kingdom and Australian teams have withdrawn from the upcoming 2023 International Scaffolding Championships, now known as KEWAZO ScaffChamp 23.
The highly anticipated championship is scheduled for May 26-27 in Vilnius, Lithuania, and was expected to feature teams from 13 countries, including the UK and Australia.
Now in its third year, the Scaffolding Championships has experienced tremendous growth in interest and participation, with this year’s competition expected to be the biggest, most diverse and competitive yet.
The event, organised by The Baltic Scaffolding Association (BSA), recently announced leading construction robotics company KEWAZO as its main sponsor for the second consecutive year. The partnership between KEWAZO and the BSA has been hailed as a powerful and mutually beneficial collaboration, further raising the profile of the event.
The championship features timed system scaffolding build-offs using the Layher Allround system, attracting over 120,000 viewers worldwide during last year’s live stream on YouTube and social media networks.
The reasons behind the UK and Australia’s sudden withdrawal remain unclear, but ‘unforeseen circumstances ‘ have been cited.
In a statement to Scaffmag, The BSA expressed disappointment over the withdrawal of these two competitive teams but remains optimistic about the success of the KEWAZO ScaffChamp 23.
It’s understood that teams from Poland and Norway have now stepped in to take their places, ensuring that the competition remains as diverse and competitive as initially planned.
Oleg Abramov, President of BSA said: “We regret to announce that two teams originally scheduled to participate in KEWAZO | ScaffChamp has had to withdraw due to unforeseen circumstances. Despite our disappointment at the news, we are pleased to have quickly filled their spots with two talented teams from Poland and Norway who were on our waiting list.
While we understand the disappointment that may come from the absence of the UK and Australian teams, we are committed to delivering an exceptional event for all attendees. We encourage all guests to take advantage of the opportunity to network with the many VIP guests from the region who will be in attendance.
We remain committed to providing a high-quality experience for all participants, and we look forward to showcasing the remarkable skills and achievements of all teams at KEWAZO | ScaffChamp.”
The KEWAZO ScaffChamp 23 will proceed as planned, featuring teams from Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Poland, Norway, Mongolia, Bulgaria, and other countries that have yet to be confirmed. The event will once again be live-streamed, with translation services available for international viewers.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
“Relaxation of the Working at Height Regulations can only make the situation worse”
3B Training, a leading multi-accredited health and safety training company to the construction sector, joins industry bodies in calling on the government for reassurance that Working at Height Regulations (WAHR) won’t be removed under the EU Retained Law Bill (EURL).
Under the EURL Bill, the Government is currently reviewing over 2,400 laws and regulations which are being considered for revocation following the UK’s exit from the European Union.
This includes the potential scrapping of the WAHR by the end of 2023, with the government saying that these regulations are burdensome or onerous for businesses to implement.
3B’s Managing Director Mat Bewley said: “We feel it is imperative that WAHR are not scrapped. The regulations are an essential part of ensuring the health and safety of construction workers and reducing fatalities in the workplace.”
Since their introduction, the WAHR has had a positive impact in improving safety and reducing fatalities. In the year prior to their introduction (2003/04), there were 67 workplace fatalities (29% of total fatalities.) because of falls from height. This number has fallen to 29 in 2021/22. (24% of total fatalities.)
3B Training has been established for over 12 years and delivers training for those working at height, including Scaffold Inspection and awareness CISRs, IPAF and PASMA training alongside Health and Safety, First Aid, Plant, eLearning and NVQs to over 30,000 people annually.
3B’s Head of Training, Pete Moore, commented: “Falls from height are still the biggest cause of deaths in the construction industry and the abolition or relaxation of the regulations can only make the situation worse. If anything, we need more stringent regulations linked to a more robust inspection regime.”
3B Scaffold Trainer Matt Haddon said: “I am in full support of the work at height regs not being scrapped, as falls from height remain the main cause of workplace fatalities across all industries, not just construction; it is vital that employers have this framework in place to safeguard their employees. I really feel that removing them would be a massive step backwards for the UK.”
In terms of the suggestion that the WAHR are impracticable for construction companies to implement, Matt added: “I am yet to hear any delegate say a negative thing about having these regulations in place.”
A coalition of bodies, including BSIF, Build UK, The Scaffolding Association, IOSH, NEBOSH, RoSPA and The Access Industry Forum (AIF) are all backing a call for clarification and are urging the government not to remove WAHR.
