Tube Industries forecasts higher imported scaffold-tube costs from January 2027, but its 15p-per-foot estimate remains unverified as UK CBAM approaches.
Scaffolding manufacturer AFIX Group is expanding its presence across Asia, the Middle East and Africa as it looks to strengthen its distribution network and secure larger industrial and infrastructure projects.
Tube Industries forecasts higher imported scaffold-tube costs from January 2027, but its 15p-per-foot estimate remains unverified as UK CBAM approaches.
Scaffolding manufacturer AFIX Group is expanding its presence across Asia, the Middle East and Africa as it looks to strengthen its distribution network and secure larger industrial and infrastructure projects.
Tube Industries forecasts higher imported scaffold-tube costs from January 2027, but its 15p-per-foot estimate remains unverified as UK CBAM approaches.
Scaffolding manufacturer AFIX Group is expanding its presence across Asia, the Middle East and Africa as it looks to strengthen its distribution network and secure larger industrial and infrastructure projects.
Tube Industries forecasts higher imported scaffold-tube costs from January 2027, but its 15p-per-foot estimate remains unverified as UK CBAM approaches.
Scaffolding manufacturer AFIX Group is expanding its presence across Asia, the Middle East and Africa as it looks to strengthen its distribution network and secure larger industrial and infrastructure projects.
AT-PAC will demonstrate its Weather Protection Solutions at ScaffEx26, with live demonstrations of the Scaffix temporary roof system planned during the Manchester event.
Visitors will be able to see Scaffix and its assembly possibilities in the Demo Zone, where AT-PAC will present how the temporary roof system can be used to protect works from rain, snow, wind and low temperatures.
AT-PAC said its weather protection systems are engineered on a project-specific basis, with a focus on structural integrity, safe installation and maintaining stable working conditions during poor weather.
The company will also livestream from ScaffEx26, with sessions planned from the Demo Zone on Thursday and the Conference Zone on Friday. The broadcasts will be available via LinkedIn and YouTube.
The Raised Ledger System will still be displayed on AT-PAC’s Stand D50. The product has been shortlisted for the Product of the Year award, but it will not form part of the live demonstration.
ScaffEx26 takes place at Manchester Central on 10 and 11 September, bringing contractors, manufacturers, suppliers and industry organisations together for two days of exhibitions, demonstrations and conference sessions.
A scaffolding worker has been awarded more than A$752,000 in damages after an Australian court found his former employer negligent over a fall through an unprotected skylight at a defence site in Canberra.
The ACT Supreme Court judgment concerns an accident in August 2023 at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), where the worker was employed by scaffolding company ACT Height Safety Pty Ltd.
According to the judgment, the worker was carrying out scaffolding upgrade work around 1.2 metres above the roof of a laundry building when he stepped backwards onto a skylight and fell through it.
He struck a washing machine during the fall and suffered injuries to his back and shoulder, as well as cuts to his hand.
Court finds employer negligent
Acting Justice Michael Elkaim found ACT Height Safety had been negligent by leaving the skylight uncovered, allowing the worker to operate near or above it and failing to warn him to keep clear of the hazard.
The court heard competing accounts of the incident. The employer disputed that the fall had occurred as described and maintained that the worker had suffered only a minor injury to his hand. The judge rejected key parts of that account and accepted the worker’s evidence.
The court also found that the worker had contributed to the accident by failing to take sufficient care around a visible hazard. However, the judge decided that damages should not be reduced on that basis, having regard to the employer’s duty of care and its failure to protect the skylight.
ACT Height Safety is now in liquidation and had not held the required workers’ compensation insurance. The claim was therefore defended by the ACT Workers’ Compensation Default Insurance Fund.
Heavy work severely limited
Medical evidence considered by the court indicated that the accident significantly aggravated the worker’s thoracic spine and left him with shoulder and lower-back problems.
Acting Justice Elkaim concluded that even with successful shoulder surgery, the worker’s ability to return to heavy physical work such as scaffolding would be severely limited.
The total award was A$752,487, including A$127,500 for past loss of earnings and A$342,619 for future economic loss.
For many scaffolding contractors, growth often means taking on larger projects, expanding into new sectors or investing in additional equipment.
However, one area that can sometimes be overlooked is tower hire and erection.
No one is suggesting that towers should replace traditional scaffolding. Tube and fitting scaffolds remain the best solution for many complex and large-scale projects. However, there are plenty of jobs where a tower can provide a safer, quicker and more cost-effective alternative.
For scaffolding businesses, adding towers to an existing work-at-height offering could create new opportunities, attract new customers and open up an additional revenue stream.
Choosing the right solution for the job
One of the biggest advantages of tower scaffolds is flexibility.
Towers can often be assembled quickly, require fewer materials and can be adapted to suit a wide range of environments.
They are particularly well suited to shorter-duration projects and maintenance work, including:
Building maintenance
Industrial inspections
Mechanical and electrical installations
Internal refurbishment
Facilities management
Decoration and finishing work
Choosing the right access solution is always the priority. In many situations, a tower can deliver the same safe working platform while reducing both installation time and overall project costs.
Faster installation and reduced labour requirements
Speed matters.
Reducing the amount of time spent erecting and dismantling access equipment can have a significant impact on project costs and productivity.
Compared with larger scaffold structures, towers can often be assembled more quickly and with fewer personnel. This can help contractors complete smaller projects more efficiently while freeing up labour for other work.
They require no specialist tools for assembly, making them easier to transport, install and dismantle.
Lower costs and a smaller environmental footprint
Construction clients are increasingly looking for ways to reduce costs while also improving sustainability.
Because towers typically use fewer components and can be installed more quickly, they can help reduce transport requirements, labour costs and time spent on site.
This can also contribute to lower carbon emissions across a project.
As sustainability becomes a bigger consideration in procurement and project planning, offering a wider range of access solutions could provide contractors with an additional competitive advantage.
Expanding into tower hire and erection
For scaffolders already working at height, adding tower hire and erection services can be a natural progression.
However, training and competence remain essential.
One advantage for contractors is that the same PASMA training programme covers both the assembly and inspection of access towers, helping operatives develop the knowledge needed to work safely and competently.
PASMA’s Access Tower Specialist course provides more advanced training for those looking to expand their skills and develop specialist expertise.
The next Access Tower Specialist course takes place from 14 to 18 September, giving contractors an opportunity to gain practical knowledge while exploring the commercial opportunities available within the sector.
Support beyond training
Training is only one part of the process.
Contractors looking to introduce tower services also need access to the right equipment, technical guidance and ongoing support.
Working with manufacturers that can provide certified equipment and support for bespoke projects can help ensure towers are selected, planned and used appropriately.
PASMA also offers a range of support through training, technical guidance and membership.
For businesses looking to develop tower hire and assembly services, becoming a PASMA Hire & Assembly member can provide access to additional resources, industry expertise and professional support.
Meet PASMA at ScaffEx26
If you’re attending ScaffEx26, PASMA will be demonstrating how tower scaffolds can complement traditional scaffolding services and help contractors diversify their work-at-height offering.
The team will be available throughout the exhibition to discuss training, membership, equipment and the practical steps involved in adding tower hire and erection to an existing business.
You can find PASMA at Stand B65 during the event.
Whether you’re looking to expand your services, improve efficiency or simply understand where towers fit into your existing operations, it could be a conversation worth having.
German robotics company KEWAZO is establishing its first dedicated UK sales team as it looks to support growing demand for its LIFTBOT material transport system across the scaffolding sector.
The company has appointed James Ball to focus on the industrial market, with Fil Osmolski due to join from 1 September covering commercial scaffolding.
Until this summer, KEWAZO’s UK sales activity had been managed from its headquarters in Germany.
Jonas Lerchenmüller, Head of Sales Europe & UK at KEWAZO, said demand from UK contractors had reached the point where the company needed people based directly in the market.
“Increasing demand in commercial and industrial scaffolding, particularly from clients like Bilfinger UK, MR Scaffolding, Rowecord Total Access and TRAD Scaffolding, underlined the need for a change,” he said.
Industrial experience for Ball
James Ball brings 17 years of scaffolding and industrial experience to the role.
He began his career on the tools before working across major turnarounds, outages and capital projects. He later became Site Manager for Altrad Services UK at Dow Silicones UK in Barry.
Ball first encountered KEWAZO’s LIFTBOT in 2021, when the system was introduced to the Dow site during a major project.
“Back then we were looking for ways to improve efficiency, reduce manual handling and keep our existing workforce healthy,” Ball said.
“Once the robot arrived on site and training was done, we could immediately see the potential.”
The initial deployment developed into a longer-term arrangement, with the LIFTBOT remaining on site for more than 3 years and being used on projects above 10 metres.
Ball said the system helped reduce the physical load on scaffolders while also cutting reliance on traditional rope-and-wheel material handling.
“We had our client’s buy-in right away, and it made us look great compared to competitors who were still using rope and wheel, while my guys went home significantly less tired every day,” he said.
The project later received an innovation award from Dow Silicones.
Ball joined KEWAZO this summer following the announcement that the Dow site was to close.
“I am convinced that the LIFTBOT is a great solution on any larger industrial setup,” he said. “I want to share my experience with the industry, and I am excited to support KEWAZO’s growth even further.”
Osmolski to focus on commercial scaffolding
Fil Osmolski is due to join KEWAZO on 1 September, bringing more than 16 years of scaffolding industry experience.
Much of his career was spent with Altrad Generation, where he progressed through internal and external sales before becoming Sales Manager and Business Development Manager.
He also spent 2 years running an independent scaffold inspection and consultancy business.
Osmolski first encountered KEWAZO at a demonstration day in Walthamstow.
“Scaffolding is a traditional industry,” he said. “So to see a German company bringing innovation to the market, having success in the UK, and offering a genuine solution with immediate value, that was of huge interest to me.”
His background covers system scaffolding, tube and fitting, temporary roofs and recladding.
KEWAZO has also been developing the use of LIFTBOT with tube-and-fitting scaffolding contractors. The company said projects involving MR Scaffolding and Chorley Scaffolding had helped expand the system’s use in that part of the market.
Osmolski said: “It’s a humble opportunity to be trusted with helping build a serious, strong and stable presence for KEWAZO in the UK from this stage.”
The appointments give KEWAZO its first sales team based specifically in the UK and come as the company prepares to exhibit at ScaffEx in Manchester in September.
Both Ball and Osmolski are expected to attend the event alongside KEWAZO’s wider team, where the company will demonstrate its latest LIFTBOT technology.
ScaffEx26 will open its doors at Manchester Central on 10 September, bringing suppliers, contractors and industry bodies together for two days before the Scaffolding Excellence Awards close the event on Friday evening.
Registration for the exhibition and conference is free, with organisers preparing a larger exhibition hall following last year’s event.
Suppliers and service providers from across the scaffolding and access sector will be exhibiting, giving contractors the chance to compare equipment, speak directly with existing suppliers and meet companies entering the market.
The NASC Village will also return following its introduction at ScaffEx25, including the Black Hat pub and Demo Zone.
Conference tackles commercial and workforce pressures
Scaffex25 Manchester
Alongside the exhibition, journalist Sophie Long will host an eight-session conference programme covering some of the commercial, training and safety issues facing the sector.
The programme opens with Thriving in Uncertainty, a Question Time-style discussion covering fair payment, contract terms and workforce pressures.
Panellists are due to include representatives from the National Federation of Builders, PHD Access, Altrad UK and Lindum Group, alongside a government representative.
Another session will examine the realities of setting up and running a scaffolding business, with business owners discussing finances, company culture and some of the problems they encountered during their early years.
Training is also likely to produce plenty of debate.
Would You Trust a Scaffolder Trained on a Computer? will bring together training centre representatives, employers and scaffolders to discuss the use of virtual training technology and where it should sit alongside practical experience.
Other sessions will tackle the industry’s workforce shortage and safety risks including fire and dust exposure.
Two major projects will also come under examination. Delegates will hear about work on the restoration of Manchester Town Hall and the access challenges at 25 Canada Square in Canary Wharf.
Scaffolding Excellence Awards close the show
ScaffEx26 finishes on the evening of Friday 11 September with the Scaffolding Excellence Awards.
Comedian and broadcaster Dara Ó Briain will host this year’s ceremony. The former Mock the Week presenter will be joined by Countdown presenter Rachel Riley, actress and television presenter Kym Marsh and former England cricketer Phil Tufnell.
The awards recognise companies, projects and individuals from across the scaffolding and access industry, with categories covering achievement and professional standards across the sector.
Scaffmag will be at Manchester Central throughout ScaffEx26, reporting from the exhibition and conference across both days.
The exhibition and conference take place at Manchester Central on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 September 2026.
The scaffolding opportunity is one of a series of construction packages being brought to market for the Epic Campus development at Long Ashton, near Bristol, which is being delivered by main contractor Gilbert-Ash.
North Somerset Council confirmed the £500,000 scaffolding package on 27 August as part of a wider drive to connect local construction businesses with work on the major development.
Other current and forthcoming packages include brickwork valued at between £700,000 and £800,000, drylining worth £2 million, electrical works valued between £1 million and £3 million, and pipework and ventilation packages worth between £2 million and £5 million.
Major regional development
The campus is being developed for US healthcare software company Epic Systems and will become the company’s European headquarters.
Planning permission was granted in March 2025 for a phased campus comprising three office buildings, a culinary building, training centre and auditorium, alongside associated infrastructure and below-ground works. The wider consent also includes outline proposals for two further office buildings.
North Somerset Council has previously said the development is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs and contribute an estimated £140 million a year to the regional economy.
Somerset Chamber of Commerce has been appointed by the council to deliver the first phase of a business engagement and supply-chain programme funded through a Section 106 agreement with Epic Systems.
The programme is intended to help businesses across North Somerset identify and compete for opportunities generated by the development, including SMEs, microbusinesses and specialist contractors.
Contractors urged to register
The council said a number of work packages are now being brought to market through the Somerset Supply Chain programme, with further opportunities expected as construction progresses through 2026 and 2027.
Businesses are being encouraged to register free of charge on the Somerset Supply Chain portal to receive information about relevant tenders, supplier events and support.
At this stage, the £500,000 figure has been presented by North Somerset Council as the value of the scaffolding opportunity. Detailed tender information, including the precise scope, programme, scaffold quantities and procurement timetable, has not yet been published in the council announcement.
Scaffmag understands contractors interested in the package should therefore register with the supply-chain programme ahead of the formal opportunity becoming available.
London Fire Brigade was called to the incident near Carshalton Road in Mitcham at 4.27pm on 27 August after receiving more than 70 calls.
At the height of the blaze, the fire affected a workshop, a scaffolding yard and part of a house, while around eight hectares of surrounding shrubland and grass were also alight.
A 32m turntable ladder was deployed to fight the fire from above, while the Brigade’s drone team provided aerial imagery to support operational decisions. Specialist wildfire equipment was also used as the fire spread across open ground.
The incident was brought under control at 8.28pm, although crews remained at the scene overnight to extinguish hotspots and damp down the affected area.
No injuries had been reported in the Brigade’s latest confirmed update.
Investigation under way
The fire caused significant disruption around Mitcham, with road closures introduced and rail services between Mitcham Junction and Sutton affected because of the proximity of the blaze to the railway.
The cause was initially recorded by London Fire Brigade as unknown. Subsequent local reporting on 28 August said the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade had begun a joint investigation and that the incident was being treated as suspicious.
Scaffmag has not independently confirmed which scaffolding business occupied the affected yard and is therefore not naming a company at this stage.
Publicly available business records show scaffolding operations associated with Corporation Cottages on Carshalton Road, close to the reported incident area, but there is not yet sufficient official evidence to establish which business or premises sustained the scaffold-yard damage.
The extent of damage to scaffolding equipment, vehicles, boards or other yard assets has also not yet been confirmed.
London Fire Brigade said the fire produced a significant amount of smoke and advised residents during the incident to keep windows and doors closed and avoid the area.
The below-threshold open competition covers scaffold and access requirements for specialist stonework repairs to the landmark tower, with the contract estimated to run from 20 October 2026 until 31 October 2027.
The package is valued at £260,000 excluding VAT, or £312,000 including VAT, and is specifically classified as scaffolding work. Newcastle City Council has also identified the opportunity as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Access for historic Lantern Tower
The scaffold will support further conservation work to Newcastle Cathedral’s Lantern Tower, one of the city’s best-known historic structures.
The Grade I-listed cathedral dates from the early 14th century, while the 60m-high Lantern Tower was built in the 15th century and has dominated Newcastle’s skyline for centuries.
The latest procurement follows a longer programme of investigation and repair work on the tower. Newcastle Cathedral said in a July 2026 update that further conservation work remained necessary and that the project was being undertaken in collaboration with Newcastle City Council, specialist advisers Heritage Stone Access and structural engineer Charles Blackett-Ord.
The council, which is responsible for maintaining the tower, previously carried out urgent stonework repairs after condition surveys identified maintenance issues. Earlier investigations included high-level inspections and structural assessment to establish the condition of the historic fabric.
Tender closes in September
Companies interested in the scaffold package have until noon on 18 September to submit enquiries, with final tenders due by noon on 23 September. More info is available here
Bids will be assessed 60% on price and 40% on quality. Within the quality assessment, bidders will be judged on service delivery and quality assurance, experience and capability, collaboration and coordination, and social value, innovation and sustainability.
The procurement notice describes the requirement as scaffold and access provision for specialist lantern stonework repairs. The tender documentation and project requirements will determine the detailed scaffold configuration, loading requirements, and temporary works arrangements.
The contract is expected to last just over a year, reflecting the scale and specialist nature of the conservation programme around one of Newcastle’s most prominent historic structures.
Australian scaffolding and construction services group Acrow is preparing to complete its acquisition of AusGroup Industrial Services as it pushes deeper into industrial access across Queensland’s resources and infrastructure markets.
The acquisition of AusGroup Industrial Services Pty Ltd, known as AGIS, was announced on 18 June and received Phase 1 clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on 11 August.
Acrow said following regulatory clearance that the competition regulator did not propose to undertake a Phase 2 review. Completion of the AGIS transaction was anticipated around the end of August, subject to the remaining transaction requirements.
The deal adds a North Queensland industrial services business with exposure to mining, ports, energy, mills and heavy industry to Acrow’s rapidly expanding Industrial Access operation.
Industrial access drives Acrow growth
The acquisition comes as Acrow reports record group revenue of A$336 million for the year to 30 June 2026, up 27% on the previous year.
Acrow’s latest results show how quickly industrial access has become a central part of the group’s strategy. The company has built the division through a series of acquisitions including Benchmark Scaffolding, MI Scaffold, Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services Australia and Above Scaffolding.
The group’s industrial operation provides scaffold supply, design, erection and dismantling alongside skilled labour, shutdown and turnaround services and wider project support for industrial, energy, oil and gas and mining customers.
AGIS is expected to strengthen that position in North Queensland, giving Acrow greater exposure to the region’s resources and infrastructure markets.
Acquisition programme continues
Acrow raised A$70 million through a fully underwritten institutional placement to support its acquisition programme and reduce debt.
The AGIS transaction was announced alongside another acquisition as part of deals carrying combined consideration of A$54.5 million.
At the time the transaction was announced, Acrow said AGIS was expected to generate around A$40 million in revenue and A$6.5 million in EBITDA in FY26.
Chief executive Steven Boland said the acquisition would strengthen Acrow’s position in North Queensland’s resources and infrastructure markets while broadening the group’s industrial services offering.
Acrow’s FY27 guidance points to further growth, with group revenue forecast at between A$410 million and A$430 million as it integrates its recent acquisitions.
The regulatory clearance itself was announced on 11 August. The next milestone is formal completion of the AGIS transaction, which will mark another significant step in Acrow’s expansion from its traditional scaffolding and formwork base into a broader industrial access and services business.
A wall-climbing robot has completed ultrasonic testing across a 70m rotary kiln at Cemex’s Rugby cement plant, removing the need for personnel to work at height and avoiding a conventional scaffold or rope-access operation.
Birmingham-based HausBots worked with industrial inspection specialist Sutro Group to carry out the ultrasonic testing campaign across the full shell of the kiln, which measures 70m long and 6m in diameter.
The inspection required a large number of ultrasonic A-scan thickness readings to assess the integrity of the kiln shell. Its size and position on support rollers, together with drive gear and tyre assemblies along its length, create a significant access challenge.
According to the project team, completing the same inspection conventionally would have required scaffolding or rope access along the kiln. Instead, technicians used HausBots’ remote-controlled HB3 crawler to collect readings without personnel accessing the structure directly.
Inspection without work at height
The crawler uses HausBots’ AeroGrip technology, which creates a pressure differential to hold the machine against a surface rather than relying on magnetic attraction. This allows the platform to operate on ferrous and non-ferrous materials.
Sutro Group technicians operated the crawler and collected ultrasonic thickness spot readings across the kiln shell on a 1m by 1m grid.
HausBots says the HB3 can carry payloads of up to 25kg and operate in winds of up to 45mph. Those are manufacturer specifications rather than independently verified performance claims.
The companies said the inspection produced the thickness data required by Cemex’s asset integrity team while avoiding the preparatory access operation normally associated with the work.
Richard Denmead, technical director at Sutro Group, said the robot was on the asset and collecting data within hours, adding that conventional access would have changed both the timescale and cost of the inspection.
A changing role for temporary access
The project is significant for the scaffolding sector because it demonstrates how remote inspection technology can remove the need for temporary access during some data-gathering tasks.
It does not remove the requirement for scaffolding where personnel need physical access to carry out repairs, replacement or maintenance. However, robotic inspection could reduce the amount of temporary access required during the assessment stage of industrial shutdowns and maintenance programmes.
HausBots and Sutro Group formalised a wider partnership in 2025 to combine robotic platforms with non-destructive testing services. HausBots says its crawlers are already used across energy, nuclear, water and infrastructure applications.
