Columns

Tube costs rise, but the CBAM outlook eases

In his first monthly column for Scaffmag, Trevor Inns of Tube Industries examines the forces shaping scaffold tube costs and explains why his latest estimate of January’s CBAM impact is lower than he expected in October.
Projects

PHD Access joins £190m Dungeness A decommissioning team

Aureos has named PHD Access as its scaffolding partner for the removal of eight 800-tonne boilers at Dungeness A. The overall programme is worth up to £190m.
Global News

Hong Kong plans safety overhaul after Wang Fuk Court fire report

Hong Kong has announced changes to building-renovation oversight following the release of the Wang Fuk Court fire inquiry report, which contains 120 recommendations.

Trending Stories

Government announces paternity pay for self-employed dads

Alex Mercer - 0
Self-employed fathers and partners are to receive two weeks of support under government plans, with payments currently worth up to £194 a week.

Luton plans £11m scaffolding framework

Alex Mercer - 0
Luton Council is preparing an estimated £11.04m scaffolding framework and will hold a supplier briefing next week ahead of a planned December tender.

Budget 2026: what it means for scaffolding firms

Daniel Norton - 0
Fuel duty relief, higher minimum wages and apprenticeship measures feature in Budget 2026, as NASC warns investment promises must translate into construction work.

Scaffold Innovations: GapClamp™

SM Newsdesk - 0
  Since the Work at Height Regulations 2005 came into...

Confessions of an MD

Daniel Norton - 0
At 21, John Trayfoot blacked out on a roof and fell 8 metres through a skylight into a Brighton timber yard. Now managing director of M R Scaffolding, he starts his company's safety sessions with that story, and with a question: why do experienced people who know the risks still cut corners?
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Around the World

Australia & New Zealand

Contractor injured in fall during Port Kembla scaffold erection

ABC reports that a contractor was injured in a fall during scaffold erection at BlueScope’s Port Kembla steelworks on 29 October. SafeWork NSW inspectors visited the site.
Global News

Hong Kong plans safety overhaul after Wang Fuk Court fire report

Hong Kong has announced changes to building-renovation oversight following the release of the Wang Fuk Court fire inquiry report, which contains 120 recommendations.
Business

Alimak targets £6m savings as construction profits fall

Alimak sets out SEK80m (about £6m) annual savings target as construction profits fall, while reporting positive UK parts and service demand.
Global News

New York installs new sidewalk shed designs as numbers fall

New York installs PAU's Baseline and Speed Shed designs, with rules enabling wider use expected before year-end.

Columnists

Regular comment from the people shaping the scaffolding and access industry.

All columns →
Trevor Inns
Materials & Supply Chain Columnist

Tube costs rise, but the CBAM outlook eases

2 November 2026
Brian Webb
AI & Technology Columnist

Forty CVs, and one of them is talking to ChatGPT.

26 October 2026
Sophia Gowland
Marketing & Brand Columnist

Your work speaks for itself… or does it?

12 October 2026

The Big Story

Interviews

Confessions of an MD

At 21, John Trayfoot blacked out on a roof and fell 8 metres through a skylight into a Brighton timber yard. Now managing director of M R Scaffolding, he starts his company's safety sessions with that story, and with a question: why do experienced people who know the risks still cut corners?
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Products

Training & Skills

Technology & Innovation

Health & Safety

TENDERS & CONTRACTS

EVENTS & AWARDS

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events

3NOV
Association meeting · UK
NASC Northern Ireland & Ireland Regional Meetingvoco Belfast, Belfast
20NOV
Conference · Rest of world
IPAF Elevando Show Mexico 2026Hotel Hacienda Jurica, Querétaro, Mexico
23–27NOV
Trade show · Rest of world
bauma CHINA 2026SNIEC and SWEECC, Shanghai, China
23–26NOV
Exhibition & conference · Rest of world
Big 5 Global 2026Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE
See the full events calendar
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Training & Skills

UK

Scaffolding boss urges first aid training after saving colleague

Ascent Access Scaffolding MD Nathan Huband is calling for more first aid training after using CPR to help save colleague Raj Soni at the firm’s Netherton yard.
Training & Skills

MoJ awards £56,000 prison scaffolding training contract

Platinum Rail Services will deliver courses at Holme House and Low Newton, with links to employers offering paid vacancies.
Training & Skills

Free scaffolding pilot gives school pupils hands-on experience

Five XP Gateshead pupils tried practical scaffolding in a free two-day pilot delivered by W@H Safety Solutions and Dave Mosley Associates.
UK

ECITB launches PPE fit training for workers and employers

Two short e-learning modules cover wearing and managing PPE, with access initially limited to ECITB in-scope employers.
UK

CISRS postpones October webinar as CSCS licence talks continue

The 8 October session has been put back until late October or early November, with a revised FAQ due later this week.
Training & Skills

Band of Builders launches kit bursary for young construction workers

Band of Builders has launched a year-round bursary to help young construction entrants and apprentices with tools, PPE, workwear and essential equipment.
UK

CISRS says CSCS notice was served to negotiate “from a stronger position”

NASC president Sarah Klieve says CISRS served CSCS notice to negotiate from a stronger position, as Build UK says the card rules don’t block other sectors.
UK

Adrian Chiles puts scaffolding skills shortage in national spotlight

A Guardian column has brought wider attention to recruitment pressures already affecting scaffolding contractors.
Global News

AFIX Group steps up expansion across Asia, Middle East and Africa

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.
Asia

Worker dies in fall as campaigners count 21 Hong Kong construction deaths this year

A 34-year-old worker has died in a fall at a Tung Chung public housing site, the 21st construction death in Hong Kong this year according to a victims' rights group.

Latest Jobs

All jobs
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Technology & Innovation

Columns

Forty CVs, and one of them is talking to ChatGPT.

Brian Webb examines how hidden instructions in CVs and other documents can influence AI responses, and what scaffold businesses should watch for.
Columns

Everyone has the same AI tools. No one else has your best work.

Brian Webb explains how scaffold businesses can get better results from ChatGPT by using their own covering letters, method statements and client communications as examples.
Technology

Robot inspection removes need for scaffold access on 70m Cemex kiln

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.
Technology

SMART Scaffolder to unveil AI-powered voice reporting at ScaffEx26

SMART Scaffolder will use ScaffEx26 to introduce a new AI-powered reporting system that allows scaffolders to complete digital forms using natural speech.
Technology

ScaffPlan sets sights on US market after Nashville platform launch

ScaffPlan has outlined plans for a major push into the North American scaffolding market after giving contractors their first...
News

Avontus unveils AI platform linking scaffold design, inventory and business data

Avontus has unveiled a new artificial intelligence platform designed to connect scaffold design, inventory, project management and wider business...
Technology

Researchers test two-drone system for autonomous bricklaying

Researchers have demonstrated an autonomous drone system capable of placing bricks and applying adhesive in mid-air, in a development...
News

NASC updates TG30 with new birdcage system scaffold guidance

NASC has updated its TG30 system scaffolding guidance to include a new range of birdcage configurations for cup, wedge...
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Industry Podcasts Picks

A selection of noteworthy industry podcasts

Project Spotlight

Projects

PHD Access joins £190m Dungeness A decommissioning team

Aureos has named PHD Access as its scaffolding partner for the removal of eight 800-tonne boilers at Dungeness A. The overall programme is worth up to £190m.
UK

Shield tackles hilltop access challenge in 19-day scaffold build

Shield erected access around the 38-metre Lansdowne Monument in 19 days despite a steep, rutted route that kept vans and lorries away from the hilltop.
UK

Tyne Bridge to close for overhead scaffold deck installation

Advanced scaffolders will work around the clock during an October half-term closure to install a protection deck ahead of main arch restoration in early 2027.
Europe

86m Layher scaffold completed at Giotto’s Bell Tower

An 86-metre scaffold erected in just over four months will support a five-year restoration of the Florence landmark while keeping it open to visitors.
North America

Golden Gate Bridge prepares temporary access platforms for seismic works

Night-time lane closures will allow crews to lower access platforms beneath the roadway as work progresses on the bridge’s final seismic retrofit phase.
UK

PERI scaffolding supports major HS2 Birmingham dive-under works

PERI UK has supplied access scaffolding, formwork and engineering support for a 400m-long concrete dive-under being built as part of HS2’s Delta Junction near Birmingham.
Middle East

Saudi firm breaks 27-year-old scaffolding world record

Saudi scaffolding firm Manar Al Omran has set a new Guinness World Record after building a 67.40m free-standing scaffold in Dammam.
Industrial

URTIM supplies scaffolding and formwork for $2bn Ceyhan petrochemical project

Turkish formwork and scaffolding manufacturer URTIM is supplying engineered temporary works systems for the major Ceyhan PDH/PP petrochemical development in southern Türkiye.
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Interviews

Interviews

Confessions of an MD

At 21, John Trayfoot blacked out on a roof and fell 8 metres through a skylight into a Brighton timber yard. Now managing director of M R Scaffolding, he starts his company's safety sessions with that story, and with a question: why do experienced people who know the risks still cut corners?
Interviews

Des Moore: “The next five years are critical” for scaffolding

As Des Moore approaches his 70th birthday, he is not interested in nostalgia. After more than 50 years in...
Interviews

Second chances and scaffolding: the man giving ex-offenders a route back into work

When Aaron King talks about turning points, he does not hesitate. "It was when my kids had to come and...
Interviews

Breaking Barriers: Francesca Fuser on Innovation, Leadership, and Pilosio’s UK Ambitions

When Francesca Fuser sent her CV to Pilosio, she wasn't just looking for another job. She was looking for...
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