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Leading scaffolding health and safety consultancy Simian Risk Group has announced a strong start to 2012 with continued growth forecast for the coming year.
The Warrington based firm which offers both consultancy and training arms works within the construction industry across the UK and Middle East, with clients including Construction Skills, Carillion, BAE and NSG UK.
Launched in 2005 by directors Ian Fyall and Simon Hughes, Simian Risk Group has increased turnover year-on-year, hitting £1.5million in the financial year end to October 2011.
Simian Risk Group operates Simian Risk – the core consultancy arm of the business – and Simian Skill, which offers training to some of the UK’s biggest scaffolding firms as well as an apprenticeship programme which has so far trained more than 200 young people to go into the construction industry.
Director Ian Fyall said that despite the recession, the firm has grown steadily over the past 18 months.
“We have had a strong first quarter with a raft of new contract wins and are predicting further growth this year to hit a turnover of £1.7million for 2012. Due to our hard work and expertise in our sector Simian has been able to buck the trend in what has been a tough economic climate.
“Over the next nine months we are aiming to grow both the health and safety consultancy arm and the training arm across the UK, in the UAE and worldwide.
“We improved turnover in all of our departments in the last financial year and gained new contracts with Galliford Try, Bramall, BAE, Carillion, Pochin, Bardsleys and Kier as well as a long list of training clients.”
With 25 members of staff, Simian Risk Group is the UK’s biggest scaffolding health and safety advisor, with Simian Skill providing a combination of practical and classroom-based access and work at height training from their Warrington based training centre. The 15,000 sq ft centre is the UK’s only multi-system scaffolding centre in the UK, equipped with Layher, Kwikstage, Cuplok, Haki, Peri Up, Plettac, K-LOK and Tradlok scaffolding systems.
Director Simon Hughes said: “We have continued to grow Simian Risk Management as the mainstay of the business providing consultancy, retained service agreements in safety, inspections and expert witness work. We are also seeing a significant increase in demand for our Simian Skill training programmes, which offers industry standard qualifications.
“Last Year we entered into a guaranteed apprenticeship contract with the Construction Industry Solutions and have had 25 achievers to date. These out of work young people – many from third generation unemployed families – all passed with a scaffolding diploma and have been found jobs where they can carry on their apprenticeships under Construction Industry Solutions from Manchester.
“This growth has meant we have had to take on two more instructors, one secretary and one apprentice in administration.”
Simon added: “Between Ian and I, we have over 35 years’ experience in the scaffolding industry, as health and safety advisors and Chartered Members of IOSH in the construction, power, nuclear and oil and gas industries.
“Health and safety is most certainly the biggest priority in the scaffolding industry and there are substantial penalties for those firms who act negligently. The construction sector has had to up its game and we all need to take responsibility for the workers in our care. We offer first class up to date training and consultancy which minimises the risk for those working at height and their employers.”
Simian’s success in the Middle East led to the group opening a second training centre in the UAE in April offering scaffolding courses, Safety Training and Work at Height Courses.
Simon said: “We are now working with some of the major players and governments in the region and are often in the Middle East to provide consultancy services.”
