04 Voice of the Sector: Delivering on a commitment to raise standards of safety and performance
05 Opinion: Quality and innovation drive our sector
08 Feature: Problem-solving with birdcage scaffolding
10 Commercial: Ensuring consistency in contract documentation
12 Technical: A look at sheeting versus shrink wrap
14 Technical: Ground conditions for scaffolding
16 Site Report: Rose System Scaffolding at the Burlington Square development in Manchester
19 Transport: Non-compliance and the ‘Public Inquiry’
20 Health & Safety: Lone workers –how to protect your employees
21 Guidance: Testing fittings affected by saltwater
FRONT COVER: Ducker & Young Scaffolding has introduced RhinoDeck to improve safety and boost productivity at the Wolvercote Mill Cala Homes development in Oxfordshire.
The British Standards Institution has updated BS 5975:2019 – Code of practice for temporary works procedures and the permissible stress design of falsework, to give recommendations for temporary structures on building sites, with practical guidelines for design, specification, construction, and the use/dismantling of falsework.
This is a significant revision of sections 1 and 2 of the BS 5975:2008+A1:20111, which was last amended in 2011.
The new guidance provides recommendations for safety and control around the various procedures and responsibilities of personnel involved for all construction projects. This includes the addition of procedures for clients, designers and suppliers and provides recommendations for education and training. The update also aligns the standard with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, with the new procedures now allowing other contractors to plan and manage their own temporary works while ensuring that the principal contractor retains overall responsibility.
Robert Candy, chief executive of the Scaffolding Association, said: “This is a very positive step and we welcome the updated guidance.
“It reflects the growth of subcontracting across the vast majority of construction works and provides clarity and more control for specialist contractors over the temporary works processes they are involved in.”
FIND OUT MORE www.accesspoint.org.uk
J&P Scaffolding, of Edgeware Road, London, has had its operator’s licence revoked following a traffic commissioner’s Public Inquiry.
The decision to disqualify company director Jacek Pawlaczyk for a period of two years from holding or obtaining an operator’s licence in any traffic area, and from being the director of any company holding or obtaining such a licence, was made on 26 March 2019.
In his January 2019 report, the traffic commissioner highlighted that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) vehicle examiner had found a number of shortcomings, including a high MOT final failure rate of 30 per cent and excessive intervals between safety inspections on two occasions. Mr Pawlaczyk’s aggressive and threatening behaviour towards the DVSA examiner was also noted as being significant and warranting his disqualification from holding an operator’s licence.
Traffic commissioners have wide-ranging powers as part of a Public Inquiry and can revoke, refuse, curtail, suspend and, in severe cases, disqualify an operator from operating heavy goods vehicles.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PUBLIC INQUIRIES TURN TO PAGE 19: TRANSPORT
EDITORIAL
Editor: Adrian JG Marsh
Assistant Editor: Jenny Gibson
Telephone: 01926 420 660
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AccessPoint magazine is published on behalf of the Scaffolding Association by Campbell Marsh and the views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those held by the Scaffolding Association or the publishers. The publishers shall not be under any liability in respect of the contents of the contributed articles. The Editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or alter articles for publication.
Actavo and SCP Forgeco have established Quality First, a collaborative campaign intended to increase awareness and understanding about how variations in the performance and quality of scaffolding equipment, including fittings, ladders, adjustable steel props and Strongboys, can increase risk.
The new Quality First campaign brings together Actavo Hire & Sales, a national distributor, and SCP Forgeco, a leading product manufacturer. The initiative aims to encourage scaffolding contractors to check that all equipment and fittings being used are fit for purpose and have valid test certification that proves they meet recognised safety and technical standards.
The initial campaign features a five-point guide that details how contractors can be sure that the fittings they are using are fit for purpose and safe to use, to be followed by guidance for the larger range of accessories.
Paul Norris, managing director at Actavo Hire & Sales, said: “Commercial pressures are a temptation to purchase a cheaper look-a-like product that, when used, just does not perform
“It is absolutely vital that accessories and fittings are compliant with appropriate standards and backed by valid test certificates.”
Dale, managing director at SCP Forgeco, said: “Users of access and scaffolding products should demand the highest quality. They should have the right to trust that fittings and other equipment have been manufactured and tested to a safe standard.”
The new Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) came into effect in central London in April and with it a daily charge of £100 for lorries not meeting the emissions standards.
The ULEZ replaces the T-Charge and operates within the current Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ).
For heavy vehicles, including lorries and other specialist vehicles over 3.5T and buses and coaches over 5T, the ULEZ standard is Euro VI. Contractors operating within the ULEZ and not meeting the standard need to be alert to the new charge which, if not paid on time, attracts a penalty of £1,000 (reduced to £500 if paid within 14 days).
London-based
Scaffolding is the latest specialist contractor to gain Scaffolding Association Audited Member status. The audit was carried out during April and TFL is now the 53rd contractor to achieve one of the highest audit standards in the construction sector.
With a team of 30 and an annual turnover of between £1m and £1.5m, TFL Scaffolding mostly takes on big commercial contracts. The main/principal contractors running these have high standards and know what they’re looking for from their scaffolding contractors.
Mr Turner said: “We are proud to now be Audited Members of the Association and are confident that by going through this stringent audit, we are demonstrating to our clients the standards we uphold.
“The Scaffolding Association audit supports everything we work hard to deliver within the sector.”
FIND OUT MORE www.scaffolding-association.org/membership-levels
Hedy Aghdam, managing director of GVL Management Limited, said: “Although we are not upportive of seemingly financial means of tackling congestion and pollution, and we favour the carrot rather than the stick, there perhaps could have been more encouragement in cleaner technologies in lorries and investment incentives for operators to upgrade their fleets – something similar to the car scrappage scheme.”
The daily charge runs from midnight to midnight. For those driving within the ULEZ area across two days, for example before midnight and after midnight, the requirement is to pay two daily charges.
FIND OUT MORE www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultralow-emission-zone
Our experienced customer driven team provides a seamless service from product development, supply chain management, production, quality control, delivery and local engineering support available for fast, effective solutions where required.
AT-PAC
is a modular system scaffold which enables users to quickly and efficiently erect, use and dismantle temporary work structures. The AT-PAC Ringlock system conforms to European standards BS EN12810 and BS EN12811 and it is compliant with NASC Code of Practice for System Scaffold.
Despite the complete incompetence of the current government, we must remember that back in 2016, they took a bold step and published a strategy for construction. This set out ambitions for smarter procurement, fairer payment, improving digital skills, reducing carbon emissions and increasing client capability.
The strategy themes were consistent with the wider ambitions for construction to improve productivity and be in a stronger position by 2025. While malaise and inertia surrounding our exit from the EU sweeps across the country, the access and scaffolding sector is stepping up to the crease and demonstrating its ability to meet challenges and find solutions.
Inside this issue, the problem-solving capabilities of contractors and manufacturers are on show (turn to page 8) with a new approach to birdcage scaffolding that has seen productivity improve and helped to meet a housebuilding client’s challenging cost-saving targets.
More and more tier 1 contractors are turning to access and scaffolding specialists to look at more than just erecting a scaffold. The sector is increasingly having to devise better solutions that stretch their involvement into new areas. Ground conditions might not be the first concern for scaffold contractors, designers and temporary works managers –but they are important (turn to page 14).
Increasingly, our sector is having to make sure it shows that it has taken all the necessary steps to provide as much information as possible in order to mitigate any risk. It is even now at the cutting edge of driving improvements in construction programmes.
Scaffolding on a new residential development in central Manchester is being delivered by using system scaffold to overcome skills shortages, restricted access and a tight programme (turn to page 16). The contractor proposed an approach that took account of a restricted site and was able to give clean, unrestricted access to any area of the site.
While smart procurement, reducing carbon and digitisation are important, what access and scaffolding specialists are demonstrating is that practical know-how can tackle problems and is making a difference. We’re playing our part in delivering on the Construction Strategy.
Adrian JG Marsh EditorA commitment to raise standards and develop skills was at the centre of the Scaffolding Association’s strategy when it opened for membership in 2013. Large swathes of the sector had become disenfranchised from the wider construction, housing and facilities management sectors.
Well, how things have changed. At the start of this decade, access and scaffolding regulations and training were dominated by an elite group with little interest in the SME sector.
Today, the Scaffolding Association represents more than 380 specialist contractors employing over 10,000 scaffolders. And our members are responding to client demands to clearly demonstrate that their businesses operate to stringent policies and procedures.
Association members are showing that they have a thirst to improve. We now have more than 50 fully accredited Audited Members, and, by the end of the year, we anticipate there will be over 100 Audited Members working to these standards, which is one of the most stringent independent audits in the access and scaffolding sector.
Rising standards are also being recognised. More and more clients are accepting Scaffolding Association Audited Members onto their supply chains. This is opening up new work opportunities for scaffolders and giving clients access to high technical standards and greater competition; and we all know that greater competition drives innovation.
Access and scaffolding packages are now firmly on the critical path of contracts on building sites and at manufacturing plants across the country. Major players like Landsec, Willmott Dixon and The National Trust are using Scaffolding Association members. Our members’ skills are also a key component of house building – a sector that is currently the only growth area in the construction industry.
An integral part of our strategy is to drive up standards, and our new partnership with SMAS Worksafe (Safety Management Advisory Service) will enable us to particularly support the increase in standards of Associate Members and demonstrate our dedication to moving the industry forward at all levels. You can read more about how this new partnership will benefit Association members on page 22.
Our sector has been criticised for failings and you only have to look at some of the news in this issue to see that some contractors don’t meet even the minimum standards of safety and performance. Clients expect professionalism when they employ any trade and capability must not be assessed on price alone.
At the Scaffolding Association, we have created an environment that allows scaffolding and access specialists of all shapes and sizes to progress and deliver a safe, quality and competitive service.
Robert Candy Chief executive Scaffolding Association www.scaffolding-association.orgIn our sector, whether you are a contractor, manufacturer or distributor, what differentiates brands is safety, quality and trust. And to build on this success and remain at the top of your game, you need to innovate so that customers benefit from new products and services that improve performance and are more cost effective. Lack of innovation will expose any business to greater competitive pressures.
Within our business, product innovation comes at a high price and can be hard to justify in a marketplace where orders are lost to cheaper, often inferior, untested products – for the matter of a few pennies.
Sourcing from new suppliers, either in the UK or outside, comes with a warning. It may be a cost-effective option but it may not offer the same levels of quality that in-house manufacturing gives. Verification of quality control, audits and certification all help to confirm and maintain rigid quality standards.
The fittings used by our sector are often safety critical. So having the confidence to know that what is being delivered does what it says is important. When something goes wrong because a product did not perform or it was wrongly
installed, designers, contractors and manufacturers are at risk of facing the consequences.
The Grenfell Tower disaster has seen performance and quality of other building products being questioned.
Without question, cost has to be the right cost; however, quality is absolutely fundamental. Forgeco was formed to satisfy growing demand for quality equipment. Two decades later, we still manufacture fittings at the same plant, to the same rigorous standards, and we are now the UK’s oldest independent fitting manufacturer.
By working with our clients to innovate, specialist contractors can improve performance and profitability. This approach has led to the development of new products, such as the KLAWZ, Tamer and ScottiClip range of fittings along with the Safelinx board retaining system.
Access and scaffolding products demand the highest integrity. Having trust in component quality gives contractors the confidence to select and use the components that they know are fully
tested and manufactured to a safe standard.
With millions of individual components in use across the sector, it is critical that steps have been taken to ensure that tube, fittings or system are fit for purpose.
Innovative brands spend many thousands of pounds on auditing and testing to demonstrate that what they are manufacturing and erecting meet the standards required. A substandard component, or a poorly fitted one, can lead to catastrophic results.
R Dale Managing director SCP Group UK | Forgeco Ltdwww.SCPGroup.uk
www.Forgeco.co.uk
There are many great brands in the scaffolding industry, but when they lose focus on delivering what customers want and need, they’ll wither away and become confined to history. Dale, managing director of SCP Forgeco, sees innovation as an integral part of brand performance.
PERI has delivered its first CISRSaccredited BASE course to apprentices from Scaffolding Association member J.MAC Scaffolding, based in Stockton-on-Tees.
The course is designed for non-scaffolders looking to pursue a career in the industry and replicates real-life site situations. Trainees are taught the fundamentals of scaffolding, with the course providing the basic skills and knowledge to erect, modify and dismantle system scaffolding in just five days.
Non-scaffolders gain practical experience by training with the PERI UP Flex system, which is the formwork and scaffolding provider’s response to high-quality, flexible and safe system scaffolding.
Following successful completion of the course, the J.MAC Scaffolding apprentices qualified for a BASE scaffolding card endorsed by CISRS, which will enable them to carry out basic scaffolding operations on most project sites.
The new five-day course is one way that PERI is helping to increase the number of skilled operatives in the industry and demonstrate the benefits of system scaffolding.
www.peri.ltd.uk
The innovative Gaydon Clamp saves labour time by allowing scaffolders to lift and lower scaffolding tubes up to multi levels quickly and easily.
Users just need a standard scaffold spanner to secure and release The Gaydon Clamp on two scaffold tubes at a time, safely and with maximum efficiency.
Andrew O’Connor from Gold Standard Scaffolding has put this new clamp to the test on-site. He said: “We’ve found The Gaydon Clamp to be a great solution to one of the few remaining high-risk but necessary tasks that come with the job.
“Knots can be tied wrong, and incorrect ropes are commonly used. This fitting eliminates these risks and makes our job safer.”
Luke Bacon, from Bristol Access Scaffolding, describes The Gaydon Clamp as being “a great invention and an excellent modern replacement to the traditional tying on using the rope,” adding, “It’s simple to use, meaning the guys can confidently lift kit safely and quickly whenever they need to.”
www.gaydonhenderson.com
HAKI is now delivering the one-day CISRS Operative Training Scheme (COTS) to customers from its CITB-accredited training centre in Milton Keynes.
The COTS course, accredited by CISRS, enables people who are new to scaffolding to learn the basics of the industry and how to work safely with scaffolding and access equipment. Knowledge is then assessed at the end of the course through a short test paper.
All delegates who successfully complete the practical and theory assessments will receive a CISRS Certificate. HAKI will also apply on their behalf for the CISRS Scaffolder Trainee or CISRS Scaffolder Labourer card, allowing them to take further training and progress their scaffolding career.
www.haki.co.uk
SMART Scaffolder’s latest release for its SMART Inspector solution is expected to save contractors even more time on large sites, whether housing developments or industrial contracts, as all the scaffolds to be built or inspected can now be instantly loaded from an Excel spreadsheet.
To benefit from this new functionality, users of SMART Inspector just need to upload the file and all scaffolds are ready to be handed over or inspected.
There is also a new chart in the desktop console showing the top defect types reported. This can be filtered to display defect types across a business, per site or per customer.
A new activity screen auto-refresh functionality lets the user see activity coming in from site. By clicking on an activity – for example, when a handover, variation or dismantle is completed – users can see details including the photos and signatures. A second click downloads the Handover Certificate or Variation Instruction.
www.smartscaffolder.com
Oxfordshire-based Ducker & Young Scaffolding has introduced a new approach to birdcage scaffolding that has seen its productivity improve and helped it meet its client’s challenging cost-saving targets. Adrian JG Marsh reports.
“A decking system that improves safety and boosts productivity is helping us to not only tackle the skills shortage but also raise standards,” said Jonathan Greer, contracts director at Ducker & Young.
“Demand for qualified scaffolders is high and access to skilled resources is perhaps the main brake on growth. So when Cala Homes came to us looking to reduce scaffolding costs, we saw it as an opportunity rather than just another cost-cutting exercise.”
Housebuilders are reliant on the right access solutions from the outset of any new development to ensure that the scaffold allows a safe and efficient working environment for trade contractors. Traditionally, tube and fitting
birdcage structures are designed and erected inside a new house to allow bricklayers, carpenters and roofers access.
Mr Greer continued: “Birdcage work is very labour intensive and requires a scaffolding gang to erect it. We’d also found that during hot weather some boards would warp and require changing. We’d been considering a number of decking systems that are available on the market.”
Ducker & Young researched a range of systems and, along with Cala, selected Sayfa Systems’ RhinoDeck to undergo a six-month trial on a housing scheme in south Oxfordshire.
“We liked it because its load capacity was 6kN, three times the load capacity of other
systems,” explained Mr Greer. “It could also be erected with a semi-skilled gang with a FASET qualification. This was attractive because it freed up skilled scaffolders to work on more complex scaffold contracts.
“It’s also available in heights building up to four metres and can easily be installed at a rate of 350m2 per day per two-man gang. Around four times faster than tube and fitting.”
RhinoDeck is freestanding and doesn’t rely on bracing to the walls for stability – walls that might be recently built and not yet secure in themselves. The design includes leg braces which ensure that the system is secure.
Lee Muggleton, the product manager for RhinoDeck, said: “It was conceived and designed to respond specifically to the needs of housebuilders to improve access for their trade contractors. We knew at the time that it needed to be both freestanding and loadbearing and to carry both men and materials on the working deck.
“The system is also light, no piece is heavier than 11kg, and to accommodate access underneath, the decking modules are all 1.28m long with two width options, 640mm and 400mm.”
Mr Muggleton explained the reasoning behind the 1.28m length. “This was wide enough to allow contractors to move pallets of materials underneath the working deck and, at the same time, to provide good access and a
good exit route in the event of an emergency.
“We’re constantly looking to improve the system and we regularly work with scaffolders and housebuilders to monitor how trade contractors work from it. Recent refinements include the introduction of a slide-in handrail to allow safe ladder access through the deck.”
Ducker & Young’s trial for Cala with RhinoDeck included configurations for general bricklaying and also for the installation of floors and roof trusses. The stability and loadbearing capabilities of the decking enhanced the speed and simplicity of the process while increasing the work efficiency of trade contractors in the process.
Following the trial, Ducker & Young has set up a specialist gang whose sole purpose has been to provide a dedicated decking service for housebuilders. In addition to contracts for Cala Homes, this new decking team is working for other housebuilders and a new care home in Witney.
Aubrey Townsend, Ducker & Young’s decking manager, said: “To take advantage of some of the time and cost benefits, we’ve had to persuade housebuilders to change the sequence of works.
“As a modular system, RhinoDeck lends itself to a system approach. This benefits from volume, and so that sequencing takes place. Currently, we’re only using it in a residential environment. However, as we use it more, other uses will be identified.
“What our teams like about it is it’s simple to use. We’re also able to operate a decking service on price work which provides the guys the opportunity to earn a wage while undertaking further training to progress in the industry.”
Wolvercote Mill in Wolvercote, Oxfordshire, is an excellent example of Cala Homes’ forward-thinking approach and keenness to introduce innovative solutions where they are building 95 houses within a development that dovetails into the existing village structure.
The current pressures faced by all housebuilders today are inevitably those of time and cost but always against a background of more stringent health and safety requirements and demand from the customer for increasing quality and design innovation.
After discussion with Ducker & Young, Cala Homes settled on the use of RhinoDeck to provide a stable and safe freestanding work platform for use during the construction of the houses. Loadable to 600kg/m2, using RhinoDeck meant not only that the build could proceed without delay at any time but also that materials were always on hand where needed. This combination of benefits brought flexibility to a building project where delays cost money.
The particular benefit for Ducker & Young was that decking teams could be trained quickly to complement their existing workforce leaving their skilled scaffolding teams free to install scaffolding.
The problem
It is often the case that contract documentation is put together in haphazard fashion. Documents are thrown together without any care or thought as to whether they all fit like a piece of a jigsaw. More often than not, the content of documents pulled together in this way is inconsistent or contradictory.
The dispute
A company called Clancy Docwra Ltd (Clancy) was invited by E.ON Energy Solutions Ltd (E.ON) to bid for the civil works associated with the installation of pipes for an underground heat network. The project was a residential development. Much of the work involved the excavation of trenches along various roads and pipework would be installed in the trenches. Tenderers were requested to “indicate the inclusions/ exclusions for each type of work….”
Clancy attached an email to its bid that explained that certain types of work were not included in the price. These included hand-digging, diverting mains and services, disposal of contaminated materials and removal of obstructions in the trenches. After acceptance of Clancy’s bid, the email was subsequently included within the sub-contract documentation as a Numbered Document. The minutes of a post-tender review – which repeated these exclusions – were also included in the documentation as a Numbered Document.
E.ON instructed Clancy to excavate the road around the development. This was outside the types of work specified in Clancy’s email included within its bid. Clancy refused to carry out the instruction and sought a declaration from the court that E.ON had no right to issue the instruction.
E.ON argued that it had every right to issue the instruction. In the main sub-contract documentation, the definition of the Sub-Contract
Works was to be found in the Scope of Works document. This had made clear that Clancy had to carry out the works as specified in that documentation and they included all the civil works required in the installation of the pipework. Moreover, the contract conditions placed the risk of unforeseen ground conditions on Clancy. There was also an order of precedence clause in the sub-contract which stated that the terms of the sub-contract “trumped” other documents in the event of inconsistences.
Clancy’s case was that “the Sub-Contract Works” were defined by the Numbered Documents. Therefore, the email sent with the bid and the post-tender review minutes had, in effect, modified what was in the sub-contract. This meant that Clancy was only obliged to carry out the works in a “clear and unrestricted corridor” using mechanical plant, without the need to divert mains and services and not having to remove or break out obstructions.
The court held that the scope of the sub-contract works had been modified by Clancy’s email and the post-tender review minutes. Therefore, Clancy was able to claim against E.ON in respect of the work highlighted in the instruction to Clancy. E.ON had been undone by the terms of its own invitation to tender, which had encouraged prospective suppliers to indicate any exclusions limiting the scope of its works.
Scope of works disputes occur as regularly as clockwork. If scope is not addressed carefully enough, the consequences for a scaffolding company could be disastrous.
Always check contract documentation for requirements or obligations relating to the scope of your work; they could be spread over a number of documents. Ensure that there is consistency throughout. If not, raise this with the other side before putting the proverbial pen to paper.
It’s so simple, just use a standard scaffold spanner to secure and release the clamp on two tubes at a time, safely and with maximum efficiency.
The Chartered Institute of Credit Management has revealed that Balfour Beatty, Costain, Engie Services, Interserve Construction, Kellogg Brown & Root, Laing O’Rourke and Persimmon Homes are among 12 businesses to have been suspended from the Prompt Payment Code (PPC) for not paying their suppliers in line with the Code.
The companies received a suspension, rather than an expulsion, because they have committed to make changes to meet the standards of the Code and pay suppliers promptly.
However, John Sisk & Son was one of five companies removed from the PPC for non-compliance and not providing a plan for how it will meet the terms of the Code.
The PPC Compliance Board regularly reviews the data reported by large companies under the Payment Practices Reporting Regulations to ensure they are upholding their commitments.
News of the suspensions builds on a government announcement in November, where failure of companies to demonstrate prompt payment to their suppliers could result in them being prevented from winning government contracts.
From 1 September 2019, any supplier bidding for a government contract above £5 million per annum will be required to answer questions about their payment practices and performance. The expected standard is to pay 95 per cent of invoices in 60 days across all their business.
Payslips will now have to include the number of hours worked, making it easier for workers to check they are being paid in full, and at the correct rate.
This new right ensures that all workers receive a payslip, which forms part of the government’s Good Work Plan –the biggest package of workplace reforms for more than 20 years.
Ministers have also brought into law a package of trailblazing reforms which will give workers ground-breaking new rights. These include the repeal of the Swedish Derogation – a legal loophole that enabled some companies to pay agency workers less than permanent staff –and a new entitlement to a day one statement of rights setting out details of a new employee’s leave allowance.
Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “We have introduced a new right for all workers to a payslip, ensuring workers are paid fairly.” FIND
More and more scaffolding structures are being fully enclosed with a wrap of some kind, whether that’s to provide full containment, weather protection or an advertising platform. Jenny Gibson looks into when and why sheeting or shrink wrap come out on top.
“Sheeting dominates the market because it’s generally up to a third of the cost of shrink wrap to install on a supply and fit basis,” said Karl Degroot, managing director at Godiva Access & Scaffolding.
“Wrapping scaffolding on building developments is commonplace on urban projects, especially where sites are overlooked or there is high footfall and they can in some cases also be used as large advertising hoardings.
“But if full containment is very important – say in projects involving asbestos or where the structure needs to be stripped back to the original steel or concrete frame – then shrink wrap may be considered.”
Swift Scaffolding has utilised scaffold sheeting to clad both basic and complex scaffold structures for many years, often at client request or evolving from early engagement in project requirements.
Joe Coull, health and safety manager at Swift, said: “Sheeting usually comes on a roll 2m in length (or 2.5m / 3m depending on its application) so that it can easily be carried on the shoulder
by one person, whereas shrink wrap is typically 7m in length,” he said.
“It’s straightforward to fix and adjust sheeting using bungee ties and it can go up in most weather conditions. The scaffolder or scaffold labourer doesn’t need any specialist training, although they do need to work to the British Standard.”
Industrial Textiles & Plastics’ technical expert David Gilmore picks up on this point. He said: “It’s an ongoing issue that scaffold sheeting is not always installed to best practice standards, and when the sheeting fails, the product is blamed rather than the installation.
“Our scaffold sheeting has three reinforcement strips and there should be a sufficient number of ties (minimum one BS 7955-compliant tie per square metre of sheeting) to spread the load adequately across the installation.”
Although sheeting is cheaper, easier to install and can be reused, some would say that it isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing. And there’s the containment issue to consider as
well. Overlapping and tying sheeting will stop some dust and debris escaping, but windy conditions can easily cause the bungee ties to be stretched beyond the point of no return, meaning the sheeting can sag, flap and sometimes detach altogether.
Shrink wrap has a 30 to 40cm overlap and is then heat sealed or ‘welded’ between the joints using a hot-air gun to create a bond. With the sheet size up at 7m, sometimes even 12m, shrink wrap means far fewer joints in the first place and a neater, tighter finish achieved by bonding the overlapping layers.
Mr Degroot commented: “Shrink wrap does provide different benefits from sheeting, but in some cases carries greater risk because of hot working on-site. Precautions would need to be taken.
“We tend to use scaffold sheeting on our contracts and bring in a specialist sheeting installation contractor so that we don’t tie up our skilled scaffolders on a non-core activity.”
Developments in traditional sheeting are
keeping up with a move towards 3m lifts instead of 2m lifts and an increase in popularity of system scaffold.
“Contractors are asking for more 3m rolls for their 3m lifts,” commented Mr Gilmore. Larger lifts allow for both cost and time saving with regard to installation. And when sheeting is used on a system construction, it’s easier to achieve a smoother and neater finish.”
As with most areas of the construction industry post-Grenfell, sheeting has come under scrutiny. A significant recent development in the market is the relatively new alternative for third-party accreditation for flameretardant products.
Mr Gilmore explained: “In the past, this was almost exclusively offered by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB), which approves scaffold sheeting to LPS 1215 and LPS 1207 – the recognised gold standard for the industry. End users could confirm certificates via BRE’s RedBookLive.
“Now, Exova Warringtonfire, which tests and certifies scaffold sheeting to TS62 (equivalent to LPS 1215) and TS63 (equivalent to LPS 1207), is also recognised by the Joint Code of Practice on the Protection from Fire of Construction Sites and Buildings Undergoing Renovation (JCC).
“As a leading supplier of scaffold sheeting, we have prepared a number of informative technical briefs to provide information to scaffolders and end users on these new developments,” he added.
Choosing the most suitable and effective solution, whether sheeting or shrink wrap, will always come down to a multitude of factors. But making sure that the chosen product is installed correctly, and by a competent person, remains ever important.
Mr Coull of Swift Scaffolding concluded: “Clad a scaffold with sheeting and you have hoisted a sail – unless you want to set sail and be moved by the wind, you better be anchored!”
Ground conditions can play a fundamental role in determining the stability and structural integrity of temporary works and scaffold design.
Without understanding and mitigating the conditions and capacity of the ground beneath the sole plate of a scaffold system, designers and contractors are leaving themselves open for liability against any mishap or accident that might occur during the period it is in situ.
Scaffolding Association chief executive Robert Candy is concerned that during the cut-andthrust of day-to-day business, some of the information vital for the safe founding of scaffolding systems might be wrongly assumed. Information such as bearing pressure test results, water table depth, service location, and the type, depth and level of backfill material that has been placed are all vital to know.
“All the information on the ground conditions should be made available to designers and scaffolders by the principal contractor,” Mr Candy explained. “Often, though, some information is unavailable or more might be required. By that time, the pressure is on to get
the contract underway. It can be difficult for designers and scaffolders.”
Ryan Berry, managing director at Rotherhambased scaffold design and temporary works consultant Creator, is adamant that the principal contractor should be responsible for delivering all the required information to the designer prior to contract start.
He said: “The principal contractor must deliver all that information to us. If they provide us with an allowable bearing pressure, we will design to that, but generally temporary works designers will not have the knowledge, experience or insurance to cover the geotechnical side of things.”
Whether that information is there and freely available to temporary works designers can depend on the client and the nature of the work involved. On major civil engineering and highways projects, or when working with clients such as Network Rail, the full regime of geotechnical and bearing capacity tests are carried out and
engineers have a raft of information on which to base their designs – but things can differ, according to Mr Berry.
“On those sorts of projects, there will have been comprehensive site investigation work so there will be lots of information available. Of course, there may be some projects where intrusive tests cannot be carried out. In those cases, we will provide leg loads for our design and it is down to the principal contractor to make sure the ground conditions are capable of handling those loads,” he said.
In the residential sector, major housebuilders are increasingly developing on brownfield sites thanks to planning restrictions and a shortage of available greenfield land. Any uncertainty over the bearing capacity of the ground should be mitigated in these instances by the ground remediation design but, again, designers will supply a permissible leg load for contractors.
“On housebuilding projects, the leg loads are relatively small and the risk of failure is lower. We will provide the load on these schemes, but the risk will still be carried by the principal contractor and it is up to them to make sure that the strata beneath the sole plates is suitable for bearing any loads. We still accept no liability for us, though – our insurance wouldn’t cover it,” explained Mr Berry.
Dr Mike Webster is a specialist in construction risk management and health and safety at MPW R&R. He is often brought in as an expert witness in legal proceedings.
“When a project is initially designed, some level of site investigation work and trial pits will have been carried out. In a traditional form of contract, it will be the client who has that information and it is up to them to pass it on through to the principal contractor,” said Dr Webster.
“On design and build projects, it may well be the principal contractor themselves that oversees the site investigation and interprets the results. Either way, that information should be available to designers and subcontractors as part of the pre-construction information.”
And Dr Webster is keen to point to the Health and Safety Executive’s Scaffold Checklist. It highlights information that should be supplied to the scaffold contractor to ensure an ‘accurate and proper design process’ and includes the ‘nature of the ground conditions or supporting structure’ as well as calling for designers or scaffold contractors to supply safe working loads and leg loads.
“Scaffold failures are more usually ‘peeling’ failures where ties have pulled away from supporting structures but we don’t know if ground settlement has been a contributory factor,” added Dr Webster.
“Where scaffolders might be criticised is if they don’t ask the principal contractor for that bearing capacity information. The key for scaffold and temporary works companies is to make sure they have done what is reasonably practicable to gather that information.”
Both Dr Webster and Mr Candy agree that if there are drawings and calculations to be submitted to a principal contractor’s temporary works co-ordinator, at the very least designers should make it clear that the designed leg load and sole plate size is only applicable provided a given bearing capacity is met.
“It is important that scaffold companies make sure they have shown that they have taken all steps to provide as much information as possible in order to mitigate any risk,” concluded Mr Candy.
Scaffolding on a new residential development in central Manchester is being delivered by Oldham-based Rose System Scaffolding using system scaffold to overcome skills shortages, restricted access and a tight programme. Adrian JG Marsh reports.
“We proposed an approach that took account of a restricted site and were able to give clean, unrestricted access to any area of the site,” said Chris Howson, director at Rose System Scaffolding.
“By getting involved early, we could demonstrate the flexibility and speed of erection during some pre-tender trials at our yard. This gave the main contractor confidence to accept a system scaffold solution.”
The team at Rose System Scaffolding had come from a traditional tube and fitting background but established the business in 2017 to harness the productivity boosting opportunities offered by system scaffolding.
A key part of the Rose bid was being able to position cross-bracing so that it did not hinder access to any area. When combined with the faster erection time – as much as 50 per cent faster than traditional tube and fitting – this proved to be a winning offer.
Access is a fundamental factor for all main contractors so that trade contractors’ work can be
sequenced efficiently and keep to programme. If a subcontractor can’t get access on time, contracts start to fall behind schedule.
Domis is main contractor at the £30 million Burlington Square high-quality residential development in Manchester, being built for developers Salboy and Factory Estates, one of Manchester’s most active developers. The steel frame development comprises 273 apartments over nine storeys with groundfloor communal facilities, a central garden courtyard and a rooftop communal area.
The Rose contract has involved the erection of a full-height fully decked independent access scaffold with three hoist towers, external Layher stair tower and Layher loading bays for external brickwork and glazing. Internally, there is blockwork scaffold to the basement area and all lift and stair cores.
Mr Howson added: “The design has allowed us to build the entire structure using individual pieces no more than three metres in length which are comfortable to handle and also fit in a hoist. The in-built connection system not only simplified the erection process but also removed the risk of fittings accidentally falling from the structure.
“The first operation on-site was to install the hoist towers. As the contract evolved, some changes to the loading bays have been made to accommodate bulk plasterboard deliveries and make it easier for dryliners to off-load pallets on each floor.”
Throughout the scaffold structure, bay widths of over a metre are proving ideal for the positioning and movement of material such as bricks, plasterboard and window frames – a process that is enhanced by the absence of cross-bracing.
“Once a section of the steel frame was up, we were able to erect the next lift,” Mr Howson explained. “We’ve been installing in phases of 30 metres to 40 metres by 10 lifts every two weeks. Lifts are three metres in height so the design had to take into account the lack of cross-bracing and the location of ties due to brick supports.
On the front elevation of phase four, Rose has had to take account of a public footpath. They’ve devised a cantilevered approach that steps out six metres from the second floor upwards.
“We’ve had to prop-off with supplementary work inside in order to distribute a load of 20 tonnes through the steelwork,” Mr Howson concluded.
The site design features a mix of residential units and is planned to welcome its first occupants during 2020.
Developer: Salboy and Factory Estates
Main Contractor: Domis
Scaffolding Contractor: Rose System Scaffolding
Scaffolding Designer: Layher/ 48.3
Site Start: October 2018 Site Finish: November 2019
Package Value: £600,000
The UK's largest representative Trade Association for the scaffolding and access industry, approaching 400 members.
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Membership of the Association is an assurance of quality, demonstrating an ability to carry out safe design, installation and commissioning of scaffolding systems.
By using a Scaffolding Association member, employers can be confident that they are pre-qualifying and awarding work to contractors who have undertaken an rigorous assessment of their experience and capabilities. Members must provide client references and commercial insurance details amongst other documentation that is checked by the Association before membership is gained.
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In the previous issue of AccessPoint, we discussed the common mistakes scaffolders can make with load securing and the resulting roadside inspection conducted by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. In this article, Hedy Aghdam from transport management consultancy GVL Management Limited explains when a Public Inquiry might be called and what to expect.
compliant with all the regulations set out in your operator’s licence and that proper compliance systems are in place prior to the inquiry itself. A comprehensive audit, especially one undertaken by a DVSA-approved auditor, will determine whether your systems and procedures satisfy both the DVSA and the traffic commissioner. A compliance audit covers all areas of the undertakings, including tachograph and driver hours, vehicle record keeping, maintenance and defect reporting. An audit and a full report of findings will identify the shortcomings and faults which can help the operator to correct and
improve the highlighted areas and be used as evidence to demonstrate compliance. Audits are undertaken by professional consultants with the knowledge and experience to explain regulations and requirements to the operator and assist them in putting things right.
Although restricted licence holders are not required to nominate transport managers, in the case of a Public Inquiry, some do employ transport management individuals to oversee vehicle and driver compliance.
Having a transport manager on board prior to the PI can be very effective because it suggests the operator is taking the required action to put things right. During the enquiry, the transport manager can show that they have improved systems within the business and will support the operator going forward.
Demonstrating the right approaches before and during a Public Inquiry can have an impact on the status of the licence and the outcome of the hearing.
Hedy AghdamGVL Management Limited
Managing director www.goodsvehiclelicence.co.uk
A roadside stop by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) can discover not only an insecure load but also a number of maintenance issues, such as an out-of-date annual test certificate or under-inflated tyres. And if this DVSA check highlights a comprehensive failure in compliance, placing other road users in danger, this will lead to the operator being asked to attend a Public Inquiry.
A traffic commissioner’s Public Inquiry (PI) is a type of disciplinary hearing held to question the operator directly. In most cases, the PI is due because of failure to comply with the undertakings of the Operator Licence Regulations and the Goods Vehicle (Licencing of Operators) Act 1995. The operator is expected to explain any compliance issues and failures that have caused the concerns. The traffic commissioner will consider
evidence from the operator, usually alongside evidence provided by the DVSA and/or other regulatory authorities, and can decide to revoke, refuse, curtail, suspend and, in severe cases, disqualify an operator from operating heavy goods vehicles now or in the future – they have wide-ranging powers.
Public Inquiries are set up by the government (under the Inquiries Act 2005) and are considered ‘a Court of Law’. However, an operator does not necessarily require a solicitor to represent them at the PI. In fact, in most cases – with the permission of the traffic commissioner – a consultant or transport manager with PI experience can be more beneficial than a commercial solicitor because they have a better understanding of how the regulations are implemented in practice.
The main step for preparation for a PI is ensuring that you are
A scaffolding contractor was asked to attend a Public Inquiry following repeated instances of insecure and overloaded vehicles and a recorded MOT failure. The company sought advice and ongoing consultancy support from GVL Management Limited regarding its overall level of compliance to address the failings and demonstrate to the traffic commissioner that it was seeking to become fully compliant with the regulations.
In response to the DVSA findings, GVL proposed a number of compliancy solutions as below, which included appointing an external transport manager to take responsibility for the operator’s licence and lead the improvement project.
• Ensuring vehicles are kept fit and serviceable, not overloaded and operate within given speed-limits
• Ensuring drivers promptly report, in writing, any defects/symptoms of defects that could prevent the safe operation of the vehicle
• Ensuring that the number of vehicles kept at the operating centre does not exceed the number of vehicles authorised
• Ensuring all records are accurately completed and that the correct systems and procedures are put in place to enable the operator to maintain regulatory compliance
In addition, necessary document revisions were completed and further recommendations, including driver training, made in relation to day-to-day management of the fleet department.
A lone worker is anybody who works by themselves without close or direct supervision. In the UK, there are an estimated eight million lone workers – that’s more than one fifth of the working population.
There is a common misconception that lone workers are alone, but that isn’t always the case. Lone working could mean the individual may work in a separate location to their manager or team, with the general public or in another area on a large site, for example.
It is important to note that scaffolders working at height should not
undertake lone working because there must be a rescue plan in place in the event of an emergency. A rescue plan is a pre-planned strategy or procedure designed to safely retrieve someone who has fallen from height and is suspended in a harness.
Yes, you do. Lone workers certainly aren’t a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Before you allow an employee to become a lone worker, you must first consider any health and safety risks under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. This is to make sure that lone workers aren’t open to greater risks than other employees.
As you would with a risk assessment of your premises, you should consider any potential hazards a lone worker may face, assess the risks involved and determine whether there are any controls you could put in place to eliminate or reduce them. When instating controls, remember to take any foreseeable emergencies into account too; for example, equipment failure and accidents.
You must consider health and safety risks before granting lone worker permission. If you’re unsure as to what factors to consider, this list below is a useful summary:
• How many people will be needed to complete the task safely?
• Does the location or environment pose a specific risk to the employee? Hazardous substances, dangerous machinery, confined space or working at height, for example.
• Are female workers at greater risk? For example, estate agents.
• Is the individual considered vulnerable? For example, young people, new and expectant mothers or an individual with medical issues.
• Will there be adequate security at the site where the lone worker would be working?
• How will you provide the employee with the means to notify you in case of an emergency? A simple option would be the provision of a mobile phone.
• Is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required?
• Can you and will you be able to take reasonable steps to know the whereabouts of a lone worker? This could be via the phone or periodic visits from supervisors or security guards, or by using a mobile phone lone worker app.
Because lone workers receive less supervision than employees who are on-site, the correct training is critical. Training should be given on anything from dealing with aggression and violence, to slips, trips and falls. Here are three actions you should take as an employer:
1. Ensure that all employees who will be lone working have enough experience, fully understand the risks involved and do so prepared with necessary safety precautions.
2. Put clear limits in place so that lone workers are fully aware what can and can’t be done when working alone.
3. Only allow employees to lone work if they are competent at dealing with new or unusual circumstances and are knowledgeable enough to know when to stop work and seek advice from you or a supervisor.
Sometimes, employees might go to another business to complete lone working. If this is the case, it is a good idea to liaise with the ‘host’ employer and let them know of any risks associated with the lone worker’s work, and what controls and measures will be required to minimise these risks.
Check if a potential lone worker has any medical conditions that could prevent them from doing so. In cases where the employee does have a medical condition, you should seek medical advice as to whether the job – and the potential emergency situations that could come with it – is likely to create any additional physical or mental health problems for the employee. The outcome of this medical advice may determine whether or not you allow the employee in question to be a lone worker.
This forms part of your risk assessment. During the assessment, you should put appropriate processes in place for in the event of an accident, sudden illness or any other type of emergency.
Whatever processes you decide on need to be clearly established, and you should provide relevant training and information to the employee in question. As an example, your process might include the provision of lone-worker-specific first aid training to ensure they have some knowledge on how to deal effectively with an accident.
Lone workers must be included in your Employer’s Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act cover. No additional insurance is needed.
Citation is a preferred partner of the Scaffolding Association, offering health and safety and HR and employment law support services to members at a discounted rate.
Galvanic corrosion is an electrochemical process where one metal corrodes at a faster rate when in contact with a dissimilar metal in the presence of an electrolyte (saltwater). Scaffold contractors working in saltwater environments need to be aware of the consequences.
In 1761, The Royal Navy experimented with copper plating fixed to the hull of HMS Alarm with iron nails. On return from a long voyage, the copper plating was in good condition but had become detached from the hull. Many iron nails had dissolved, freeing the
copper plating, but the nails that had been isolated from the copper by water-resistant brown paper trapped under the nail heads were in good condition. The Admiralty issued a report stating that iron should not have direct contact with copper in seawater.
The UKCS has produced Offshore Specific Scaffold Guidance which covers this issue. The main concern is the periodic inspection of scaffold fittings attached to aluminium beams and spigot pins used for joining the beams. The guidance stipulates that to retain structural integrity, scaffolds erected under
deck should be dismantled every six to 12 months.
Mr Beck has developed aluminium spigot pins to overcome the problems caused by steel pins corroding and expanding, splitting the aluminium beams from within. He has tried various coatings on the beams and fittings to reduce the effects of corrosion and has successfully installed beams that have been in situ for over two years with little degradation.
On the topic of life expectancy and inspection procedures, Mr Herbert suggests using sacrificial
droppers and fittings. If a scaffold was expected to be in service for two years, he suggests putting 48 fittings onto a beam and removing two a month for inspection, giving a good indication of the structural integrity of the installed components. This reduces the need to dismantle/ re-erect the scaffold installation and the sacrificial droppers can be raised and inspected without operatives working at height.
Scaffolding structures exposed to saltwater can lead to unexpected consequences when ‘galvanic corrosion’ raises its head. John Beck and Kevan Herbert from Apollo Scaffold Services have dealt with these issues for more than 20 years.
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A & G Scaffolding Team Limited
www.agscaffoldingteam.co.uk
ADK Scaffolding Limited
www.adkscaffolding.co.uk
Albany Brent Group Limited
www.albanybrent.co.uk
Amp Scaffolding Limited
www.ampscaffold.co.uk
Atlantic Scaffold
www.atlanticscaffold.com
D & B Scaffolding Limited
www.dbscaffolding.co.uk
D & B Scaffolding (Northern) Limited
www.dbscaffolding.co.uk
Elevation Yorkshire Limited
07716 076231
Freeman & Hook Scaffolding Contractors Limited
01908 262633
L & C Scaffolding Limited
07920 855887
Phaze Scaffolding Limited www.phazescaffolding.co.uk
Pro Scaffolding (South West) Limited www.proscaffolding.co.uk
PVF Scaffolding Limited www.pvfscaffolding.com
SMD Decorators Limited
01708 540148
We Tube Scaffolding Limited www.wetubeltd.co.uk
Gaydon Henderson www.gaydonhenderson.com
The Scaffolding Association and SMAS Worksafe (Safety Management Advisory Service) have formally joined in a professional partnership to benefit members of both organisations. The partnership began in May 2019.
With the Scaffolding Association selecting SMAS Worksafe as its SSIP scheme of choice, Association members can now benefit from a 20 per cent discount off the SMAS Worksafe full assessment (applicable to firstyear applicants only) as well as a Health and Safety helpline and increased visibility to the SMAS Worksafe client base, which includes over 45 of the biggest house builders in the UK as well as many other organisations in construction.
For more information, contact stacey@ scaffolding-association.org
FIND OUT MORE www.scaffolding-association.org
The Scaffolding Association exhibited at the Safety & Health Expo (SHExpo) at Excel from 18 to 20 June.
Association chief executive Rob Candy hosted an industry panel discussion focusing on the roles and responsibilities of duty holders when undertaking and commissioning working at height.
The three-day industry event provided an opportunity for the Scaffolding Association to share best practice in raising health and safety standards while meeting members and networking across the sector.
FIND OUT MORE www.safety-health-expo.co.uk
Keep
18–20 June 2019
Safety & Health Expo, ExCeL, London
Citation seminars on ‘Good Work Plan’
26 June 2019 – Hampden Park
Stadium, Glasgow
3 July 2019 – Allianz Park, London
16 July 2019 – Edgbaston Cricket
Ground, Birmingham
2 July 2019
Scaffolding Association exhibiting at SMAS Worksafe event
Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol
12 July 2019
London Work at Height Seminar (LWAHS)
The Guildhall, London
12 September 2019
Scaffolding Association AGM
Union Jack Club, London
The contract, which began in November, is for client Formation Design & Build.
Over in east London, CASS recently completed the scaffolding works on the Queen Mary University Mathematical Sciences Building, working with Graham Construction.
The £18 million building includes high-quality teaching rooms, private and group study areas and new social hub.
Nick Carey, senior contract manager for CASS, said: “This was another interesting project for CASS. The team worked endlessly to ensure that the scaffolding schedule was met – the outcome is an incredible building.”
FIND OUT MORE www.cassuk.com
The Scaffolding Association has become a member of the Temporary Works Forum (TWF) as part of its continuing strategy to improve the standards of scaffolding and access within the construction industry.
The TWF is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to promote best practice and encourage open discussion on matters related to temporary works. It is viewed by the Scaffolding Association as a valuable platform from which to influence future practices within the industry and represent its members to key industry stakeholders.
Robert Candy, chief executive at the Scaffolding Association, said: “One of our key aims is to ensure that industry standards are continually being raised, and the Temporary Works Forum seeks to promote best practices and improve standards.
“There is a synergy between the organisations and we look forward to being active members of the TWF.”
FIND OUT MORE www.scaffolding-association.org
Neath-based Absolute Scaffolding Wales (ASW) has pledged its commitment to Time to Change Wales, a social movement that aims to improve attitudes and change behaviour towards mental health in society in Wales.
At the event to mark the occasion, with guests including Wales and Ospreys rugby player Paul James and representatives from Hafal and Mind Cymru, the two mental health charities behind the campaign, ASW’s managing director, Carl Hendy, signed his pledge on behalf of the company.
Mr Hendy said: “I am proud to make our pledge to Time to Change Wales. At ASW, we regard good mental health just as important as good physical health, and so without prejudice or discrimination, we encourage openness and make it clear that help is available.”
FIND OUT MORE www.absolute-scaffolding-wales.co.uk
Caspian Access and Plant Hire has announced that its new company name is Caspian Group.
For over 30 years, Caspian has supplied scaffolding boards and related services to a national and international client base. In line with expansion, the company has relaunched as Caspian Group and acquired an additional Scunthorpe based threeacre site, which becomes the fifth site within its operations.
Neil Garrison, Caspian’s managing director, said: “The change of name to Caspian Group highlights our business development ambitions at what is a very exciting time for the company.”
FIND OUT MORE www.caspiangroup.co.uk
Marshall Construction has appointed Brian McDermott as its new managing director.
Mr McDermott has been promoted from operations director of the General Building Division, bringing significant leadership experience and a deep understanding of the company to the role. He will be responsible for driving growth across the company and strengthening its position within the Scottish construction market.
Commenting on the new role, Mr McDermott said: “I will continue the company’s delivery of high-quality projects coupled with outstanding workmanship. Our reputation for delivering exceptional work in partnership with our customers underpins our commercial success and I will build on this along with enhancing our reputation.”
FIND OUT MORE www.marshallconstruction.co.uk
Fife-based I-Scaff has completed a contract to shut down a coal-fired power station in Mariveles in the province of Bataan, the Philippines.
The recommendation for I-Scaff came from the power station’s site manager who had director Ross Brown’s details following a previous shutdown project in Saudi Arabia.
Shutting down this power station in the Philippines came with its challenges, one being convincing the client that the works could be achieved with less manpower and in a faster time than a project of this nature would typically require.
Secondly, to ensure quality standards, I-Scaff sent its Middle East and Asia manager, Douglas Stuart, to China to audit three scaffolding manufacturing plants and source Turnlok scaffold system and scaffold tube and fittings that met the BS EN requirements.
The on-site team consisted of three British advanced scaffolder/supervisors and Mr Stuart, who has 25 years’ experience in the region. I-Scaff was keen to recruit Bataan locals and contracted 40 scaffolders from a large database of experienced nationals.
Including training time, I-Scaff completed the shutdown in nine weeks – six weeks faster than a previous year’s shutdown and with a team that was 60 per cent smaller – and with zero incidents or accidents.
John Pritchard, former maintenance manager at the power station, said: “We were immediately impressed by I-Scaff’s professional approach along with the equipment they used. We witnessed first-hand how well they trained the local staff ahead of commencing the works.”
FIND OUT MORE www.i-scaff.com
Godiva Access & Scaffolding is benefiting from Skills 4 Growth funding that has helped its management team develop new skills and raise standards. And Godiva is already reaping the rewards with 2018 sales surging past the £5-million mark.
Karl Degroot, Godiva’s managing director, said: “Godiva prides itself on being able to drive a strong and successful team by continually offering a plan to help them build new skills and improve their performance and productivity.”
Godiva teamed up with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training to put in place a detailed skills and training development plan for all staff with a commitment to create a sustainable workforce and futureproof its requirement for management, supervisors and skilled scaffolders.
The people investment made by Godiva has been supported with external funding from the Skills 4 Growth fund.
