No matter which country you are working in, with the varying levels of governmental regulations that may be in place, we all have a duty to work safely, and with the safety of others in mind. With proper training, you can significantly reduce the risk of scaffold collapse.
Early in 2108 Gibraltar experienced a major scaffold collapse on a high-end residential development in the Bayside area of the UK overseas territory. The Ocean Spa Plaza development, which sits just a stones-throw away from Gibraltar International airport is due for completion later in 2018. Wind speeds in the territory, which sits at the southern end of the mainland of Spain, reached Gale Force with wind speeds as high as 66mph being recorded at the airport. While reports suggested that were no injuries. The images were terrifying and the potential for injury was huge! Search ‘Gibraltar scaffold collapse’ if you’d like to see for yourself!
“We all have a duty to work safely, and with the safety of others in mind.”
Simian International have over 3,500,000 accident or incident-free man hours at our contracts in Iraq and South Korea alone, so we know that it can be done. Only, however, if the planning, execution and ongoing management of a scaffolding contract are done right.
Communication is key to a good, safe result. Pre-start meetings, in which the design can be tailored to the needs of the contractor, are essential to eliminate the temptation to interfere with a scaffold once it is constructed. If the design is right, and completed in conjunction with the client, there should be no need for contractors to change the scaffold so that their work can continue.
Furthermore, good communication of safe working limits can remove the danger of overloading, a major cause of accidents. Throughout the entire job, from planning right through to removal, communication between all parties is a must.
Thorough inspection of a scaffold is imperative in the prevention of scaffold collapse. Furthermore, the ongoing inspection of the scaffold in use, and of any changes that may need to be made, can greatly reduce the risk of accidents.
Once again, good communication between all parties, including the inspector is essential. If your work has been carried out properly, to the right regulations and specifications, you should be proud of it. If you’re hiding from the inspector, you’re taking unnecessary risk.
All of the potential dangers outlined can be alleviated by the correct training of everyone involved in the process. From designer, through scaffolder, to inspector, if everyone is working to the same high standards, the risk to contractors and the public from scaffold collapse can be significantly reduced.
CISRS training delivers those high standards throughout, to ensure that everyone takes safety seriously. The UK industry standard has been in place for nearly 50 years, and has been recognised as best practice for quality accredited training around the world.
Simian Skill is one of the few carefully selected CISRS training providers that are accredited to bring benchmark level skills instruction to an overseas audience, we are based in Dubai, Chennai India, Ipara Nigeria and Muscat Oman with further countries coming on board in 2018, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Iraq, China, Qatar and Nepal.
We are proud of our complete package of incremental training courses that will equip any scaffolder in any country to work to their own high standards of safety and workmanship. After all, we all have a duty to work safely, and with the safety of others in mind to make scaffolding safe all around the world. To help everyone to do this we’ve set up an e.learning training platform where anyone, regardless of location, can learn at their own pace in their own place.
For more info visit: www.simianelearning.com
