He succeeds Andrew Reid of SGB Mastclimbers, and will serve a two-year term, with the aim of advancing the objectives of the federation to promote the safe and effective use of powered access around the world.

Addressing members at the IPAF Summit, Ball said: “IPAF is in a crucial stage of global development. In an industry which is not yet 40 years old, the future for IPAF is very bright.”

The next IPAF Summit will be held on 2 April 2009 in Dublin.

Subjects being covered this year include:
- Just how thorough does a Thorough Examination have to be?
- Exactly what does the law require?
- Is the CAP Card programme right for you?
- Who exactly will be recognised as a competent person?
- The implications of the new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act?
- What do you have to do to ensure that you operate both safely and within the law?
- Does the rest of the EU require the same level of thorough examination?

Speakers include:-
Dennis Bar a lawyer, Roberto Cianotti- director of research at ISPESL a division of the Italian ministry of health and occupational safety, Peter Jones of Lavendon, Rupert Douglas Jones and Gil Male of IPAF.

The programme begins at 13:30 and runs through 17:00 or so. If you are an IPAF member you can also attend the IPAF Annual General Meeting which precedes the Summit and the 25th anniversary dinner which follows.

To reserve your ticket for the Summit email Jean.Harrison@ipaf.org or go to the IPAF website www.ipaf.org

“The MCWP International Committee has many challenges and opportunities to address in the next few years,” said

“Common standards and consistent, high quality will facilitate MCWP exports around the world and into new markets. The Committee has challenging work to do in the introduction of new regulation and training standards into new territories, and the representation of its members’ interests and best practice is always a priority. It has to inform and educate regulatory bodies so that they understand and accept standards, which IPAF has helped develop, and recognise the PAL Card (Powered Access Licence) and what it stands for.”

Romina Vanzi of IPAF-España continues her role as committee convenor. Ms Vanzi is adept in the erection of MCWPs and has attained instructor level. She is also convenor of the Transport Platform Working Group.

“Romina’s enthusiasm for the product and her tireless work on behalf of the industry are to be commended,” said O’Shea. “The Committee relishes the opportunity to tackle the challenges head-on and keep the mast climbing work platform industry highly productive, intrinsically safe, and highly flexible as manufacturing volume increases ever more significantly.”

Take drywall contractors, for example.

Some drywallers claim it is difficult to cobble together a skilled crew because some boarders see the stringent safety regulations as an impediment to the job at hand.

PCL’s guardrail requirement on scaffolding is one of their concerns.

While Ontario’s and other provinces’ Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) regulations require guardrails on scaffolding about 10 feet high or higher, one contractor said that PCL stipulates that guardrails must be installed on scaffolding six feet high and up.

Mike Freeman said while the company he works for, Excel Interior Contracting, won’t turn down an opportunity to bid on a PCL contract because of its safety policy, he understands why some contractors do — particularly those that hire piecework crews. Guardrails on scaffolding can pose an access/egress obstacle for workers and materials, said the assistant manager.

“It is so tough to try and swing a sheet of drywall over top of a guardrail when you’re working over your head,” he said.

Freeman suggested drywall boarders most likely see such safety regulations as overkill and are used to piecework in the residential sector where “two ladders and a plank” serve as a scaffold.

Safety has increasingly become a priority on construction sites over the past five or so years, and contractors are encouraged to go “above and beyond” OH&S standards to get the job done, explained Derek Petrie, health and safety instructor of the Interior Systems Contractors Association of Ontario (ISCA).

Contractors reluctant to change, Petrie said, are a minority — usually small contractors with crews of four or five workers.

Along with guardrails, they can rail about other safety regulations set by major contractors like PCL and EllisDon.

The requirement that safety glasses must be worn at all times on site is an example.

He said getting caught breaking the safety rules on a site is one thing, but having an accident because the safety rules weren’t met can quickly put a company in the red.

“For lack of a better term, you are playing Russian roulette when you don’t take safety seriously,” Petrie said.

Rather than complain about a company’s safety policy, Freeman suggested contractors look for alternative solutions to get the job done.

For example, if guardrails are a problem on scaffolding, consider a substitute — such as scissor lifts.

Scissor lifts typically rent for about $1,200 a month.

It is a small price when compared to the cost of labour assembling and disassembling scaffolding with guardrails on a big commercial job.

In his observations, younger construction workers more readily adapt to higher safety standards than older workers.

“These kids grew up riding a bike with a helmet on or skateboarding with a helmets and knee pads. Safety is an easy sell to them because it has been ingrained in them at a young age,” Freeman said.

Some older workers are more resistant.

“Maybe they made their own (safety) rules for many years and worked their whole career without an injury so imposing these regs on them is a tough sell,” he added.

Murray Corey, executive director of the B.C. Wall & Ceiling Association, pointed out another reason why large commercial sites often require more stringent safety standards than small residential ones.

“There are a significant amount of potential hazards in such projects. You have to be aware of what is going on from any and all sides, levels and angles,” he said.

Part of the conference includes workshop sessions for regional leaders to hear about new and exciting initiatives which could benefit their members. This year, Kevin O'Shea of Mastclimbers LLC in Grayson, Georgia, and Aerial Work Platform Training's mast climber representative, was asked to conduct a number of workshops on mast climber safety, the drive for "safe-use" regulation and, of course, AWPT's pivotal role in educating and training workers.

O'Shea described the opportunity, "Through my work with unions in recent months, it has become obvious that BAC members are some of the most frequent users of mast climbers, booms and scissors in the United States and the unions themselves have reached a high level of training and education through their apprenticeship programs. This invitation to present the Notre Dame workshop sessions was a 'top-drawer' opportunity to get to a huge volume of users. The question and answer sessions after the main workshop sessions were illuminating. We had representatives from Boston to New Orleans, all of whom brought different aspects of powered access use to the sessions. In analyzing the problems, and answering the questions, it's clear that consistent standards of training, measurement and quality are required now."

O'Shea is a senior instructor for AWPT, the North American arm of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), an international organization dedicated to the safe use of access equipment and creators of an ISO-certified training program that is recognized worldwide. Over 50,000 operators each year complete an IPAF training course at one of more than 250 training centers. Upon successful completion of a course, operators are issued a PAL Card (Powered Access Licensed-Registration). Said O'Shea, "The level of interest in IPAF training standards and the PAL card was tremendous, and the level of interaction in the workshop sessions proves that there are knowledgeable people out there with a thirst for increased safety. I believe that union members would benefit immeasurably from the PAL card program and third-party verification of their commitment to training and safety."

BAC President, John Flynn, is also quite clearly dedicated to training and high quality standards. BAC's training arm, the International Masonry Institute, based in Annapolis, Maryland, has just completed work on an impressive new training center, dedicated to the safety, professionalism and craft of its trainees. In addition, AWPT's Mast Climber Training Center in Boston, North East Work Platform Training (NEWPT), is working with local Unions to put together a structured approach that will turn out qualified, well-trained apprentices. Thirty five iron worker apprentices gathered in Boston from September 3rd to 7th for a program of training that, for the first time, included mast climber awareness.

Tom Lawler, NEWPT's president and an AWPT mast climber instructor, is delighted to get involved. He described the opportunity, "The key to good working practice is to catch employees early, so that we can instil a safety ethos from the very start. These apprentices are at exactly the right age and level of awareness to benefit from this exposure, and, vitally, the co-workers who will work with them in years to come will benefit too. It's my intention to introduce the Powered Access Licensed-Registration and AWPT Training throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and to partner with like-minded employers, unions and organizations in the achievement of that goal."

About AWPT

Aerial Work Platform Training Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of IPAF that promotes safety and training in North America. Further information can be found at www.awpt.org

UCATT has called for companies to crack down on health and safety following the death of a worker in Swansea.

The man fell from scaffolding while working on a residential development at Ferrera Quay complex at Swansea Marina on 22 January.

He received emergency treatment but died in hospital several days later.

Nick Blundell, UCATT regional secretary for the Wales and South West, said: “This latest death underlines the dangerous nature of construction. While it is almost impossible to make the industry entirely safe, construction employers in general could be doing far more to make sites safer.”

Whatever the scale or demands of the housing development, the unrivalled product selection and wealth of experience available from SGB means complete peace of mind being brought to any project.

The extensive range of access solutions available from SGB are all employed to a greater or lesser extent throughout the home build market, and include traditional and system scaffolding; Mastclimbers®; temporary roofing systems; edge protection and fall arrest equipment; powered access in the form of self-propelled scissor lifts and telescopic booms – plus, of course, a huge range of light access aluminium and GRP equipment for light duty maintenance and fit-out applications.

Maybe it’s a traditional build, brick and block classic housing development, where flexibility and timing are of the essence in the provision of progressive scaffolding. Or possibly it’s a timber frame, where all the lifts have to be built at once. This form of construction, in particular, is increasingly meeting demands for fast-track housing projects. This has been recognized by SGB, whose CUPLOK® system scaffold can easily be adapted to meet these specific requirements.

Due to the ease and speed of erecting the system, CUPLOK® can be installed as a compliant Work at Height access solution during construction of the timber frame itself and, when this is completed, it can quickly be adapted to provide access for brickwork or external façade works.

Russell Adams, business development director of SGB, comments: “Modern methods of construction and fast-track construction programmes need fast-track access solutions and CUPLOK® offers a quick, cost effective and proven system. House builders and developers are increasingly acknowledging the safety and performance benefits that we can offer.”

Every situation is vastly different and needs an access partner with a real understanding of what is needed and the ability to provide it. Fast-track steel-frame affordable housing is another increasingly popular method of construction, where speed is everything and the built scaffolding needs to be both on-site first and adaptable. Regeneration and social housing projects often involve the complexity of brown field sites – and moving up the scale, the very different demands brought about by new build or refurbishment of multi-storey concrete frame structures present differing challenges, all which SGB is able to overcome.

In hardware terms alone, SGB has the most comprehensive stock inventory in the country and the largest network of branches. Added to that, is its unrivalled long-proven expertise in planning, design, scheduling, logistics, cost management and training – not to mention its total financial stability.

For complex projects, expert design and engineering skills are fundamental to creating safe and efficient, cost-effective access, and by combining its experience and extensive product solutions with the very latest design software, SGB is able to provide a complete structural analysis and arrive at the optimum solution every time.

When it comes to safety management, it is the implementation of proven health and safety control processes, coupled with effective training, communication and systematic risk assessment that has seen SGB’s safety record set the standard for the industry.

The company has even introduced a new ‘Tie tag’ scaffold safety system that minimises the risk of human error. One of the main causes of scaffold collapse is ineffectual inspection and for the first time, by using the pioneering new ‘Tie tag’ system, tie quantities and patterns can be visibly checked from the ground.

CUPLOK®, designed and developed by SGB, has grown to become the most widely used system scaffold in the world. It is a lightweight, fully galvanised multi-purpose steel scaffold system that can be used for general access and vertical load support on a wide range of applications – including continuous façade, circular scaffold, birdcage access and staircase access.

It is much quicker to erect than traditional methods and has a 'node point' or fastening method, by which four horizontals can be fastened at one time making a very rigid connection. The horizontals bear directly on to the verticals, are firmly clamped by the action of the top cup – and there are no loose parts to misplace. CUPLOK® is also highly resistant to site damage and accepts scaffold boards, battens or decking platforms and heavy duty access up to 3kN/sqm platform loading.

The uniquely diverse range of traditional and powered access solutions available from SGB is certainly demonstrated by the Mast Climbing Work Platform, an automated platform system that provides fast, efficient access for both men and materials to their precise work position at up to 100m. It is ideal for cladding, façade work, new construction, restoration and demolition, and the range includes double or single mast work platforms and transport hoists. Telescopic extensions can be tailored to suit the building profile and safety features include automatic levelling, safety limit switches to control travel, manual brake release levers and centrifugal brakes on motors.

Glasgow Harbour…
Mast Climbing Work Platforms are an ideal access solution for largescale refurbishment and over-cladding projects, but their advantages are also being acknowledged within the new build sector. A major development at Glasgow Harbour, comprising three blocks each up to 18- storeys high, is a good example, where a combination of twenty single and twin Mastclimbers® have been installed for the duration of the three-year project, which is due for completion in spring 2009.

This multi-storey development features balconies, which can present a major challenge to some access systems and on this project the balconies project up to 1.8m from the façade. The solution offered by SGB was to erect the work platform masts outside the balcony line, and then to fit the 24m long platforms with sliding cantilevered extensions that provide the operatives with access to the façade at any level.

Camden Housing…
Installing new curtain walling onto existing residential tower blocks can pose specific access challenges, particularly if it is a high block and incorporates residential balconies. Careful specification of the right type of access equipment is important for its impact on efficiency, safety and security on site.

Major refurbishment work was undertaken recently by specialist contractors Harley Curtain Wall UK, who needed to install external curtain walling on five, 22-storey residential blocks for Camden Council in London. Four of the blocks each required three single mast units and six twin mast installations, with the fifth block needing two twin masts and four single masts. Harley chose the system for the project because of its ability to provide fast efficient and safe working on 20m platform lengths, the installation time being days instead of weeks with traditional scaffolding, and the fact there are fewer façade anchor fittings.

The new Tie Tag system is a major safety breakthrough…
SGB was also appointed access contractor by Rialto Homes, part of Fairview New Homes Ltd, for a development in London Road, Croydon, where CUPLOK® system scaffold is being used for the access requirements. The focus here is very much on SGB’s innovative new scaffold tagging system, being the first project to use the system in full and be completely tagged.

The principle behind the system is to control safe use and access by keeping scaffold users clearly informed as to the status of the scaffold – whether it is incomplete, or fit to use – and, in addition, it clearly identifies scaffold ties as critical components of the scaffold.

There are other tagging systems used in the industry, but the SGB system is particularly simple and highly visible. It consists of a three-step ‘traffic light’ process. The first action is to ensure that immediately after the base lift and ladder fixings have been completed, red and white ‘Danger Incomplete Scaffolding Tags’ are secured to the scaffold at the access point. At step three, when the whole scaffold is complete, a green ‘Scaffold Inspection Record Tag’ is fitted and signed by the competent SGB person in charge.

The key element is step two, where during the building of the scaffold, a unique yellow ‘Scaffold Tie Tag’ is securely fixed to every single tie in the structure, stating “Do not remove this scaffold tie or tag”. These yellow scaffold tie tags can be seen clearly from either the ground or platform, so when the scaffold is being tied to an adjacent structure, everyone can monitor the progress.

For home builders, balancing safety responsibility with the need for high productivity at manageable cost has never been greater. This is especially true when working at height is involved. For safe, innovative, total access solutions, many organisations are turning to market leader SGB.

SGB is continually demonstrating its ability to deliver innovative, safe and cost-effective access solutions to home builders, and no matter how straightforward or complex the project, the company is committed to making a positive difference wherever it is on site.

The two companies have a fleet of around 2,000 units which operate from 25 locations it contributed around €30 million in revenues to the group in 2007.

Alexandre Saubot, Haulotte’s chief operating officer, said: “This handover will have a positive impact on the Haulotte Group 2008 accounts and will strengthen its financial and human capacity to develop its business in and outside Western Europe. The emerging markets will fuel Haulotte Group’s profitable growth over the next few years.”

Gérard Déprez, chairman of Loxam said: “LEV is recognised as a leader in lifting
equipment rental and will contribute to the development of Loxam’s lifting equipment division.”

Saubot has always said that Haulotte will only enter or remain in the rental business for strategic purposes. The justification to remain in the French market was hard to see, the company may well have also come under pressure from Loxam to exit?

There is no indication that any sales agreement is tied in with this deal, however it is hard to imagine that this subject was not discussed. Most companies in the same situation would have tried hard to have secured an annual purchase agreement as part of the transaction.

Haulotte may well look now to invest the proceeds from this sale to promote access rental in emerging markets, either through financial support or by entering key markets itself.

Questions will inevitably be asked about the future of UK platforms, its UK rental operation. Loxam has recently employed Steve Shaughnessy to head up its UK business. Many observers saw the move as a step down from his role at A-Plant, unless Loxam had major plans for its UK business which include further acquisitions?

IPAF is the worldwide not-for-profit organization that exists to promote safe and effective use of powered access equipment. Members include manufacturers, distributors, equipment owners and rental companies. AWPT is the organization that administers IPAF's North American Training programs. Members of IPAF are eligible to open an AWPT accredited training center after meeting the accreditation criteria.

While both IPAF and AWPT are dedicated to providing comprehensive training in the safe use of aerial work platforms and mast climbing work platforms, neither organization performs the actual training. Training is done by those members of IPAF who have met stringent requirements and are certified as Authorized Training Centers.

New member NES has been approved as an AWPT Authorized Training Center for aerial work platforms and is planning on opening multiple training centers in key metropolitan areas; and new member Midwest Aerials & Equipment has applied to open an aerial work platform training center in St. Louis.

New members Fraco Products in St. Mathias, Quebec and Northeast Work Platform Training in Boston, along with current IPAF members Alimak Hek and Mastclimbers LLC, both of Atlanta, Georgia, are opening or already have opened AWPT Authorized Training Centers for mast climbing work platforms. Other new training centers are also in the works.

Because of the quality and consistency of AWPT training programs, the Scaffold Industry Association (SIA) recognizes and promotes the PAL card as proof of training in the safe use of aerial work platforms and mast climbing work platforms. SIA also encourages its members to consider becoming Authorized Training Centers.

That is changing fast though, the company has completed its move into new purpose-built European headquarter premises in Oswestry, Shropshire. The new building includes a large office suite along with warehousing a replacement parts operation and an external yard.

The facility will be the hub for Skyjack Europe’s sales, service support, finance and administration operations. The new premises will also carry out some final assembly work, install options and ship directly to newly opened company stores in Germany and Sweden.

The company acquired its Swedish distributor N-C Liftteknik AB/Nordic Lift in August as its Scandinavia base, while in Germany the company has employed Ingo Regenbrecht to open Skyjack Deutschland in Witten.

This week Yannick Borgel, previously with UpRight France, has started work with the company in order to head up its new French operation. Prior to Joining UpRight France in May Borgel spent six years with Genie France See UpRight returns to France

Skyjack’s coverage of the European market has been patchy for many years reaching a low point when the company pulled all of its operations back to a UK base at the start of 2004. Since then its transatlantic shipments have grown rapidly, but largely on the back of its strong market position in the UK.

2007 is likely to be a record year for Skyjack Europe as it continues to expand its sales in the UK at the same time as it makes inroads into other markets. It has developed a strong reputation of being easy to deal with and is seen to be investing heavily in a personalised after sales support. Its new company stores elsewhere in Europe should help spread that reputation more widely.

If the trends it has established over the past 12 months continue Skyjack Europe could substantially exceed this year’s numbers in 2008, winning a few market share percentage points into the bargain.

The IPAF aerial work platform training programme adopts new lift categories from 1 January 2008. The changes do NOT affect the training already received or existing PAL Card (Powered Access Licences) holders.

IPAF has revised the categories within its programme in order to align with the international standards prEN 280 and ISO DIS 16368, standards that regulate the design and manufacture of access platforms worldwide.

The new IPAF categories, with abbreviations and brief explanations, are:

• Static Vertical (1a): Vertical personnel platforms (static)
• Static Boom (1b): Self-propelled booms (outriggers), trailers/push-arounds, vehicle-mounted platforms
• Mobile Vertical (3a): Scissor lifts, vertical personnel platforms (mobile)
• Mobile Boom (3b): Self-propelled booms
• Special (SPECIAL): Airport equipment

The following categories continue unchanged:

• Mast Climbing Work Platforms (MC)
• Insulated Aerial Devices (IAD)
• Telehandler Platforms – Integrated (TPI)
• Harness Use and Inspection (H)
• Loading and Unloading (LOAD)
• MEWPs for Managers (MM)

Posters Highlighting the new categories are also available from IPAF for those who want them.

Current PAL Card holders who need to replace lost cards will be issued duplicate cards with the original categories they have been trained in. This is because the categories listed on the PAL Card reflect the training received. Those who re-train or do upgrades from 1 January 2008 onwards will be issued with cards reflecting the new categories.

Site managers can check the validity of PAL Cards by calling the IPAF office.

More than a quarter of a million people worldwide currently hold a valid PAL Card with an additional 70,000 people being trained each year.

A construction worker died this morning after falling about five stories while working at a site on the Temple University Hospital campus in North Philadelphia, authorities said.
Medics were sent to the site at 3500 North Broad Street, near Venango Street, shortly after 8 a.m., said Capt. Richard Davis of the Philadelphia Fire Department.

The 44-year-old victim, whom authorities did not immediately identify, was rushed to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:15 a.m.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the fall. Police were initially told the man fell from the 10th floor to the fourth floor, where he landed on rebar wire. Davis said he believes the victim had been on scaffolding equal to five stories.

Investigators from the Office of Safety and Health Administration were also called to the scene.

One OSHA investigator, John Quinn, said it appeared the worker - who was wearing a harness - was welding on an improvised floor structure when he fell.

Heartland plant shut down after fatal fall for worker - Canada - 31st October 2007

A 47-year-old Ardrossan man is dead after he fell 50 feet from scaffolding Wednesday afternoon at Gulf Chemical and Metallurgical Canada’s plant in northern Strathcona County. The plant sits directly south of Shell’s Scotford Complex on Range Road 214. Garry Robert Ramsay was pronounced dead at the scene. He was working on some drain pipe. To access the pipe, scaffolding was placed on a catwalk, police said. Police aren’t sure what caused him to fall.

No one was allowed to enter or leave the plant until around 8 p.m. Wednesday as police and Occupational Health and Safety investigated the workplace accident. The plant has been shut down while the investigation continues.

Scaffolding Accident Injures 4 - Los Angelese - 27th October 2007

An overnight project to change light bulbs inside a high atrium inside a downtown Los Angeles office building ended in disaster Saturday when the scaffolding they were standing on collapsed, injuring four workers.

The workers fell 30 feet as the scaffold came down, critically injuring one of them, a city fire department spokesperson said. Three coworkers suffered moderate injuries in the 12:20 a.m. mishap.

The four workers were replacing light bulbs inside of the Gas Company Building, 555 W. 5th St., when the temporary assembly collapsed, said Los Angeles city fire spokesperson Ron Myers. The four were transported to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center and California Hospital.

An investigation was being conducted by Cal-OSHA, Myers said.

Two hurt in scaffolding collapse - UK- 19th October 2007

Two men were taken to hospital this morning after falling 20ft when scaffolding collapsed onto a van in a back lane. Emergency crews were called to East Stainton Street, Westoe, South Shields, just after 11am. The two were taken to South Tyneside District Hospital, but their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.The scaffolding collapsed in a back lane onto a white va, smashing its windows. A house was also damaged. Police cordoned off the back lane while the area was made safe.

One witness said: "I got there after the scaffolding had already collapsed."Two builders were being put in the ambulance and taken away."

A spokesman for Tyne and Wear Fire & Rescue Service said: "Two people have been taken to hospital after an incident. "We have two crews there after being informed by the ambulance."

A police spokesman said: "At 11am we were informed that scaffolding had collapsed in East Stainton Street, South Shields. "A number of injuries were reported and two were taken to hospital."

OSHA investigates scaffolding collapse - 28 September 2007

Federal authorities are investigating a construction accident that killed a 75-year-old Chippewa Township man on Wednesday.
Advertisement

Donald Ours, a bricklayer employed by Miller Masonry, died after falling 25 feet from a collapsed scaffold in Pine Township. He was installing bricks near the top of a building in the Georgetown housing plan, a luxury town house community being developed near Route 19 by Spagnolo Custom Homes Inc. of Pine.

Ronald Miller, who owns the masonry company, also was injured in the incident. He is being treated at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Frank Librich, assistant area director for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Pittsburgh office, said investigators were on the scene shortly after the 8:15 a.m. accident. He declined to discuss specifics, such as whether the men were wearing harnesses, pending the investigation. It will probably be at least six weeks before OSHA releases a report, Librich said.

Depending on what OSHA finds, it may impose fines on Miller Masonry or Spagnolo. Librich said investigators are focusing on Miller Masonry, a subcontractor of Spagnolo.

"That's who he worked for," he said, referring to Ours.

Librich said Miller Masonry has no previous OSHA violations. He wasn't sure about Spagnolo, but doubted it had any flagrant violations.

OSHA investigated 25 work-related deaths in the Pittsburgh area from Jan. 1, 2004, to Dec. 31, 2006, Librich said. Only one was a scaffold fall, and that wasn't due to a scaffold collapse.

He said Wednesday's incident was somewhat unusual.

"It's not a common occurrence," Librich said, "but it does occur."

Site horror halts work at Academy - Liverpool - 21 September 2007

WORK on the new £23.5m Liverpool John Moores University Art and Design Academy could be delayed after a scaffold on the building site collapsed.

An investigation into the accident got underway on Wednesday night after six construction workers were injured when scaffolding gave way at the three-storey building.

It will be several days before the Health and Safety Executive reports back on its initial findings.

Work on site has been halted while experts investigate what happened and next week university bosses are likely to find out whether the accident will seriously delay work on building the controversial academy.

Workmen were laying a concrete floor when a scaffolding frame collapsed, plunging them 30ft to the ground.

One worker suffered serious back injuries but all six men, believed to be from outside the Merseyside area, were expected to be discharged from hospital yesterday.

A Liverpool John Moores university spokeswoman said it was too early to say how much delay the accident would have on the arts academy.

She added: “The safety of people on site is our highest priority.

“We’ll be working alongside the HSE, our sub-contractor and client to ensure we reach a satisfactory conclusion to the incident before work re-commences on site.”

When completed the building will become a five-floor academy and is due to open to celebrate Capital of Culture year in 2008.

The building, situated on the junction of Duckinfield Street and Brownlow Hill, has been under construction for three months.

The new academy has caused controversy as it has involved the selling off of many key city centre buildings, including the art school attended by John Lennon.

Seven hurt as scaffold collapses - 19 September 2007

No-one was seriously injured in the incident
Seven people were injured when scaffolding collapsed at a building site in Liverpool city centre.
The incident happened on an area on Brownlow Hill near the city's Metropolitan Cathedral on Wednesday. All seven escaped with minor injuries.

The Health and Safety Executive will conduct an investigation on Thursday.

Coincidentally, it is holding an all-day series of workshops at Haydock racecourse highlighting the dangers of working on building sites.

Death after steel scaffolding fell from forklift - WESTFIELD, Ind. - 12 September 2007

WESTFIELD -- A 36-year-old Indianapolis man died Wednesday after being crushed by steel scaffolding at a home construction site in Westfield.

Detective Greg Marlow said Juan Rivera, a construction worker employed by Bates Enterprises in Indianapolis, died instantly of massive head injuries about 12:20 p.m.
Rivera and other workers were installing windows in a walkout basement area of the home at 16826 Downstream Drive in the Brookside subdivision in Westfield when the accident occurred.
The crew was using a large forklift with an extendable arm to lift a steel scaffolding basket that held the windows, Marlow said. The basket was about 14-feet long and 4-feet high with a steel railing.
Rivera was waiting by one of the window's framework when he stepped onto the scaffolding basket. Marlow said Rivera stepped to the side of the window glass and his weight shifted the balance, causing the steel basket to tip.
River fell about 10 feet and the steel scaffolding fell on top of him, crushing his head, Marlow said.
Marlow said OSHA investigator Jason Reason was looking into the accident.

12 feared dead as scaffolding of fly-over collapses in Hyderabad - 09 September 2007

At least 12 persons were feared killed and scores injured as the scaffolding of a fly-over under construction caved in near Panjagutta cross roads on Sunday evening, even as heavy rain lashed the twin cities.

Rescue workers and police were struggling to clear the heavy scaffolding which crashed like a pack of cards, as the holiday traffic on one of the busiest thoroughfares was moving at a snail’s pace. At least seven cars and two auto-rickshaws could be seen under the collapsed scaffolding.

Authorities repeatedly appealed to the public to give way to ambulances which were being rushed from different locations. Thousands of bewildered onlookers thronged the accident site putting authorities in a piquant situation. Heavy duty cranes were being requisitioned from different parts of the city to clear the scaffolding.

Onlookers and police pulled out at least a dozen people and rushed them to nearby hospitals. Their condition is stated to be progressing.

The accident site is about 100 yards from the busy Panjagutta junction where Hydeabad Central, a multiplex is situated. With the scaffolding erected to support the construction work, the available carriage way is narrow and barely two cars can squeeze through it.

It was drizzling when some motorists stopped their vehicles underneath the structure. It was not yet known how many are trapped in the mangle of heavy duty yellow iron girders which crashed.

“There was a blast-like noise. Something like a plane crashing and the structure came down,” a dazed eye-witness, who lives in the area said. He rushed to the site and pulled out some injured persons. One Mr. Mathew who works in ICFAI ventured into the mangle of iron girders to see whether he could notice any people. “It was a deathly silence. No moans. No shrieks. Nothing to suggest there are some people trapped alive”, he said.

Going by the way the scaffolding collapsed, authorities believe that the ground could have caved in due to heavy rain, leading to the collapse.

The fly-over construction company Gammon India is making the segments in Miyapur on the city outskirts. The prefabricated segments are lifted with a crane and joined together. About 10 to 12 segments form the fly-over between two piers.

The scaffolding was being taken down from around Victoria Seaview Hotel which has been undergoing a revamp. The santas are: Dave Locker, Carl Welham, Dave Welham, Mark Taylor, Chris Taylor and Jason Smithson.

O'Shea described the opportunity, "Through my work with unions in recent months, it has become obvious that BAC members are some of the most frequent users of mast climbers, booms and scissors in the United States and the unions themselves have reached a high level of training and education through their apprenticeship programs. This invitation to present the Notre Dame workshop sessions was a 'top-drawer' opportunity to get to a huge volume of users. The question and answer sessions after the main workshop sessions were illuminating. We had representatives from Boston to New Orleans, all of whom brought different aspects of powered access use to the sessions. In analyzing the problems, and answering the questions, it's clear that consistent standards of training, measurement and quality are required now." O'Shea is a senior instructor for AWPT, the North American arm of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), an international organization dedicated to the safe use of access equipment and creators of an ISO-certified training program that is recognized worldwide. Over 50,000 operators each year complete an IPAF training course at one of more than 250 training centers. Upon successful completion of a course, operators are issued a PAL Card (Powered Access Licensed-Registration). Said O'Shea, "The level of interest in IPAF training standards and the PAL card was tremendous, and the level of interaction in the workshop sessions proves that there are knowledgeable people out there with a thirst for increased safety. I believe that union members would benefit immeasurably from the PAL card program and third-party verification of their commitment to training and safety."

BAC President, John Flynn, is also quite clearly dedicated to training and high quality standards. BAC's training arm, the International Masonry Institute, based in Annapolis, Maryland, has just completed work on an impressive new training center, dedicated to the safety, professionalism and craft of its trainees. In addition, AWPT's Mast Climber Training Center in Boston, North East Work Platform Training (NEWPT), is working with local Unions to put together a structured approach that will turn out qualified, well-trained apprentices. Thirty-five iron worker apprentices gathered in Boston from September 3rd to 7th for a program of training that, for the first time, included mast climber awareness. Tom Lawler, NEWPT's president and an AWPT mast climber instructor, is delighted to get involved. He described the opportunity, "The key to good working practice is to catch employees early, so that we can instill a safety ethos from the very start. These apprentices are at exactly the right age and level of awareness to benefit from this exposure, and, vitally, the co-workers who will work with them in years to come will benefit too. It's my intention to introduce the Powered Access Licensed-Registration and AWPT Training throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and to partner with like-minded employers, unions and organizations in the achievement of that goal."

Paula most recently served as National Marketing director for Lewis Equipment Company and was the president of Elevated Marketing, LLC, a marketing firm specializing in the heavy construction equipment market. Previously, with Champion Elevators, Paula held the positions of director of Marketing, National Product manager and vice president. While serving as National Product manager and vice president, Paula helped to pioneer the transport platform industry in the United States and it is this experience that Alimak Hek Inc. will widely draw on as they re-enter the market full force in the coming months. Paula currently serves as a committee member for safety standards and product codes for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for mast climbing work platforms, ANSI A92.9, and Transport Platforms A92.10. As a charter member of the ANSI A92.10 Transport Platform standard committee, Paula has been a driving force in its development and approval. Publication by ANSI of A92.10 is expected this fall.

Wachovia Insurance Services' specialty insurance program for aerial lift equipment dealers is underwritten by a national insurance company with an A+ Superior financial strength rating by A.M. Best. In addition to general liability coverage, the program offers a comprehensive range of property and casualty insurance coverage, including inland marine, property and automobile.

AWPT training makes working at height both safe and productive. All AWPT training meets the demands of both U.S. and Canadian legislation and has been independently audited by TUV, the leading German and international standards accreditation organization, as conforming with the international standard ISO 18878:2004..

Successful completion of the program leads to the issuance of a PAL Card (Powered Access Licensed-registration) from an AWPT approved training center. Those companies who employ AWPT-trained operators are not only assured that they are meeting their ANSI-mandated obligations to provide proper training; they also may be eligible to receive valuable discounts on their insurance premiums.

For information on this insurance program and the potential for obtaining a 15 percent discount on general liability premiums, contact Bill Holler at 312-612-5039 or william.holler@wachovia.com.

Situated in South Bend, Indiana, 90 miles from Chicago, Notre Dame University is a world famous icon of American education. Established in 1842, Notre Dame has seen many famous Americans pass through its doors, including current US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice.

In August each year, one of America’s most prestigious Unions, The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craft Workers (The BAC), founded in 1865, and who represent hundreds of thousands of members throughout the US, hold their Annual Leadership Conference in Notre Dame.

Part of the conference includes workshop sessions for regional leaders to hear about new and exciting initiatives which could benefit their members. Kevin O’Shea, IPAF’s American mast climber guru, was delighted to be asked to conduct a number of workshops on mast climber safety, the drive for ‘safe-use’ regulation and, of course, IPAF’s pivotal role.

Kevin described the opportunity, ‘Through my work with unions in recent months, it has become obvious that their members are some of the most frequent users of mast climbers, booms and scissors in the US, and the unions themselves have reached a level of training and education, through their apprenticeship programmes, which is of a very high standard. Mastclimbers’ (Kevin’s US-based employer) sponsorship of my IPAF related activities, means that I can accept a wide variety of opportunities to present the IPAF ethos to people who are directly involved in the use of powered access. This invitation to present the Notre Dame workshop sessions was a ‘top-drawer’ opportunity to get to a huge volume of users. The question and answer sessions after the main workshop sessions were illuminating. We had representatives from Boston to New Orleans, all of whom brought different aspects of powered access use to the sessions. In analyzing the problems, and answering the questions, it’s clear that consistent standards of training, measurement and quality are required now. ’

Kevin continued, ‘The level of interest in IPAF training standards and the PAL card was tremendous, and the level of interaction in the workshop sessions proves that there are knowledgeable people out there with a thirst for increased safety. Every attendee in each session wanted information on IPAF and the PAL card.’