Exactly how many Scaffolders are there...?

bigfish

The Scaffolding Industry has been chopped up into T&F and System---different Sectors require different levels of System Specific Training, Oil and Gas by its very nature has a bias towards Special Structures in Traditional T & F---Butchers , Bakers and Candlestick Makers can erect System to the height of 5 m, this practice in now and has been creeping into the Oil and Gas Sector ( Drilling Crew ) for a while now---the edges of perceived competency in these sectors are getting blurred---and can be very dangerous...

The bottom line is fast becoming dog eat dog and the devil take the hind most---I just do my own thing now...
 
Yes they do restrict it to 5m but most think a meter is akin to 5 fathom. Also Gary a 5m restriction would cover at least 50-60% on a driller, so soon painters will be erecting their own and they will bring a couple of scaffs on when required meaning a rig based job gone.
 
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Mmm,i see what you mean aom,basically that would take most of street scaffing off trained scaffs,and into the hands of the fifty quid a day boys,and that's definately not good for our industry,should'nt nasc step in here to safegaurd the industry?
 
We Have Had This Discussion On The Forum Before, And The Bottom Line Is That Right Now In The Construction (House Building) Industry Most Employers Couldnt Give A Damm Whether You Are A Carded Scaffolder Or Not, Price Is King, And If They Can Find Some Bone Head Who Will Do The Job For Pennies Then They Will Do The Job.
 
All true boy's meaning I as an employer will either have to get the scaffs to be competitive against these bone heads or let the scaffs go and just employ the bone heads. As usual I don't know the answers and certainly don't know who thought this would be a welcome addition to the wide array of cards available all I do know it will certainly dilute our trade.
 
When The Base Course Was Set Up (Late 70s I Think) It Was Primarily For Roof Tilers Or Plumbers To Erect Their Own Roof Edge Protection, Now Whats Happening Is Some Not All Employers See The Card And Say Cisrs, You Can Erect A Two Storey House. Leaving Blokes Like Me Fekked, Because Ill Be Dammed If Ill Do The Job To Relevant Health And Safety Regs For Pennies.
 
Don't like the sound of this.
Saw something like this at back of my Nans next door neighbours.
How can you go wrong with system is beyond me but this had the alley ledgers punched up (no checks) and another make shift wooden boarded lift above ! (and it was mobile)
Honestly it was shocking. Should have taken some pics
 
aom

I concur---most Maintenance Jobs would come into the range of 5m---Training Programs include Task Specific System Structures which are accompanied with a Component by Component Drawing ( painting by Numbers ) usually five different System Configurations which can be erected from a Dedicated Bill of Quantities stowed on-board the Exploration Rig, Method Statement, Risk Assessment.

Deck Crew are indoctrinated in the Installation of the System.

A. D. and Driller are indoctrinated in the Scaffold Inspection.

My concern is whilst out on location will the Company Man or Driller request a System Structure to be erected out with the Trained Remit and or will the Driller sign off the Structure when it is not actually complete---when a Merchant Man or a Drilling Rig ect are outwith the Territorial waters the Master of the Vessel is the sole authority on H & S...
 
You should have Zoetsy.

Gerscaff, I thought it was a new course, surely hasn't been around that long.:eek:

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aom

I concur---most Maintenance Jobs would come into the range of 5m---Training Programs include Task Specific System Structures which are accompanied with a Component by Component Drawing ( painting by Numbers ) usually five different System Configurations which can be erected from a Dedicated Bill of Quantities stowed on-board the Exploration Rig, Method Statement, Risk Assessment.

Deck Crew are indoctrinated in the Installation of the System.

A. D. and Driller are indoctrinated in the Scaffold Inspection.

My concern is whilst out on location will the Company Man or Driller request a System Structure to be erected out with the Trained Remit and or will the Driller sign off the Structure when it is not actually complete---when a Merchant Man or a Drilling Rig ect are outwith the Territorial waters the Master of the Vessel is the sole authority on H & S...

Absolutely bang on Gary marginalising the scaffs even further.
 
I agree Gary but for me specialising can be hard as there is not enough of that type of work around and the likes of bridge work where they need a scaff is usually small scale. I do have one to price on the go at the moment but it is a Canal swing bridge and would love to use something like you are now in to especially as the scaffolders that have went before me on the same job just rammed all the standards into about 3 foot or more of silt. I couldn't or wouldn't do it as I couldn't even walk on it and lost the job, the remark that came back from on high was that I needed more experience working in these areas. That under deck system looks the dogs but the clients round my way are just not ready for it.

I also have a beauty, again small scale but all light weight lower roof below and have to figure out a way of bolting an entire elevation directly to the wall. The usual arrangement of towers carrying beams back in are no use as these roofs go back around 25-30 meters.
 
Im Quite Sure The Base Course Was Introduced In The Late 70S Early 80s , And At The Time It Was Never A Scaffolders Course It Was Meant For Brickies Labourers,Etc To Move Hop Ups And Do Minor Alterations, Also It Meant A Brickie Building A House Didnt Need To Hire A Scaffolder, Just The Steel
 
I'm afraid we need the basic stuff just as much or if not more than the photogenic stuff.
 
Im Quite Sure The Base Course Was Introduced In The Late 70S Early 80s , And At The Time It Was Never A Scaffolders Course It Was Meant For Brickies Labourers,Etc To Move Hop Ups And Do Minor Alterations, Also It Meant A Brickie Building A House Didnt Need To Hire A Scaffolder, Just The Steel

You are more than likely bang on Gerscaff, I had certainly never heard of it until last year I think and just assumed it was a recent development. It may have been newly updated or something but it has really started to catch on here.
 
Couldnt Agree More,But My Core Work Was Housing (New Build Or Renevation) So What Happens Now? I Couldnt Compete With Companies Like SGB Or Interserve And Refuse To Even Attempt It,Im Pricing Against Firms That Six Years Ago Would Never Have Even Bothered With The Job Cause Its To Small For Them. Now Its Dog Eat Dog Mate
 
Agreed, I am finding the same. I have even seen firms from round your way down here where as before they would never have bothered. I don't mind that as such as if I couldn't beat them on price when they are paying digs I shouldn't even be here but we are now finding that we are ever more reliant on large outside contractors doing the bigger jobs rather than our once strong local customer base.
 
I Priced A Job Last Year For A Local Joiner (Kit House) The Firm Who Eventually Got The Job Did It Cheaper Than I Could Hire The Steel, I Went In Quite Keen To Get It Cause It Was About Two Weeks Work To Erect,For Me And My Mate They Had Three Scaffolders On Site For A Month.
 
Alistair

I am looking at using the Bridge Platforms for Under Deck Work where the Self Weight of Traditional Scaffold proves prohibitive.

T&F 37 KG per Sq M---Bridge Platform Hard Ware and Decking 2 Lbs per Sq Ft

Aye, takes a while for New System to be accepted eh...
 
Don't know how they do it. I suppose they could have just of made an erse of the price or more likely from what I see is they are desperate to keep the guy's moving and needed the work. I have said it a few times now I would rather shut the gate but that's easy to say when you have wages to find.

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Alistair

I am looking at using the Bridge Platforms for Under Deck Work where the Self Weight of Traditional Scaffold proves prohibitive.

T&F 37 KG per Sq M---Bridge Platform Hard Ware and Decking 2 Lbs per Sq Ft

Aye, takes a while for New System to be accepted eh...

I genuinely think it looks great Gary, am I reading it wrong or does it just hang directly from the bridge with chain? Could full containment be used?
 
Very True. Its Easy To Be Principalled When No One Depends On You,Iv Always Said If Im Not Making Money Im As Well In The House, But Again My Family Are Up, And My Overheads Are Really Minimal.(Thank God) But Companies Cant Go On Like That For Long.Something Has To Give.
 
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