Scaffolders call for licence to work at height

Mr.B said:
its a joke, why are scaffolders constantly being targeted?

its an industry problem that covers much more than us mere scaffolders, surely everyone would need this wah card? as soon as a brickie gets on a scaffold it classed as working at height, albeit much lesser a risk but still working at height
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Because we are easy targets.
Alot of these 'so-called' Safety Inspectors aint got a clue about anything, i seriously doubt that they could make a cup of Tea, without f.ucking it up.

But they have to justify their ridiculous wages, so they go for the easy targets - the Scaffolders. As we nearly always have to work in dangerous conditions.

The HSE are the same... they cant actually do their jobs and make things safe for us, its too hard. So they come up with stupid Laws and Rules so that we do their jobs for them and we are to blame should we not work to their standards.


Quite clever when you think about it... Shame that were the ones getting f.ucked up the arse over it on a daily basis. :notrust:
 
Mr.B said:
its a joke, why are scaffolders constantly being targeted?

its an industry problem that covers much more than us mere scaffolders, surely everyone would need this wah card? as soon as a brickie gets on a scaffold it classed as working at height, albeit much lesser a risk but still working at height
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I think the arguement there would be qualified scaffolders put up the scaffold and brickies are working on a scaffold which should comply with the w at h regs and acts as collective fall protection.

Scaffs will get stung either way!
 
You are all making this sound like new regulations are coming out to make things harder for the industry, i read the lofstedt report today or the main parts of it, and its completely the reverse. The EU produces its H&S directives they are dispersed over Europe, but its only the good ole UK that turn them directives into zillions of regulations. This is why Cameron has called upon professor lofstedt, to stop what he calls the gold plating of these directives, to cut regulations by 50% before the year 2014. To clear up all grey areas and make the regs clearer for all that abuse them, which is good for the industry.
My only issue is that cameron is trying to protect the small buisness and the self employed, even in some parts sounding like H&S will not apply to them where there is little risk of their work affecting others.
But regards the scaffold industry and NASC stipulating between competent and qualified this is merely to eliminate those grey areas and confusion, believe me this will be better for the scaffolder not worse.
 
more sh1te from nasc towers and make no mistake about it were all about to pay a high price(again)for the pleasure of doing our jobs,competant trained or whatever you want to call it a hear the gravy train approach once more.
 
So competence is to be challenged every five years,how?proof of employment?refresher course?portfolio of what you've been doing for the last five years?Why should we have to prove we can still do our job,and no doubt incur the cost for the privilage:mad:
 
bigfish said:
So competence is to be challenged every five years,how?proof of employment?refresher course?portfolio of what you've been doing for the last five years?Why should we have to prove we can still do our job,and no doubt incur the cost for the privilage:mad:
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my sentiments entirly mate.
 
Garry Adams said:
Can some one tell me the implications of being Qualified V Competent ???

Garry...
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Well we all know that CISRS and NASC sleep in the same bed We all know its very rare that anyone fails a scaffold course so qualified is going to be as good as competent thanks to the CISRS training centres and wont make a blind bit of difference. Obviously we can all see that there is going to be more expense being involved to be qualified are NASC going to do what CORGI do and charge all the scaffs thousands of £££££s to be a NASC Scaff just like a CORGI Plumber.
 
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These people are in the business of making money out of people like us , Im surprised we are all surprised .
 
This is potentially quite big. But NASC can't do this without government backing.

This is potentially good for us as it truly professionalises the industry and could make cowboy firms very difficult to operate. You could almost expect wages to increase with the extra pressure we've had to deal with but not really acknowledged.

What I'm not too impressed with is having to prove competency every 5 years. Is this in order to check scaffolders aren't getting lazy or to turn more money over from having to go to a training centre to get assessed?

I'll remain open on this one, lets see what happens.
 
Proving Competence every five years ???---there are very few Industries where Operatives have to prove their competency periodically...

Those who have to prove competency are those where NEW Systems and Technologies have required updated Training in New Techniques.

Given that there is no great changes in the Erection of Scaffold Structures on the horizon, why, therefore, should we have to confirm that which we already know and practice ???---surely with the latest Government Initiative to rescind part or parts of unnecessary Regulations it should be easier for us to do our Jobs...
 
corgi is bad nothing really changed with corgi that much but still have to refresh for £1,000's the reg didnt change at all in most cases nothing a quick email wouldent of solved any way your right atm its on 90 tops for touchscreen it will be catch 22 as i know i would not be able to pay £1,000s every 5 year. but corgi is no more they have changed the govening body so to speak its now gas safe, i think there should be mroe than one governing body of an industury as in retail its good to have compertition for the consumer.theres laws to stop one type of shop form taking over a sector why isnt there on in the industry?
 
Flinty said:
This is potentially quite big. But NASC can't do this without government backing.

You could almost expect wages to increase with the extra pressure we've had to deal with but not really acknowledged.

.
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think you may be slightly naive her mate,once the nasc gets govenment backing they will change from a self appointed, self governing money making machine,into a government appointed,self governing monopoly, who will then be able to dictate wages and rates as it sees fit, and the only people that will gain or make money will be tha nasc and those who foolisly beleave that by joining it will save there skins,-once A monoply has been established any company with turnover less than a million would more and likely be pushed out albeit in the guise of an audit with raised standards or smallprint.
The normal guys turning their spanners would not in my opinion benifit at all
 
What is Work at Height?

There is a quite simple definition for what working ‘at height’ means: a place is ‘at height’ if a person could be injured falling from it. Which means At,Above or below your place of work........Dont let the NASC bring another ££££££££course in for Scaffs. when other trades etc can fecking swan about like Peter Pan.:mad:
 
The way I read it, nothing is going to change appart from the wording competent to qualified. Also the way we prove we are "qualified" for WAH is by doing the touch screen test as now. Maybe the test with the extra 10 questions specific to scaffolding instead of just the standard operatives test.
Or, am I reading it wrong
 
What is defined as Working at Height ???

We, the Scaffolders are certainly Working at Height---however, are the Trades that are working on our Scaffolds actually Working at Height in the same context as we are ???

Trades working on a Tagged Scaffold are working on a Safe Place of Work are they not---therefore, my question is, are they deemed as Working at Height ???

Maybe just splitting hairs here ???

Garry...
 
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