Timber Framed Fires

HatterScaff

HatterScaff

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Has anyone had a fire on a timber frame job and have had damaged or destroyed scaffold?

If so, how where the losses recovered ?

Did the Principal Contractor have insurance for this, or did you have to make a claim through your own insurers?

And how much of a pain was it to deal with?
 
Had a timber frame house arson that then subsequently collapsed over what we had remaining on site , invoiced the customer direct and got paid out , i think he got settled by his contractors all risks policy within 6 weeks.
Strange old scenario that was
 
Has happened to us a couple of times - the answer is it depends on your contract.

First time it happened, the scaffold had been handed over to the client, so they paid us for the materials and claimed it back from their insurance :D.

Second time, even though the scaffold had been handed over, the contract included an obscure clause that all subcontractors were responsible for their own plant and materials (including scaffolding) so the clients insurers refused to pay out :eek: Fortunately, all the materials were hired, and so our own hired plant insurance policy paid out :D

Have since updated the policy to include owned and hired materials, which will aslo include for the erecting and dismantling period when it is not handed over.
 
Hatterscaff, I take it when you are asking the question you have encountered the problem. We had one and were promised by the main contractor we would be reimbursed, as per feckin usual their insurance company gave us the finger we were only saved as the gear was on hire from a company we were doing a fair bit of business with at the time and when it became evident we were getting left holding the baby they looked upon us very favourably and cut us an excellent deal. Needless to say our paper work was a bit slack at the time but not any more, tight as a drum.(hopefully) I thought it was a nightmare to deal with but hopefully your paper work is better than mine was and it goes a bit better for you.
 
aom said:
Hatterscaff, I take it when you are asking the question you have encountered the problem. We had one and were promised by the main contractor we would be reimbursed, as per feckin usual their insurance company gave us the finger we were only saved as the gear was on hire from a company we were doing a fair bit of business with at the time and when it became evident we were getting left holding the baby they looked upon us very favourably and cut us an excellent deal. Needless to say our paper work was a bit slack at the time but not any more, tight as a drum.(hopefully) I thought it was a nightmare to deal with but hopefully your paper work is better than mine was and it goes a bit better for you.
Click to expand...

Thanks aom
I haven't come across the problem yet, But its something we would like to avoid, would like to include a specific condition in our quotes, any ideas would be appreciated
 
The standard clause for this in CASE reads something along the lines of 'the hirer to be responsible for all materials from date of first delivery to last collection' which no Main Contractor is going to accept, particularly those unused in storage areas but also as likely to include scaffolds undergoing erection.

The one I started putting in our quotes, and in letters sent out after issue of the subcontract if it excluded our terms and conditions, was along the lines of 'the hirer and/or their insurer to be responsible for all materials within erected scaffolds. Any material lost, stolen or damaged will be charged at full replacement cost'
 
Seems fair enough to me mark, but I would just check with your own insurerers first hatterscaff that is acceptable, you know they are alway's looking for an escaped route.
 
A half built timber framed block of flats in Glasgow has been destroyed by fire.

The four storey building in the Yoker area of the city caught fire on Tuesday afternoon and was tackled by 40 fire fighters. Local residents were evacuated from their homes as a precaution.

Video images captured by local residents show the fire raging out of control with sections of wall collapsing. Police later reported that the building had been burned to the ground. Local residents said they were ‘worried sick’ by the fire and that the building had been left empty for the past 18 m

onths.

They also said vandals had previously started fires and that the police had warned Strathclyde Homes, believed to be the developer about the risk of a major fire. The resident also said security guards didn’t arrive until later in the day.


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzpnME8VCtQ&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - Fire @ Flats in Yoker 17.8.10[/ame]
 
theres an empty half built timber frame in hastings that im surprised hasnt been torched yet
 
HatterScaff said:
A half built timber framed block of flats in Glasgow has been destroyed by fire.

The four storey building in the Yoker area of the city caught fire on Tuesday afternoon and was tackled by 40 fire fighters. Local residents were evacuated from their homes as a precaution.

Video images captured by local residents show the fire raging out of control with sections of wall collapsing. Police later reported that the building had been burned to the ground. Local residents said they were ‘worried sick’ by the fire and that the building had been left empty for the past 18 m

onths.

They also said vandals had previously started fires and that the police had warned Strathclyde Homes, believed to be the developer about the risk of a major fire. The resident also said security guards didn’t arrive until later in the day.


YouTube - Fire @ Flats in Yoker 17.8.10
Click to expand...
Read somewhere that arsonists like to watch their handiwork. Could be those 2 dodgy looking characters in hoodies on the right of the picture. Suspicious mind. Ha-Ha.
 
Another Scaffold BBQ

Firefighters tackle Basingstoke construction site fire
Six people were evacuated. Pic by Hampshire Fire and Rescue
More than 100 firefighters and 12 specialist support vehicles have been tackling a major fire which broke out at a building site in Hampshire.

At its height the timber-framed block of flats on Gershwin Road, Basingstoke, was "in danger of total collapse", a fire service spokesman said.

Crews from Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire were involved and six people had to be moved from their homes.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze will start later.

The spokesman said the building, 100 metres (328ft) by 200 (656ft), was well alight when crews arrived shortly before 1830 on Friday.

Burning wooden embers from the building and the prevailing wind conditions put a number of other properties in the area at risk, including a nearby community college.

Firefighters 'at risk'

Eyewitness Debbie Bennett said she came out of supermarket in the area and saw people looking into the sky.

"I saw that smoke had blotted out the sun. There were flames high above the trees.

"Debris which was on fire soon started raining down on the onlookers and houses nearby, apparently the debris spread on the wind and fell in the town centre."

One police officer said about 60 flats in varying states of construction were on fire at the height of the blaze.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service chief officer John Bonney, current President of the Chief Fire Officers Association, attended the scene and issued a warning about the danger of timber framed buildings.

"When these buildings catch fire the actual structure burns. It often leads to total collapse and that puts the safety of our firefighters at risk."

He added that fire spread was a major concern at the incident, and that the Chief Fire Officers Association "was right to be increasingly concerned about the number and severity of fires in timber framed buildings under construction".
 
Hi Mate, im grom Basingstoke, have alook on youtube from last Friday at a Castleoak timber frame site old peeps home went up at 6pm arson by 3 15 year old kids

What a mess, the scaffold looks like the aftermath of 911 !!!!

Platinum
 
Here's another gone up!

Is it the school holidays:confused:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5t6Hj-Ik&feature=player_embedded]‪Salford Quays Fire Aug2011 #2‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]
 
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