work at height regs
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joe mcevoy
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john houlihan
Member
Well said Superscaff75,
The Construction Industry, Unfortunately is run by QS's these days and Principle Contractors want West End Scaffolds at East End Prices. Clients allocate budgets for all temporary works but this is scaled down by profiteering PC's who use cost cutting measures to make the job commercially viable. Unfortunately the cost cutting measures attract sub-standard companies and sub-standard work. Covering 50mm gaps in working platforms to reduce and/or eliminate risks is a foreign language.
Market forces eliminate safety with the blinkered few!! If only they could see and were not blinded by short term greed!!
The Construction Industry, Unfortunately is run by QS's these days and Principle Contractors want West End Scaffolds at East End Prices. Clients allocate budgets for all temporary works but this is scaled down by profiteering PC's who use cost cutting measures to make the job commercially viable. Unfortunately the cost cutting measures attract sub-standard companies and sub-standard work. Covering 50mm gaps in working platforms to reduce and/or eliminate risks is a foreign language.
Market forces eliminate safety with the blinkered few!! If only they could see and were not blinded by short term greed!!
john houlihan
Member
Well said stumpy.
X
XxIANxX
Guest
if its the stuff we used to use gaz its rubbish it bows and causes a trip hazzard most time the boards dont fit wether there new or olde if there walped which most boards are exspecially building sites boards you end up bagging nails down the edges which defeats the object as for using it again no chance!!!
dan83
Well-known member
We used the stuff for cape and it was s***t so they made us use plywood so there is ur answer ply wood is best to use
john houlihan
Member
hi SuperScaff75,
Sorry for the delayed response. i totally agree with you. PC's are very quick at demanding this and that, I wont I won't but do not want to pay for anything....A West End Scaffold for an East End Price! I sat in a meeting called by a major contractor with 14 prominent scaffold firm Directors. The PC did not know I was the Director of scaffGap Ltd, I stayed quiet. The main topic of the supplier meeting was closing gaps on working platforms. The presenter introduced ScaffGap to the meeting, I remained silent. There was a common acknowledgement by all that the product was good, some had used it. One Director commented to the PC, "who is going to pay for ScaffGap", purchasing and fitting? the PC said price didnt come into it. The PC was virtually telling everyone they must close the 50mm gap on all their scaffolds. I then revealed I was the Director of scaffGap, to the amusement of some of the Directors who knew me! A debate followed over the quality of ScaffGap and price. I informed the meeting that ScaffGap was made cheaper to the end user by making the version thinner, the meeting asked if a stronger more durable version could be made. the meeting sat three months later, I had re-tooled - manufactured a heavy duty version of ScaffGap and presented this to the meeting with a nice gift box for all meeting attendee's. The upshot of it all still came back to price and laying costs on. One Scaffold Director told the PC to buy it themselves and the scaffold companies would fit it. The debate still goes on.
I know a few companies that when tendering for work produce a shopping list of add-on's;
Soft - wrap
lights
ladder gates
heras fencing
All safety products
At a cost, of course!!
Everyone agrees ScaffGap is a cost effective working solution for scaffold platforms, getting companies to put their hands in their pockets is an entirely different problem.
I can report that ScaffGap is doing quite well, holding its own. It use has grown over time and some companies are regular buyers. There is a lot of repeat orders and works for many companies by demonstrating their commitment to safe working practices, sometimes winning them jobs. Since ScaffGap's initial concept to todays circumstance I can honestly say it has been a roller coaster journey that I have remained focused and true throughout. to invent and market a product is not for the faint hearted, I have enjoyed the journey albeit sometimes in the face of adversity. At the end of the day, come rain or shine, if ScaffGap saves one life then the tireless effort over the years would have been worthwhile. Having investigated many scaffold accidents and experienced first hand; the traumatic consequences any accident brings, my passion is somewhat biased!
John houlihan CMIOSH
Sorry for the delayed response. i totally agree with you. PC's are very quick at demanding this and that, I wont I won't but do not want to pay for anything....A West End Scaffold for an East End Price! I sat in a meeting called by a major contractor with 14 prominent scaffold firm Directors. The PC did not know I was the Director of scaffGap Ltd, I stayed quiet. The main topic of the supplier meeting was closing gaps on working platforms. The presenter introduced ScaffGap to the meeting, I remained silent. There was a common acknowledgement by all that the product was good, some had used it. One Director commented to the PC, "who is going to pay for ScaffGap", purchasing and fitting? the PC said price didnt come into it. The PC was virtually telling everyone they must close the 50mm gap on all their scaffolds. I then revealed I was the Director of scaffGap, to the amusement of some of the Directors who knew me! A debate followed over the quality of ScaffGap and price. I informed the meeting that ScaffGap was made cheaper to the end user by making the version thinner, the meeting asked if a stronger more durable version could be made. the meeting sat three months later, I had re-tooled - manufactured a heavy duty version of ScaffGap and presented this to the meeting with a nice gift box for all meeting attendee's. The upshot of it all still came back to price and laying costs on. One Scaffold Director told the PC to buy it themselves and the scaffold companies would fit it. The debate still goes on.
I know a few companies that when tendering for work produce a shopping list of add-on's;
Soft - wrap
lights
ladder gates
heras fencing
All safety products
At a cost, of course!!
Everyone agrees ScaffGap is a cost effective working solution for scaffold platforms, getting companies to put their hands in their pockets is an entirely different problem.
I can report that ScaffGap is doing quite well, holding its own. It use has grown over time and some companies are regular buyers. There is a lot of repeat orders and works for many companies by demonstrating their commitment to safe working practices, sometimes winning them jobs. Since ScaffGap's initial concept to todays circumstance I can honestly say it has been a roller coaster journey that I have remained focused and true throughout. to invent and market a product is not for the faint hearted, I have enjoyed the journey albeit sometimes in the face of adversity. At the end of the day, come rain or shine, if ScaffGap saves one life then the tireless effort over the years would have been worthwhile. Having investigated many scaffold accidents and experienced first hand; the traumatic consequences any accident brings, my passion is somewhat biased!
John houlihan CMIOSH
So how does this stuff work when there is a gap between the building and inside board? Unless inside board is butted up against brick work.
Brick repairs, rendering, brick washing etc require a gap between wall and inside board. Inside board moves, does worker below end up injured because of falling "scaffgap"?
Brick repairs, rendering, brick washing etc require a gap between wall and inside board. Inside board moves, does worker below end up injured because of falling "scaffgap"?
scaffy 1980
Well-known member
It all comes back on the users meathod statement.
I.e. interserve allow a 225mm gap ( 1 bd ), however if they require 2 bds and no inside gaurdrail then the users wether its renderers or cladders must use harnesses to clip on to the back gaurdrail until the gap is reduced. A ball ache for the other trades admittadly but about time some other fuccker got the shiit.
I.e. interserve allow a 225mm gap ( 1 bd ), however if they require 2 bds and no inside gaurdrail then the users wether its renderers or cladders must use harnesses to clip on to the back gaurdrail until the gap is reduced. A ball ache for the other trades admittadly but about time some other fuccker got the shiit.
scaffy 1980
Well-known member
Clip your inside boards to stop any creep.
Again it all comes down to the principle contractors requests. If he requests no inside boards, and no gaurdrail and signs the handover cert to state it wad his req then its nothing to do with us.
Again it all comes down to the principle contractors requests. If he requests no inside boards, and no gaurdrail and signs the handover cert to state it wad his req then its nothing to do with us.
john houlihan
Member
Hi Stoko,
No ScaffGap clips to a scaffold board
No ScaffGap clips to a scaffold board
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Joescaff65
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When we read the regs they continually state " reasonably practcable " determining reasonably practicable is the crux of most of these issues being discussed.
10.—(1) Every employer shall, where necessary to prevent injury to any person, take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, the fall of any material or object.
(2) Where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with the requirements of paragraph (1), every employer shall take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent any person being struck by any falling material or object which is liable to cause personal injury.
When determining what is reasonably practicable, you should take into account: the likelihood of the hazard or risk occurring and also the degree of harm from the hazard or risk.
Multi lift jobs where a small object might only drop to the lift below would cause negligble or minimal injuries so one could argue it is not reasonably practicable to nail ply over every two inch gap re further trip hazards ? Is it 1 person using scaffold for a day or 50 men for 3 months ? Reasonably practicable ?????? John can you provide evidence from TRADA or likewise that a nail or a screw in a scaffold board undermines the integrity of the board rather than scaremongering to sell your product.
10.—(1) Every employer shall, where necessary to prevent injury to any person, take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, the fall of any material or object.
(2) Where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with the requirements of paragraph (1), every employer shall take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent any person being struck by any falling material or object which is liable to cause personal injury.
When determining what is reasonably practicable, you should take into account: the likelihood of the hazard or risk occurring and also the degree of harm from the hazard or risk.
Multi lift jobs where a small object might only drop to the lift below would cause negligble or minimal injuries so one could argue it is not reasonably practicable to nail ply over every two inch gap re further trip hazards ? Is it 1 person using scaffold for a day or 50 men for 3 months ? Reasonably practicable ?????? John can you provide evidence from TRADA or likewise that a nail or a screw in a scaffold board undermines the integrity of the board rather than scaremongering to sell your product.
Alan Reade
Well-known member
Your wish is my command!!
BOOM Ave it!
https://www.facebook.com/Kurdsat/videos/10153343521339390/?fref=nf
I use these for site surveys in the UAE!!!