As a leading scaffolding company, we often get asked questions here and there about scaffolding from our clients. In this article by Network Scaffold Services, we have gathered the top 5 questions and we have answered them for you in more detail. Continue reading to learn more about scaffolding. What Is Scaffolding Used For? Scaffolding is a temporary elevated platform used to support and provides workers with enough room while they perform their duties. Scaffolding is also used to store building equipment and materials without the hassle of going up and down ladders, meaning it’s a great time saver for constructors and much safer than climbing ladders. Can I Still Access My Building With Scaffolding? All of our operations can take place during off-peak hours, meaning no restrictions for daily access to your building. You may need to arrange a temporary pavement or street closure permit from your local council until work is completed. You will need to place safety barriers and signs on footpaths nearby to warn the general public to stay clear while ensuring there is pavement access for disabled members of the public. Do I Need To Apply For Permit? If scaffolding is erected within your property, you don’t need to apply for a permit. However, if the scaffolding is erected on or over a public road, highway, pavement or footpath, a permit will be required. Scheduling work during off-peak hours may be required for the permit to be approved by the local council. We can help with the application process but you will need to have the right paperwork in place and ensure it’s approved before any work begins. Can Scaffolding Be Erected On Uneven Ground? For health and safety reasons, scaffolding can not be erected on uneven ground. In doing so, could increase the risk of collapsing or falling of scaffold parts and endangering workers. The ground should be as level as possible and be able to support the weight of the scaffolding in all weather conditions. How Do You Manage Health & Safety? No matter how big or small the project is, the general health and safety of all parties involved is crucial. Our top priority is the health and safety of workers...
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Not only are Network Scaffold Services able to erect scaffolding quickly and efficiently, but we can also ensure your demolition and building sites are kept safe and secure. As well as our scaffolding services, we also provide the installation of high-quality plastic hoarding. There are many ways our hoarding service can protect your demolition and building site, so, we thought it would be a good idea to educate you on some of those ways our hoarding can help. 1) Provides Site Security The Health and Safety Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 states all contractors must take the necessary steps to prevent unauthorised entry to their building sites. A secure barrier around the site and the installation of adequate hoarding before any construction work begins can prevent the risk of trespassers entering and vandalising the property. 2) Keeps The Project Hidden Installing hoarding will help keep the project hidden and under wraps until it’s ready for the grand reveal to the public. This allows the site to seamlessly blend into the surrounding area, especially in large cities such as London and Manchester. With hoarding, the project can’t be exposed until it is time for the project to be unveiled. This limits outside pressures and intrusive opinions, enabling the work to be carried out as constructed. As plastic hoardings are a temporary measure, they can be easily removed once the project is complete. 3) Protects The Public From Hazards The number of children killed or injured on building sites has reduced in recent times. However, the HSE has said every year, two or three children are killed from unauthorised access to building sites, and many more children are injured. Hoarding will provide protection to the general public from any potential injury. With hoarding, there is a physical barrier between the public and building equipment, on-site vehicles, falling objects, materials, and any other hazards. Plastic Hoarding From Network Scaffold Services Once the hoarding is installed, it will be verified by our team to withstand the wind and any other potential strain which may be put on it. Regular checks will be performed by our expert team to ensure it remains stable throughout the project’s development. On completion, Network Scaffold Services can...
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When operated on safely, scaffolding can be an effective way for workers to reach very high levels in order to complete their tasks. However, when scaffolding is not used in a safe manner, it can be extremely dangerous. If the scaffold is considered to be unsafe on a building site, workers have the right to refuse to work on it. This is why it’s crucial for all managers and supervisors to know how to maintain a safe and secure working environment. Employers have the responsibility to ensure that any work performed is carried out in the safest way possible. For this article, we will share a few essential ways to ensure your scaffold will be safe and secure so that the end result of your construction will not only look impressive, but also so the project can be carried out without any accidents. Plan Ahead Being organised and making a plan will make your job easier as well as save you time and money. Planning ahead also ensures all the equipment to complete the structure will be readily available when the materials are required. By doing this, you will not be missing any important parts and your structure will meet all health and safety legislations. Having a well laid out plan in place allows you to visualise the structure. When placing orders for equipment and materials, you will have everything you need. Sketches can help illustrate the structure to your scaffold team so that they can visualise it too. All of this makes bringing your visualisation into reality significantly easier. Conditions of The Construction Ground Examining the conditions of the ground and the foundation of when your scaffold will be erected is crucial. Working on uneven ground can be dangerous as it can lead to collapsing scaffold parts which can endanger workers as well as passersby. Look out for any drains or patches of soft ground.Working on these surfaces can become problematic very quickly. The working grounds should be firm and even in all weather conditions, this is to support the weight of the scaffold as well as any load carried on it. Create A Safe Structure Using safety decking gives you a safe working platform for your workers....
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Construction sites are the foundation to creating the infrastructure we’re surrounded by today. Many of the modern tall office buildings and multi-story apartments have been more than likely constructed using scaffolding. The purpose of scaffolding is to support and ensure a safe environment for construction workers performing their duties at height. In previous articles, we have discussed the in’s and out’s of scaffolding. But in this article, we’ll explain in more detail why Network Scaffold Services is your go-to choice for construction site scaffolding. About Network Scaffold Services At Network Scaffold Services, our combined years of experience and knowledge in the scaffolding industry allows our team of highly skilled employees to fully prioritise our customers’ requirements. This leads us to completing work at the highest standards while still meeting strict deadlines. Being 100% committed to our roles means any work carried out continuously adheres to the most recent health and safety regulations. We’re also close followers of a strict environmental policy which is designed to ensure our services cause as little disruption and damage to the surrounding environment as possible. Why Choose Network Scaffold Services? No other scaffolding company will offer you the same amount of all encompassing experience across a range of different sectors. Some of our clients include private individuals, local authorities, industrial and commercial sectors, and house building construction applications. Our team of professionals will answer all of your enquiries before your project even begins. This will give you peace of mind and ensure the whole process will run as smoothly and as safely as possible. For high-quality working practices and outstanding workmanship, choose Network Scaffold Services, one of the Midlands leading scaffolding suppliers! As a service-led scaffolding company, we work to all current legislative standards as well as all current operational procedures. Scaffolding in Derbyshire, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Lichfield, Tamworth, Loughborough, and Nottingham Network Scaffold Services is based in Derby. Our close links to the A50, A38, and M1 enables us to offer our services across many locations including Derbyshire, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Lichfield, Tamworth, Burton on Trent, Loughborough, and Nottingham. We can provide a no-obligation quote for all of our services to potential customers. For your own quote or more information, get in touch with us...
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It’s cold, wet, and gloomy outside. That can only mean one thing, winter is officially here. Like any work that takes place outdoors, there are a few hazards that can risk the safety of scaffolders while working on a building site during the winter. To ensure a safe and secure working environment, Network Scaffold have written this article to outline the following guidelines to prevent work-related accidents and keep your building site safe this winter. Good Housekeeping The most common way to provide a safe working environment is to ensure the scaffolding team keeps on top of housekeeping work. A tidy and organised building site lowers the risk of potential work incidents not just in winter, but all year round. The scaffolding team should practise the following rules: Keep work stations clean and tidy. Disposal of waste on a regular basis. Report any near misses and accidents to management. Be cautious of cables to prevent trips or use cordless tools if possible. Keep access routes and fire exits clear at all times. Store building materials and equipment away properly. Increase Visibility Something many of us dislike about the winter is the shortness of natural daylight. Furthermore, daylight savings time doesn’t in this regard. During December, the early mornings can be just as dark as a night’s sky, and the sun sets during the late afternoon. During the day, visibility can still be reduced from dull, cloudy or foggy conditions. In the scaffolding industry, this can mean working long periods in dark to complete projects and tight deadlines. In one of our previous articles, we discussed the importance of light on a scaffolding site. If scaffolders are working on a building site and they don’t have full visibility, they might struggle to perform work to the best of their abilities. To put light on this subject, by adding sufficient lighting such as scaffolding LED lights and safety lights, scaffolders can carry out work to the highest standards. The lighting enables them to also navigate around any physical obstructions that might be blocking their work pattern. Check The Weather It’s important to keep updated on the latest hazardous weather conditions such as wind, thunderstorms, heavy rain showers, frost, ice, and chances...
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In many of our previous blogs, we have touched on the various, integral components of scaffolding structures. If you are, or if you know someone who is in the scaffolding business, you might think nothing of flippantly using scaffolding jargon in everyday conversations. However, the names of various components might seem rather confusing. While we do get asked questions about our safety decking as well as our plastic hoarding service, it seems apparent that it is the different technical names of components which causes the confusion. In fact, we have noticed that certain terms keep popping up more than others. Potentially the three most common are; ledgers, standards and transoms. It seems quite fitting because these three components all fit together, and they are all quite integral to the overall structure. Because there seems to be an element of confusion, and because we are an experienced company who provide scaffolding in Derbyshire, we thought it might be appropriate to detail the differences between these three components. Ledgers The term which causes the most confusion is the word ledgers. As such, we have decided to look at this term first. The term ledger is often associated with accounting. The word usually refers to a collection of kept financial records, however, in scaffolding it means something completely different. Ledgers are the horizontal beams that are used to support scaffolding. The fitting usually ensures that scaffolders have a safe and sturdy working platform as well as safely distributing weight across the structure. Without ledgers, the structure could very easily become unsafe and start to wobble. Standards Standards are quintessential to the safety and sturdiness of the structure. Sometimes called uprights, standards are the vertical tubes which help to transfer the entire weight of the structure to the ground. They usually rest on square base plates. The plates’ main purpose is to help to spread the sometimes significant load. This is only helped by the fact that the plates are commonly fixed and screwed into holes in the ground in order to secure their sturdiness. Transoms For those of you familiar with architecture, the word transoms might not sound completely foreign. In architecture, a transom is a transverse horizontal bar, or beam, which separates...
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