In just a few short weeks, daylight savings time starts again. When this happens, the UK will see significantly less sunlight. Subsequently, visibility will be considerably more difficult and problematic. Visibility is particularly important in sectors considered high risk and where there is a particular emphasis on health and safety procedures. As you might have already guessed, scaffolding is one such industry. At Network Scaffolding, we have frequently sung the praises of having efficient lighting as well as appropriate health and safety practices. With the UK set to see less sunlight, we thought it might be appropriate to detail why lighting is so important, especially when it comes to scaffold erecting in Staffordshire, Derbyshire or any other surrounding area. Reduce the Possibility of Accidents Potentially the most important aspect of having lights on your scaffolding structure is the ability to improve the overall health and safety of the site. When scaffolders can see more, it increases their spatial awareness as well as allowing them to observe any physical obstruction that might impede them. Adding to this is the fact that the scaffolders can better see potential incidents if they are going to occur. To put it simply, when working on scaffolding in sunlight, it just improves everyone’s general safety. It Improves The Quality of Work If you have ever tried to work in conditions where visibility is either significantly reduced, or overall problematic, you know it will be difficult to carry out your best work. The same can be said for scaffolders. If people working on the scaffolding site can not have full visibility, they might struggle to carry out good quality work. By having sufficient lighting, you allow them to carry out work to the best possible standard. It Can Cause Discomfort To Workers While on the topic of how lighting can affect scaffold workers, some thought must be given to how it can cause a great deal of discomfort to the workers. Trouble having visuals when working can be more than a mild hindrance, it can drastically affect your overall performance and general comfort. Scaffolders overall enjoyment and pleasure is of paramount importance, especially if you want to see high quality work. Reputable Scaffold in Derbyshire We...
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In our most recent blog, we detailed the preparations you should take when it comes to scaffolding during the Autumn period. Some of the suggested measures included clearing away excessive leaves, wrapping up warm to help combat against the cold and ensuring a sufficient lightning set up is in place. As an excellent companion piece to that insightful blog, we thought we should detail some potential hazards to look out for when conducting work on a scaffolding site during the autumn period. Poor Weather Conditions As you might already be aware, when transitioning from summer to autumn, the weather can be quite unpredictable, even at the best of times. While parts of Autumn can see pleasant and dry weather, the season can see conditions that are not nearly as pleasant. Autumn can produce wet, slippery as well as icy conditions during the latter stages of the season. Accompanying this is the fact that the working conditions can be significantly colder, especially during the evening. This can result in scaffolders feeling rather uncomfortable as well as making it generally harder for them to work. Wet Leaves Following on nicely from our previous point regarding slippery surfaces, wet leaves can produce ap potentially dangerous slip hazard. In our previous blog, we detailed how when preparing to work on scaffolding in the Autumn, you will want to ensure all leaves are removed from the site prior to work commencing. If you leave wet leaves all over the scaffolding structure and/or safety decking, this produces a fairly significant slipping hazard. Slipping hazards are one of the biggest dangers facing any retrospective scaffolder, so you will do well to remove them whenever you can. Troublesome Sunlight Autumn bears the unique distinction of having less sunlight than the summertime, however, when their is sunlight, it can be found to be all the more troublesome. This is largely because; when the sun is shining, it often shines lower making visibility more problematic. This leaves many scaffolders in the position of needing to use efficient lighting arrangements when the sun is not as present as well as finding ways of blocking the sunlight out when the sun is in a position to blind. Choose Us For Scaffolding...
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Because scaffold erecting mainly takes place outside, scaffolders leave themselves exposed to the elements. As such, scaffolders are exposed to the ever changing weather conditions as well as any problems that may come with it. These problems become all the more prevalent when it comes to the changing of a season. While you might have conferred that erecting scaffolding in the summertime can be problematic, this is usually due to searing heat and other troublesome conditions. Similarly, during the winter, there can be icy and tricky conditions to work through. While it might seem obvious that the summer and winter periods produce problematic conditions, it is not as widely known that the autumn season carries an element of uncertainty with it. For the most part, Autumn temperatures can be considered temperate. However, the conditions can fluctuate quite drastically. With autumn now officially here, we thought it might be beneficial to detail some of the ways you can prepare to erect scaffolding this Autumn. Clear Leaves Are there many images as synonymous with the season of autumn than fresh brown leaves sprinkled all over the floor? While leaves covering surfaces might sound very picturesque and welcoming, if there are an over abundance of leaves on your scaffolding structure, this can quickly become problematic. When leaves accumulate on a working platform, it creates a significant slipping hazard. The slipping hazard becomes all the more prevalent if we see periods of rain. When leaves become wet, it can make the working platform extremely slippery and even dangerous. This is one of the many reasons you should perform a quick clean and/or tidy up of your working area before commencing with your day’s work. Beware of Cold Metal During a cold Autumn morning, the weather can produce varying levels of problems. One of which can be the handling of cold metal. Poles and components of scaffolding are made of metal and can become uncomfortably cold to handle when temperatures begin to plummet. While the handling of metal cold might sound like a mild inconvenience, it can actually be a more severe problem than first thought. Firstly, cold metal has the potential to cause a great deal of discomfort to the scaffolder handling it. Not...
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Though it might not feel too long ago, we have not spoken to you about the many benefits of plastic hoarding since late March. Back then we were completely unaware of the many major events that would take place over the summer. A summer that saw the UK reach record high temperatures as well as countless other record breaking events taking place. In our previous blog regarding plastic hoarding, we touched on how plastic hoarding is frequently used at large scale events such as music festivals and concerts. As you might have guessed, these events are typically held during the summer period. Now that the summer period is almost over, you might be forgiven for thinking that there is little to no need for plastic hoarding, however, this is not the case. At Network Scaffolding, we don’t just supply high quality scaffolding in Derby, we also install and supply plastic hoarding too. Because of this, we have decided to detail reasons why you should still use plastic hoarding this September. Adherence To Health and Safety Regulations When it comes to construction, events and the overall wellbeing of employees and the general public, health and safety is of paramount importance. Plastic hoarding is a key element in regards to ensuring health and safety proceedings are upheld. Plastic hoarding has more benefits than simply deterring potential intruders, it is quite essential in the protection of your employees and the general public at large. In addition, you can rest assured that plastic hoarding service is carried out in accordance, just like other services offered at Network Scaffold, with the best health and safety regulation standards in mind. Cost Effective Hoarding panels are found to be an incredibly cost effective security solution. Plastic hoarding systems are extremely effective at securing the site meaning there is less need for extra expenditure for other security measures. Furthermore; the boards can commonly be used more than once meaning you are not required to fork out on additional panels. This clearly highlights that hoarding systems are particularly good value for money. Securing The Site No matter the site that is being serviced, be it office buildings, hospitals or, perhaps more importantly, construction sites, the site being safe...
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If you have ever visited Derby, or any surrounding areas for that matter, the chances are you will have noticed domestic and commercial scaffolding in some form or another. Scaffolding in Derby is one of the most important industries in the county and it is one of the reasons we enjoy singing the local industries praises so much. All of this being said, there are a few distinct different forms of scaffolding. Arguably the main difference between various types of scaffolding is whether the scaffolding is intended for commercial or domestic purposes. When scaffold erecting, establishing whether the structure is intended for domestic or commercial purposes is all but essential. Because of this, we have decided to detail some of the main differences between commercial and domestic forms of scaffolding. Commercial Scaffolding Before delving into what the main difference between commercial and domestic scaffolding is, we thought it best to detail what is meant by each term. As such, we thought why not start with commercial scaffolding. We thought it optimal to start with commercial scaffolding as commercial scaffolding is usually on a much larger scale. To put it plainly, commercial scaffolding is scaffolding designed for the repair and construction of traditional commercial buildings. Commercial buildings can include, but are not limited to; skyscrapers, corporate offices, construction sites and even inside shopping centres. In most cases, commercial scaffolding is taller than domestic scaffolding, this is unsurprising as typically commercial buildings are larger than domestic ones. Additionally, commercial scaffolding is usually exposed to the general public, because of this, the structure requires extra attention in regards to health and safety. Domestic Scaffolding Domestic forms of scaffolding are usually on a much smaller scale. This is because the scaffolding usually caters to smaller premises such as flats, houses or any other smaller domestic property. Despite being significantly smaller as well as not being on direct display to the general public, it does not mean there is less of a need for health and safety procedures and regulations. Correct and thorough health and safety is paramount to ensure the safety of you, the residents and the building structures. What Are The Differences? The main difference between commercial and residential scaffolding is the...
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While access scaffolding in Derby might be one of the main services we offer, at Network Scaffolding, we provide all manner of scaffolding types. As such, we have accumulated a significant amount of knowledge regarding different scaffolding practices. This is only further illustrated by the fact that in our recent blogs, we detailed some of the most interesting facts about scaffolding as well as different types of scaffolding being used around the world. In that blog, we discussed how Kwikstage scaffolding is very popular in countries such as Scotland, Australia and, perhaps most importantly, in the continent of North America. When we mentioned it, some of you may have been slightly confused as to what Kwikstage actually is. Because of this, we have decided to provide a guide to what Kwikstage scaffolding is, where it is used and why it is so popular. What Actually Kwikstage? Kwikstage scaffolding is rather cleverly named, by this we mean the name rather perfectly sums up what the scaffolding is used for. Kwikstage scaffolding effectively acts as a convenient, quick to erect platform which can be attached to different buildings. This popular form of scaffolding is typically seen attached to domestic properties but sometimes, it can be used for construction on commercial buildings and settings. Why Do People Use It? At Network scaffolding, we enjoy singing the praises of easy to erect and dismantle systems, luckily, Kwikstage scaffolding is one of them. The decidedly lightweight system is extremely quick and easy to dismantle and erect. This makes the system very cost effective. As such, the whole process is very time efficient for you and your fellow scaffolding colleagues. Where Is It Popular? As previously mentioned, this form of scaffolding is particularly popular in countries such as Scotland, Australia and the whole of North America due to its incredible practicality and cost efficiency. However, this form of scaffolding is actually very popular worldwide. You can find this form of scaffolding just about anywhere and everywhere. This scaffolding is so iconic, how can it not be. Do You Require Scaffolding In Derbyshire? If you require high quality scaffolding in Derbyshire, please contact us. We are a knowledgeable company with years of experience and we enact...
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