Scaffolders Study Group

Interesting reading the comments about training. I am a qualified scaffolder who went 'Over to the Dark Side' and now work in H & S. Our industry is in a bit of a mess at the moment with training.....it's overly complicated, there are too many fingers in the pie, guys are being asked to take multiple courses to use the same system (Cuplok requires a Cuplok course, but your not qualified to put up Genlok or Tradlok....both are brand names for Cuplok but the system goes together exactly the same). It's like saying you need a drivers licence to drive a Ford Focus, but you also need an endorsement course to drive a Vauxhall Astra.......one day, we'll get back to common sense....only when NASC / CITB etc get there backsides out of it!!!!!!!

Competency

There seems to be too much of a focus on cards/tickets which is only a part of what constitutes a "competent person".

Experience, knowledge and training relevant to the type of work to be carried out is the main thing and obviously the training element is only a part of it.

The employer still has to make the call on experience.

Obviously, an advanced scaffolder that throws a bit of yellow stuff around houses for a few years does NOT have the same knowledge and experience of someone, say, working off-shore in in a power plant.
Any good employer knows this and places little value on the actual card.

Some good interesting stuff here. All taken on board...

I wonder if any of you would have a a spare 5 mins to fill in my questionnaire... for this project im doing...would help me out a lot. Im a part 2 scaff whos been doing a part time course and theres alot of health and safety...

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHNKYmtvT1k0bkliOFdIR0NUWWZqbEE6MQ

theres the link... 16 questions, mostly multiple choice! cheers boys!

lakeland scaff said:

they say a competent person can sign a scaf ftag, surely a scaffolding background must be the criteria but it isn't, it was the same on my course there were only 2 scaffs on it.

Click to expand...

After the initial inspection prior to first use, the scffold then becomes a 'place of work at height'

As a place of work at height a lot of other factors then come into play such as the loading (and weight) of material, de-stabalisation and the day to day access widths. It is often the case that the best person to deal with this is someone that is on the site all the time and is monitoring the work continually.

A site foreman or engineer with additional scaffolding knowledge often fits this criteria and many scaffolders don't.

Ask your average scaffolder the weight of a double bail of blocks, a pallet of plasterboard or a pallet of slate and most have no idea but they will happily sign off every week to say the 'scaffold' is just fine whereas it may be far from a 'safe place of work at height'

' Safe Place of Work at Height ' When materials ( Blocks, Plaster Board, Slates ect ect ) are to be deposited on to a Loading Bay either by Fork Truck and or Crane age, the Loading Bay should have signage proclaiming the SWL.

It is not the Scaffolders responsibility to Monitor or Marshal the Loads applied rather the responsibility lays with the Lifting Operations Responsible Person to ascertain and calculate the Self Load of the Peace and to stay within the perimeters of the designated SWL of the Loading Bay...

Exactly Gary, as per the hand over certificate.

As all good Scaffs would know ...

I never tell them in real terms what they can put on a loading bay, just tell them the design is 8kn pm2 or whatever it happens to be and if they want a sign on it they can put one up themselves. The scaff doesn't have to give them everything.

Garry Adams said:

'It is not the Scaffolders responsibility to Monitor or Marshal the Loads applied rather the responsibility lays with the Lifting Operations Responsible Person to ascertain and calculate the Self Load of the Peace and to stay within the perimeters of the designated SWL of the Loading Bay...

Click to expand...

It IS the inspectors responsibility to sign to say that the scaffold is a safe place of work at height on which to work.

The inspector, which may or may not be the scaffolder, would have to have a comprehensive knowledge of the weight of the materials places on the scaffold in order to do this.

If your don't know the weights you are not competent to sign off on a working scaffold (but you can prior to first use) and in the event of a court case, any barrister with half a brain would make you look a complete eedjit in no time flat.

One can only sign off a Scaffold Structure to the allotted SWL of the Scaffold Coupler (s) and ( if applicable )the Configuration within the Design Drawing in which case the Drawing Calculations will specify the SWL that can be applied to the Scaffold Structure---Joint Consultation with the Principal, Design Drawings Engineer and the Scaffold Contractor will establish the Maximum Safe Working Loads to be applied.

Traditional Special Structures in Tube and Couplers

Where all of the above have been substantiated by all parties concerned and the Structure has been Commissioned, there is one matter of mitigation that maybe of concern and that is of the compliance of BS 1139 and Manufacturers Recommended Torque Values...

Dennis said:

There seems to be too much of a focus on cards/tickets which is only a part of what constitutes a "competent person".

Experience, knowledge and training relevant to the type of work to be carried out is the main thing and obviously the training element is only a part of it.

The employer still has to make the call on experience.

Obviously, an advanced scaffolder that throws a bit of yellow stuff around houses for a few years does NOT have the same knowledge and experience of someone, say, working off-shore in in a power plant.
Any good employer knows this and places little value on the actual card.

Click to expand...

dennis couldnt put it beter. now and again you read a thread and it hits the spot

Let me just put in my two cents here. If you are looking for some sort of qualifications and formal education there are a number of modes which are available like distance learning mode and online education mode etc. So just get into what interests you!! Good luck..