‘Critical worry’ over storm scaffold collapses
The Nationwide Get right of entry to & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has expressed “well-known worry” over scaffolds collapsing for the period of storms and excessive winds. Winds of as much as 90mph beget battered the UK within the past week, with Storm Henk – the eighth storm of the 2023/24 cool weather period – exhibiting
The Nationwide Get right of entry to & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has expressed “well-known worry” over scaffolds collapsing for the period of storms and excessive winds.
Winds of as much as 90mph beget battered the UK within the past week, with Storm Henk – the eighth storm of the 2023/24 cool weather period – exhibiting to trigger the crumple of at the very least two scaffolds in London. There were no reported injuries or fatalities concerning the incidents .
Earlier this week, a 5-storey scaffold collapsed onto Creek Road in Deptford, south-east London, while a dramatic video posted on social media (under) exhibits a scaffold collapsing from a four-storey constructing onto Sutton High Boulevard in south-west London.
Excessive winds in Sutton trigger scaffolding to blow onto the avenue pic.twitter.com/8ELdvjAlhy
— UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) January 2, 2024
In a assertion, NASC said that weather occasions equivalent to Storm Henk had been “continuously anticipated and can just no longer ordinarily lead to the failures witnessed” as “scaffolds constructed in accordance with statutory necessities, which can presumably be suitably managed and maintained, must quiet remain stable, even in excessive winds.”
The factitious body said it became as soon as “disenchanted that such incidents undermine the precise and progressively enhancing security document of the scaffolding and receive correct of entry to industry” and suggested contractors to “overview their procurement and dealing at high practices”.
“The industry and rules put a query to scaffolds to be erected to a recognised usual equivalent to a TG20 compliance sheet, a system scaffolding person handbook – or to a bespoke scaffold create produced by a competent scaffolding vogue designer,” it added.
“If any contractor or client is eager on the create or security of their scaffolding and receive correct of entry to systems, NASC recommends that they overview the TG20 compliance sheet, system manufacturers’ instructions, or a bespoke create, which must be on hand for every scaffold, and make definite that every body scaffolding operatives are working to SG4 Stopping Falls in Scaffolding Operations industry steering.”
Collapsed scaffold incidents are in most cases investigated by the Smartly being and Safety Govt (HSE) and can lead to fines or prosecutions for to blame occasions. The HSE has been contacted for comment.
Sutton Council said it had visited the state of the scaffold crumple in Sutton High Boulevard and “labored with the scaffolding company and the police to form definite that the excessive avenue became as soon as get”.
It added: “The Smartly being and Safety Govt has been informed of the incident and the council is working with them and all relevant occasions to aid with their investigations. In step with the final end result of the investigation we are in a position to be definite any lessons are learnt.”
Greenwich Council has been contacted for comment.
