Hiab, part of Cargotec, is today launching the search to find the 2016 World Crane Champion. The winner will be crowned at the finals, which will take place at the IAA exhibition in Hanover, Germany, in September 2016. The first-ever World Crane Championship in April 2015 started a new tradition
The Construction Industry’s Latest Health and Safety Statistics We know that work related injuries can occur in any commercial sector, and that companies should adhere to health and safety regulations to decrease the amount of accidents occurring. This 2014-2015 health and safety report indicates that: While 3% of workers
BoSS is the leading access tower brand in the United Kingdom, providing comprehensive and versatile tower systems to domestic, commercial and industrial projects across the country. Whilst the majority of towers are straightforward builds up to 8m externally or 12m internally, therefore covered by product standard EN1004:2004, the team at
Hiab, part of Cargotec, is today launching the search to find the 2016 World Crane Champion. The winner will be crowned at the finals, which will take place at the IAA exhibition in Hanover, Germany, in September 2016. The first-ever World Crane Championship in April 2015 started a new tradition in the industry, giving crane operators from around the world the chance to showcase their skills and measure their abilities against their peers. “The first World Crane Championship generated huge interest, and was such a success that we decided to continue it in 2016,” says Carl-Gustaf Göransson, Senior Vice President, Sales, Markets and Services, Hiab. “The competition proved to be an excellent way for us to meet experienced crane operators, and interact with our customers. It was also a great way to demonstrate our newest products and to promote the load-handling industry.” Have you got what it takes? Qualification rounds for the 2016 World Crane Championship will start in February, with heats to be held around the world. Already, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, the UK and the USA have signed up to participate. The winner will take home a prize of EUR 25,000. Contestants must demonstrate their skill and expertise in a timed trial that will challenge their ability to manoeuver a state-of-the-art mid range HIAB HiPro crane through a series of precise tasks and tight obstacles. Johnny Jensen from Denmark, representing Benny Rasmussen and Son, took the title in 2015. Mr Jensen, a veteran crane operator with 21 years’ experience, put on a spectacular display of skill and precision, completing the test course in 2 minutes, 18 seconds and beating the time set by Hiab’s own crane professional ‘Eric’ into the bargain! “It was incredibly fun to participate in this prestigious competition, and I am honoured to have been able to take victory home to Denmark,” he says. “What we witnessed at the finals in Birmingham earlier this year was an absolutely breathtaking experience,” continues Göransson. “All 16 finalists delivered a first class performance to an excited audience, who cheered them on the whole day. “We got to see precision operation of the crane at its very best, how skilled the operators were at manoeuvering loads safely, and the perfect match of human and machine.” “We are eager to start the qualification rounds to select the finalists for Hanover. I would like to say to all the skilled crane drivers around the world: sign up now! The hunt for the World Crane Champion 2016 is on!” For more information, and to sign up to compete in the qualification rounds, visit www.worldcranechampionship.com
The Construction Industry’s Latest Health and Safety Statistics We know that work related injuries can occur in any commercial sector, and that companies should adhere to health and safety regulations to decrease the amount of accidents occurring. This 2014-2015 health and safety report indicates that: While 3% of workers suffered injuries that they believed to be work related: 15% were from other illnesses. 20% were from stress, depression and anxiety. 64% were musculoskeletal disorders. Annually around 69,000 construction workers in Great Britain were suffering from an illness which they believed to be caused or made worse by their work. A breakdown of this is: 45,000 were cases of musculoskeletal disorders. 14,000 were cases of stress, depression or anxiety. 10,000 were cases of other illnesses. Other illnesses include; respiratory disease, occupational asthma, silicosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Other health conditions that can affect construction workers include occupational cancer and skin disease. The report however, also shows that over the last decade the rate of work-related illnesses have had a downward drift. The annual average rate for 2013/2014 is around a quarter less than from 2003/2004. From this musculoskeletal disorders have also decreased, whereas depression and anxiety have remained level. Further information on this report can be found at hse.gov.uk. Building maintenance is essential in making sure employers are compliant with health and safety regulations. For PAT testing, drainage solutions, or for anything else contact Chequers Contract Services.
BoSS is the leading access tower brand in the United Kingdom, providing comprehensive and versatile tower systems to domestic, commercial and industrial projects across the country. Whilst the majority of towers are straightforward builds up to 8m externally or 12m internally, therefore covered by product standard EN1004:2004, the team at BoSS identified an opportunity to use the systems to replace the traditional tube and fitting scaffolds used on bigger projects, using EN1004 components but outside the scope of that standard. This led to the formation of BoSS TASKFORCE, the expert BoSS Hire & Assembly network of carefully selected supply and erect access tower hire companies. With founding members including Flow Access, STS & Tower Hire Services and Hi Point, this nationwide network of hire and assembly providers is capable of delivering more complex BoSS tower builds – known as prefabricated tower scaffold and covered by the new BS1139-6. For each project, an individual design with structural calculations and method statement is prepared, before the complex structures are assembled by operatives with the appropriate competence from the BoSS TASKFORCE network. This includes scheme designs for linked, large deck and cantilever structures and site specific designs. Case Study – A Shade Greener & Hi Point Scaffolding Hi Point, a Boss Taskforce member, is an independent specialist scaffolding contractor, operating throughout Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. According to MD, Chris Blantern, “the use of aluminium tower systems has grown, especially for light duty access. Boss is one of the best and most diverse access tower systems on the market and being a Boss Taskforce member means that we can offer our customers a bespoke and often more efficient service” The boom in renewable energy has seen great success for Hi Point’s customer, A Shade Greener, the market leaders in the free solar industry, with more than 50,000 installs in the UK. This rapidly growing business needed to work with partners they could rely on to deliver professional, innovative and efficient solutions to the vast array of different tower requirements that come with completing hundreds of home installations every week. Jason Carlton, BoSS Commercial &Product Manager at BoSS explains: “BoSS TASKFORCE members have access to our full technical resources – including custom drawings, user instructions and a structural analysis data sheet confirming technical calculations, load factors and all information required under the ‘2005 Working at Height Regulations’” “Working in partnership with HiPoint Scaffolding, we were able to focus on a safe, cost effective, modular construction solution for A Shade Greener that combines speed of assembly with minimal impact on working environment.” By using BoSS towers and the BoSS Taskforce’s expertise, HiPoint are able to erect towers that meet the required safety criteria at more than double the amount of houses each day, compared to traditional scaffolding. The towers are quicker to put up and easier to inspect, meaning that more than 400 properties each week are now having solar panels installed by the team. They also benefit each homeowner by taking up less room around the outside of each house and reducing the impact on valuable driveway space or parking access.
