Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/354800
S caffolding is one of the most essential safety systems on any job site. But just like people, some scaffolds are created more equally than others. However, despite constant refine- ment and improvements to technology, some sites can be lacking in components, basic set-up, or safe use. Combine this with limited training and serious problems can result. Such was the case in Toronto on December 24, 2009, when five migrant construction workers fell about 13 storeys from scaffolding on a building when the swing stage collapsed. Four of them died, and one was seriously injured. Since that time, the Scaffold Industry Association of Canada's ( SIAC) Swingstage Committee has been actively involved as part of the Ministry of Labor SAE Working Group, reviewing the legislation that applies to swing stages and lobbying on behalf of the indus- try to create new regulations that address the safety issues. Together with the Building and Concrete Restoration Association of Ontario (BCRAO), the SIAC submitted several proposals for industry-approved regulations that are currently being reviewed by the Ontario government. John O'Hara, president of the SIAC, Ontario Chapter, is hopeful that this final proposal will be accepted and the appropriate revisions will be made to the current legislation by the end of the year. "It's taken four years to put together the proposal and common sense has finally prevailed," says O'Hara, who has been actively campaigning for safety regulations and train- ing since the 1980s. He adds that Alberta is one prov- ince that is leading the way when it comes to increasing safety in the sector. This is a result of the oil companies demanding the strictest safety measures on site and adequate training of workers. One of the biggest challenges faced by the indus- try, says O'Hara, is that scaffolding has not been rec- ognized as a trade or designated occupation, and instead been under the umbrella of carpenters and other unions. "The industry has changed a lot over the past 25 years. The area that has seen the most change is the addition of mechanical access, however, in the industrial sector, modular system scaffolding remains most popular due to its sheer flexibility, and it is in this sector that the majority of skilled scaffold erectors are required," says O'Hara. T ougher rules notwithstanding, responsible scaffolding providers constantly improve their products wherever possible. Case in point: Layher International, which manufactures over 150,000 tonnes of steel scaffold per year and has double-digit million dollar inventory stock in German yards as well as $20-million USD worth of inventories in the U.S. and Canada. Layher is also a world-leading scaffolding manufac- turer and scaffolding supplier for the petrochemical, energy, manufacturing and construction industries and for commercial, infrastructure, industrial and event applications. Not surprisingly, activity in the Alberta oil sands prompted the company to recently open a full ser- vice branch in Edmonton, and Western Canadian sales manager Scott Wickland reports that business is booming. "We're flat out busy, and clients appre- ciate the fact that innovation – such as the Layher Lightweight system – sets us apart from the competi- tion," he says. "We also supply roofing and cladding systems and can create tailor-made solutions to fit specific needs." Layher Lightweight is up to 12 per cent lighter than comparable systems thanks to the use of high- tensile steel, which delivers the same load-bearing capacity as conventional steel despite significantly reduced wall thickness. This results in greater load- bearing capacity. Layher Lightweight also comes with AutoLock function and is fully compatible with Allround components; additionally, it reduces erec- tion and dismantling time and achieves cost savings via 10 per cent higher productivity. L ayher 's desig n eng i ne er e d c r oss-s y s t em compatibility, ease of assembly and disassembly, coupled with the highest manufacturing and mate- rials standards, means that the company's steel and aluminum scaffolding is among the most reliable on the market. Innovation also abounds in regional companies such as Chinook Scaffold Systems Ltd., which has grown from its early beginnings in Prince George to the largest supplier of scaffolding in B.C. (and an aggressive competitor in Alberta and Saskatchewan). Chinook's scaffolding systems are designed for use in residential and general construction projects up to and including large industrial customers. New to its service fleet is the Mast Climber, which allows access to large surface areas thanks to a gas engine and hydraulics that move the entire deck ver- tically. This increases worker safety because they no longer have to crouch and reach over work zones. The Mast Climber can completely eliminate the need for cranes, since it can transport up to 10,000 pounds of men, tools and materials to desired heights. You've Been Framed Setting new standards in the world of sca olding by Robin Brunet Photo above: United Scaffold Supply Company Inc.'s Ruskin Dam project in Ruskin, B.C. Below: MaRS Discovery District. Photo courtesy Scaffold Industry Association of Canada. AUGUST 2014 /51 Scaff old