DOHA: People working on scaffoldings in the construction industry without proper training are at a high risk of falling from heights, say safety experts.
Specified training is compulsory for workers as working on scaffold ring is the most dangerous activity in the construction field, said experts attached to Aecor, a training provider company based in Doha, during the launch of a programme of Certified Scaffolder Training Courses in Qatar at a conference on Thursday.
David Mosley Managing Director of Construction Industry Scafforlders Record Scheme (CISRS), opened the conference saying that falls from heights remain the most common kind of accidents on construction sites. Many of these incidents can be avoided by effective planning and by training people with proper methods by CISRS and has been the industry recognised scaffold training scheme in the UK for over 40 years.
It is the preferred scaffolding qualification of all the major organisations worldwide recognised by government enforcing bodies (HSE).
Aecor scaffolding training centre is a company certified under CISRS standards recently and will be operating in Qatar at Al Khor providing qualification for scaffolders with formal training and assessment including practical, theoretical and health and safety sessions.
“We believe there is a good opportunity in oil and gas and construction contractor sectors here. We see there is a clear appetite in Qatar for quality training in this particular moment,” Rick Statham, Managing Director of Safety and Access UK partner of Aecor told this newspaper. He said that training is useful also because a scaffolder with a CISRS certificate is recognised worldwide.
The programmes range from new entrants to advanced ‘craftsmen. Accredited courses for scaffold inspectors and scaffolding supervisors will be available at the centre. Rick Statham closed the session by highlighting that his company currently operates training centres in the UK, UAE, Korea and India as well as new centre run by Aecor in Qatar.
“There is a need for this part of the world for professional scaffolder training, worldwide statistically highest percentage of fatality in construction field is due to falling from heights. Lot of construction is going on in Qatar, safety standards are already there, but an international training scheme would enhance the safety,” said Francessco Bax, General Manager of Marcegalia Gulf.
Speaking about the common mistakes by people working on scaffolding he said: “Many consider scaffolding as a general labour activity, but you need to have specific skills that have to be taught and learnt. The most common mistake in the construction industry is to consider that a mason, a carpenter or a steal fixer can be used on a scaffolding just because he is available.”
The Peninsula
