The launch by a group of access industry construction professionals and leading scaffolding training providers comes amid uncertainty in the industry caused by planned changes to the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS).

CISRS has been the industry standard training scheme for 60 years but the Enquirer understands changes proposed by its owners at the NASC have not gone down well with a number of training providers.

The new alliance said its aim is “maintaining and improving upon existing scaffolding and safety standards whilst enhancing the quality, consistency and accessibility of scaffolding training for the benefit of learners, their employers and the wider scaffolding industry.”

An STA spokesperson said: “The formation of the alliance is a fantastic opportunity to bring together highly experienced scaffolding industry and training professionals to work collaboratively – supporting each other in pursuing the common interest of providing sustainable, effective training practices, in a safe
environment, to meet the current and future needs of the scaffolding sector in the UK.

“We will be embracing technological progress in our delivery, where appropriate, but as we service a practical ‘hands-on’ trade, we will continue to focus on the safe selection and use of scaffolding and access equipment and the manual practice of erecting and dismantling scaffold structures safely and compliantly – be this traditional tube and fitting principle, modular system scaffolding or other access methodology.

“Scaffolding is a high-risk sector and as an alliance (and as a wider construction industry) we need to have assurance that operatives who pass through our training centres are suitably equipped to deal with scaffolding – in a safe and confident manner, and be trained to cope well with the tasks they undertake in the workplace; working safely at height and manual handling.

“We look forward to engaging with industry employer representatives, such as NASC, ASITO and the Scaffolding Association as well as wider industry bodies like HSE, Build UK, CSCS, CITB and Unite, and the press – for the benefit of all of the scaffolding community and wider construction sector.

“We plan to bring our many years of expertise and experience to ensure healthy debate and continued growth and success within the scaffolding sector we are all incredibly passionate about supporting.”