Men in full his-vis assemble scaffolding in a large hall.

From tube and fitting to system scaffolding

How is system scaffolding transforming how IE Access work?

During their recent two-day CISRS SSPTS PERI UP Flex course, we spoke to IE Access’s Managing Director – Charlie Wheeler and Operations Director – Paul Corfield to understand why they decided to make the switch from tube and fitting to system scaffolding. Both directors, who have used tube and fitting since their early days in the industry as trainee scaffolders, share how the transition will accelerate their ambitious plans for growth.

What does IE Access stand for and what does growth look like for the company?

IE Access: We pride ourselves on providing our clients with quality scaffolding solutions for their projects. We’ve got a proven record of delivering high-profile and technically challenging projects nationwide.

Currently, we’re working hard to secure further projects in the infrastructure sector, including more industrial work where we can provide long-term support for clients. At the same time, we’re taking more scaffolders on and growing our in-house expertise.

You’ve used tube and fitting predominantly over the last 30 years, why make the change now?

IE Access: We’re continuously looking to improve as an industry leader, offering safer and more efficient solutions to our clients at every opportunity. Health and safety is a top priority for us, especially when you consider the nature of our work and the heights our team are working at. As well as ensuring our team are safe, we have a greater responsibility to protect the general public whenever they are in proximity to one of our projects.

Technology in the industry is evolving, and we need to keep up with these changes. Adopting system scaffolding is a step in the right direction, as we continue to improve safety standards and build times on every project. This is both internally driven, but also a result of adapting to the shift in what is important to our clients and the work they are doing.

When we think about safety and topical issues in the industry, using fully metal non-combustible materials is a no-brainer.

A team of men in high-vis are constructing scaffolding as part of a training course.

Why is product training important for the journey you’re on?

We don’t sub-contract labour for any project. By employing scaffolders directly, we have a better understanding of our team’s capabilities when they are out on site. Training is at the core of building a stronger team and it starts with management. That’s why we decided to attend the two-day CISRS course along with our workforce – it’s important for us to understand the products our scaffolders are using so we can offer the right support.

Men in high-vis in a classroom with a screen showing the course content.

Going from tube and fitting to system is a big step, so getting hands-on and learning from product experts was the best way to facilitate the transition and get our team to see the long-term benefits.

The training we received will also be valuable throughout the pre-construction process. We know the PERI UP Flex system’s capabilities, which means we can advise clients on buildability and what can be achieved early on.

For scaffolders that have used tube and fitting for so long, did you have any misconceptions about system scaffolding?

There is a popular misconception that system scaffolding is just for square buildings, but it’s actually very versatile. Many of the structures we’ve built during the training disproves our preconceptions too.

We are currently working on a few industrial sites. We are having to get around a lot of pipework and other obstacles and that’s where we feel the PERI system does offer that versatility and removes the need for ducking under components. It surpasses systems featuring round ledgers too, as PERI UP’s square ledgers enable you to board in any direction.

Training has definitely helped overcome some of the worries and misconceptions the team had. Coming to PERI’s site and seeing the scaffolding structures in their exhibition hall was an eye-opener. The team got a feel for how much lighter the system was and how it reduced manual labour compared to tube and fitting.

What lies ahead for IE Access?

We continue to have a busy summer ahead with exciting projects to come. We’ve recently finished working on our first F1 event, providing media access at Silverstone using PERI UP of course. It’s a fantastic product and we look forward to working with the PERI team on the next project.