Scaffolding (scaffolder) issues

[DaveB]

From the HSE website

Scaffolds which encroach over the highway (including pavements) require a license under Section 169 of the Highways Act 1980, which are issued by the local Highway Authority. Scaffolds should never be erected or dismantled over people or busy pavements. If the work is likely to present a danger to the public, you should consider applying for a footpath or road closure to eliminate the risk of a member of the public being injured. Erection and dismantling should be done inside a segregated area and during times when there are fewer members of the public in the vicinity.

A "scafftag" in itself may not be a legal requirement, but it's presence would indicate an understanding of the regulations and signify an attempt to comply with them.
If there is no tag then there is unlikely to be a design for the scaffold or any documentation to show that an industry accepted standard design has been followed.
Is there an access ladder, is it secured to the scaffold and against un-authorised access?

 

[roofman]

I'm sure he gets enough grief from scafs that's why he's bought that cherry picker...

All this thread is so Deja vu ive used my scaff man for 15 years now and we know each others boundary's. So many variables here so i cant make any judgement, but what i will say is you get more flies with honey than vinegar and is burning a bridge with your neighbor the best option. my scaff lads use colour coded plastic bungs to fill drilled holes or a finger full of mortar on my request, believe me this is 1000 times better than replacing a full brick. All this could of been avoided if access was denied and ime sure your neighbor would of understood given the stuff in your garage.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Contacting your house insurer is probably a good place to start if you have legal cover for boundary disputes.

I would think legally if you gave permission you can just as easily remove said permission as there is an implicit assumption of reasonableness....but you'd also need to act reasonably too.

I'm well known for being the "difficult" neighbour....end result is people don't mess me about so I don't really care!

I'm the sort of person who will push the "cease and dissist" button quite readily!

Legals get very expensive very quickly...only fools rush in etc!

 

[Screwdriver]

My neighbours had some scaff put up and because I do a fair bit of general maintenance for the tenants, I'm there fairly often.

Bath suddenly won't drain (might actually be scaffold related ) so I went round in the pouring rain, hood up and walked head first right into a low pole. A low pole joint right in the middle of the stairway!

Its about 4' 4'6" from step level, the perfect height to literally stet up into it. Stupid thing is, I have to go in/out with/for tools all the time and the next time I walked right into it again!

 

[ukracer]

Why can't roofers just do the right thing ?

Money....

 

[roofman]

Money....

100% correct...lack of it.

 

[julianf]

.

I would think legally if you gave permission you can just as easily remove said permission as there is an implicit assumption of reasonableness....but you'd also need to act reasonably too.

My terms were always that no materials should go through the garage. I permitted walk through but the original site visit discussed that they would bring the materials over the wall.

I left them to it and found that they had moved about "stuff" in the garage in order to bring materials though.

Subsequently I called the roofing company, and explained this. They gave me a load of "health and safety" nonsense and said that they couldn't go over the wall (so took it on themselves to unilaterally change the terms of the agreement)

Later in this same phone call it went back to "over the wall". They contacted my neighbor. He confirmed with me "over the wall"

Scaffolders turned up today without even looking at the job claiming they were going through the garage....


So, to be very clear - I am in no way changing the original terms.

I want it gone on the original terms. I think the bosses raw anger prohibited him today far more than the actual wall. I mean one end of the structure is built against said wall anyway, so they could keep that in place till last and use it to pass stuff over to the other side. It wouldnt even be much effort now...

 

[julianf]

Ps

This has been up (around the back) since last year.

Grand total of 2 days work have been done.

 

[Shedendman]

Good luck, my experience is that roofers and scaffolders are best not to be messed with as they will generally not care too much for the consequences.

Suggest you nicely apologise, request they continue but to have more respect for your property and make right the holes already drilled once they finish.

rollocks

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

This has been up (around the back) since last year.

Sounds like cheap storage...it'll move the moment another job needs it perhaps?

It also sounds like your good will has been taken advantage of!

 

[addjunkie]

My terms were always that no materials should go through the garage. I permitted walk through but the original site visit discussed that they would bring the materials over the wall.

I left them to it and found that they had moved about "stuff" in the garage in order to bring materials though.

Subsequently I called the roofing company, and explained this. They gave me a load of "health and safety" nonsense and said that they couldn't go over the wall (so took it on themselves to unilaterally change the terms of the agreement)

Later in this same phone call it went back to "over the wall". They contacted my neighbor. He confirmed with me "over the wall"

Scaffolders turned up today without even looking at the job claiming they were going through the garage....


So, to be very clear - I am in no way changing the original terms.

I want it gone on the original terms. I think the bosses raw anger prohibited him today far more than the actual wall. I mean one end of the structure is built against said wall anyway, so they could keep that in place till last and use it to pass stuff over to the other side. It wouldnt even be much effort now...

In the terms of initial discussion were any durations agreed, years ago, when I did an extension back in the burbs, a duration for the encroachment ( not sure if thats the right word)of scaffold on his side Was agreed. If it went over there was a cost.

 

[Pete.]

Scaffs go up and over stuff all the time. If they need a safer way to achieve it they will just build one.

One thing I will say though, go out and take photos of everything from every angle. Drains, gutters, downpipes, literally every last thing. They will find some form of retribution which you won't discover until they are gone even if it's something as petty as gobbing on your upstairs bathroom window.. If the gaffer gets mouthy again tell him to get off your property, call the cops, tell him you've done a full photographic de-lap survey right before he came and if there's ANYTHING damaged you'll have him up in small claims for the damages with photos for proof. If won't change his attitude to you but it will make him tell the lads not to play silly buggers. You gotta do it calmly though because these guys love nothing more than to square up to someone, they get by in their work by being bolshy.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Could Trading Standards help ?

 

[julianf]

Could Trading Standards help ?

Probably about 8 years ago, I got had by a "company" / scam. I didn't end up out of pocket as the credit card company covered it, but it was stressful.

My personal experience at the time was that trading standards had been so underfunded (and rolled into some amalgam with citizens advice, but didn't actually advise any more, but just collected statements) that it was near useless* speaking with them.


*I say "near useless" as I read that the chap did jail time a bit later, so "someone" got him in the end. But then, curiously, I ran into one of his "team" on Facebook years later playing exactly the same game, so who knows what good it did.


But, yeah, in answer to your question -

Maybe in the mid 90s, but certainly not in 2024.

 

[Erie Fred]

100% correct...lack of it.

Money should not be a reason for treating customers badly.....or their neighbors.
Looks like the OP was trying to be a nice neighbor, and what did it get them ?

 

[MetalMonkey]

Hindsight is 20/20 as they say, but there is no way I’d be letting anybody through my workshop unsupervised. Even supervised it would have to be exceptional circumstances.
In fact they’d probably have to step in over my cold lifeless corpse.

I think it was pretty much certain they were going to bring stuff through the easy way, irrespective of what was agreed or what they were told by their boss.
If stuff was just moved and not broken or stolen I’d say you were remarkably lucky. Often stuff goes missing, and it’s not unheard of for things to be scoped out for “later”.

No offence to any scaffolders, but a lot of the guys working for these firms are not typically what you would consider a high end trade.

It is a shame it is a wall and not a fence, otherwise I’d have suggested just taking out one panel and leaving them to it.
I’d say you don’t want to escalate the situation any further as it will end up very messy, but at the same time you need to be assertive to ensure they don’t try and take the mickey.
They will take a mile if given an inch.

When it does come down, I’d suggest not only do you want to be present, at least in the house – but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some “CCTV” rolling on the proceedings.
Just in case.

 

[Dilkris]

Why can't roofers just do the right thing ?

Why can't people just do the right thing....?
Why is the world now full of people who cannot walk down a straight piece of railway line without putting a curve in it?

 

[Screwdriver]

Scaffolders.

The first time I met the lot doing my neighbours, one of them decided to use my garages as a toilet. I talked him out of it (!) and let the others know. They're back again today and while I was working in the house for my neighbour (putting up blinds in the bathroom because: scaffolding) someone decided to use my garages as a toilet....

So I walked past with a grim face and one of the lads says "you alright" to which I reply "someone's used my garages as a toilet again" so he shouts up to the rest of the lads "he says we're using his place as a toilet" to which I reply "No. I didn't say that. I don't know who did it. I'm gonna check the cameras and stick the video on YouTube".

That is of course a lie. They're not currently recording and I wouldn't put such content on my channel.

Anyhow. Bit of a non story. Only reason I mention it is that I appreciate these lads are a crew. What's the betting they'll take this as a challenge and either send the newboy or go for a team pi55?

If that does happen (and I will be watching) I will make sure the cameras are recording because there will be fireworks....

 

[roofman]

Money should not be a reason for treating customers badly.....or their neighbors.
Looks like the OP was trying to be a nice neighbor, and what did it get them ?

Although i agree with what you have said i don't remember saying that Fred.

 

[Erie Fred]

Although i agree with what you have said i don't remember saying that Fred.

Ukracer indicated Money is the reason, you had mentioned "100% correct...lack of it."
So took it as you meant that low money is a reason to abuse the OP ?
Good manners are good manners.