As a company which entered the UK as the Victorian era was coming to an end, SFS has a considerable wealth of accumulated expertise in cladding systems as well as fixings, putting the company in an unrivalled position to help innovate and educate industry professionals in crucial subjects such as safety
With its long track record of investing in new innovations and products that have responded directly to the market’s needs and changes to codes of practice or other official guidance, SFS has established a reputation as an disrupter and leader. As well as Modern Methods of Construction, the manufacturer has embraced the digital age – including social media – and is making full use of the internet’s global reach to offer a wide range of technical content to a growing audience.
SFS podcasts help you keep up to date with the latest developments
For example, there is available a series of three half-hour podcasts on the subject of fall protection and subframes for cladding that can be considered of value to anyone in the construction industry due to the comprehensive insights offered.
The discussions address industry regulations and deliver well-researched guidance on best practice in dealing with a variety of topics. These include the way in which rainscreen cladding subframe systems affect the overall performance of external walls and the impact of greater insulation thicknesses within them. There is also a focus on fall protection and the design of fragile roof coverings.
Also on offer are SFS PocketTalks, a collection of shorter podcast episodes addressing the latest construction practices, innovations and matters of concern to those involved with work across the building envelope.
There are four episodes in the series, running for around five minutes each, with PocketTalks discussing U-values, as well as the way in which thermal bridging impacts the installation of rainscreen subframes. The talks also consider the challenges created by a lack of testing standards for permanently attached fall prevention systems and the implications of the UK Cabinet Office’s Construction Playbook.
Industry-wide forum for improved safety
Potentially of much greater impact with regards to safety when working at height is SFS’s launch in August of a new network for installers, intended to raise the bar on all aspects of working at height.
For despite the undoubted progress that has been made in health and safety standards and practice across the UK construction industry over recent decades, falls from height continue to pose the biggest risk in terms of injury or worse.
According to HSE figures, falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities in the UK, with 29 deaths recorded in 2021-22, while the 35,000 non-fatal falls contributed significantly to a total of 3.9m workdays lost overall due to accidents.
Membership of the Fall Protection Installer Network offers increased on-site technical and logistical support and the opportunity to help shape the direction of future product development through the SFS Collaboration Lab. Members will further be able to promote their businesses by using the Installer Network’s logo and the publication of dual-branded case studies, while receiving quality business leads via the SFS specification pipeline.
James Gooder, SFS’s business unit manager fall protection, commented: “Through the launch of the Installer Network, we are opening doors to a future-focused environment which supports installers not just in their ongoing work but in their continuing development as responsible practitioners.
“By working closely with trusted third-party partners, we will ensure the delivery of independent training that is adaptable to different levels of skill, knowledge and experience. As an innovative manufacturer, SFS is committed to driving positive change by raising the bar of excellence, our key aim is to empower each member of the network to deliver exceptional outcomes and drive behavioural change across the fall protection industry.”
Educating to ensure falls from a height are reduced
Drilling down into industry figures on falls from height, it is revealed that new recruits to the construction industry are disproportionately represented. In fact, it is in their first few weeks on site that they are most at risk of an accident that could be life-changing or fatal. This means it is essential that individual employers and site management generally must ensure all operatives receive comprehensive and appropriate training, as well as being issued with the right equipment to attach themselves to permanent fall arrest systems.
Only by conscious collective effort from the design stage through to the completion of cladding installation works can the industry be certain every effort is being made to drive the accident statistics further downwards.
The SFS Fall Protection Installer Network has been created to provide a platform dedicated to advancing competency and awareness for companies and their individual operatives. Full details can be found on the SFS website here: SFS Installer Network | SFS Group Fastening Technology.
Vincent Matthews
Head of UK Marketing
SFS
Tel: +44 (0)330 0555 888
https://uk.sfs.com/
*Please note: This is a commercial profile.
