| 81 T T Russell Fredric Ten years of safe scaffolding service In addition to scaffolding, Whangamata Scaffolding provides an extensive range of well-designed working platforms wide enough to accommodate workers, materials and plant, and edge protection. Whangamata Scaffolding CONTRACTING Whangamata Scaffolding has achieved its first decade in business, with its success based on networking and a strong community focus, managing director Blair Leach says. The company provides scaffolding to Coromandel and Thames Valley. “We specialise in all aspects of scaffolding including residential, commercial, industrial, portable mobile scaffolding on wheels, scaffolding for events and even marine.” Blair started the business from scratch in 2014. “The first five years we were building relationships, and eventually the customers began calling, he says. “We enjoy giving back to the community by sponsoring where possible and helping out with things like coaching schoolboys’ rugby.” While the business’s community-focused culture has paid dividends, the foundation of professionalism, competitiveness and customer service has been fundamental to Whangamata Scaffolding’s success. A qualified builder, Blair founded the company after working for Rio Tinto in Western Australia on a fly-in fly-out basis from Whangamata, for two years. That is where he realised New Zealand was somewhat behind in Health & Safety, he says. “A lot of new standards came in around 2015 to16, to the point where you couldn’t even get on your own roof to do anything without scaffolding. The ‘over two metre’ law was brought in”. In addition to scaffolding, Whangamata Scaffolding provides an extensive range of well-designed working platforms wide enough to accommodate workers, materials and plant, and edge protection. Although customers were initially upset about the cost and inconvenience of the new rules, over time they started to realise the benefits, Blair says. “Scaffolding saved people [from harm], it was faster, the jobs were getting done a lot faster; it took a while for people to come on board with it.” Over time, tradesmen realised that with scaffolding or edge protection they could move more freely and more safely, rather than having to go up and down a ladder and needing three points of contact while also holding tools or equipment. Whangamata Scaffolding has invested in Ringlock scaffolding, “which is a newer system”, Blair says. “It’s one of the quickest, safest, most reliable systems, and it’s got the heavy-rated working platform where you can carry beams and walk across them with that extra load on you.” Whangamata Scaffolding’s broad customer base includes retirement homes, schools, national group-home builders as a subcontractor, and residential clients. Alongside Whangamata Scaffolding, Blair and his wife Kelly run Whangamata Safety Nets. Nets are widely used by builders on new residential builds to meet New Zealand law obligations for fall protection. While not compulsory, their use has become standard practice since Work Safe’s focus on fall protection, Blair says. “Our staff are trained to install them. They are installed below elevated areas and are designed to catch workers or tools if they fall. “It made sense to be able to provide both scaffolding and nets to our clients should they require both.” Blair and Kelly are grateful for their many loyal customers and often gain additional customers through word-of-mouth referrals. “Our staff are really respected in the area and I am extremely proud of our team,” Blair says. For the right people, scaffolding offers a great career pathway and good hourly rates, with qualification involving a two-and-a-halfyear apprenticeship. Webb Design & Build - Whangamata Builders L I C E N S E D B U I L D I N G C O N T R A C T O R L I C E N S E D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D E S I G N E R Webb Design & Build (previously Webbuilderz) are experienced at building high quality New Zealand beach homes. Design and Build, or project management. E: aaron@webbbuilders.co.nz P: 021 471 094 A: 103 St Patricks Row, Whangamata www.whangamatabuilders.co.nz www.pjbuilders.nz Proudly Supporting Whangamata Scaffolding 027 500 1210 phill@pjbuilders.nz PJBuildersLimited
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