The Compliance Headache

When scaffolding is erected, it is essential, before carrying out any work on it, to make sure that ties or any other type of anchoring is safe and secure, when attached to a wall or masonry substrate.

There are also guidelines to be adhered to when securing scaffolding, too, to ensure a fully-compliant work platform. Devised by EOTA (European Organisation for Technical Approvals) and monitored by bodies such as Worksafe, ETAGs (European Technical Approval Guidelines) ensure proper and absolute hold for fixings in substrates. Each guideline applies to different types of fixing techniques. This has created the need for professional and accredited pull out testing on worksites. And it can be expensive.

It All Adds Up

Hiring third party services for pull testing of construction anchors is the standard procedure for scaffolding companies. But this pay-as-you-go approach can really put a dint in the budget and your margins. To summarise what safe work enforcers require, approximately 2-3% of anchors on a scaffold need testing to allow use of the structure. If the job’s big enough, it can take many hours to complete.

The average price for hiring these services can range from $200 to $350 per hour. Just to be certified safe. Multiply those hours by those worked per project, and then how many projects you work on per week, let alone a year, and the expenses will run into the multiple thousands.

Bring it In-House and Save

Is the third party option necessary? Is the person doing the test more qualified than anyone else? No. You are really just hiring the equipment. It just so happens that the bloke who delivers it, uses it.

Today, high-quality pull testers for scaffold testing can be purchased by installers from around $2000 AUD, with a maximum outlay for the heavier-duty pull out testers at about $4900 AUD. When you do the maths—which I’m sure you already have—it’s obvious that the cost of your own pull tester will pay for itself in no time.

And this isn’t just for cheap OEM products. Construction fasteners company Allfasteners have now brought British-made Hydrajaws pull testers for direct sale to scaffolding companies and other trades that require testing.

Beyond scaffolding, Hydrajaws make testers for construction anchors and safety harness eyebolts.

With these options at hand, do it yourself and save time and money.