VSB presents Annual Report 2023

The Association of Scaffolding, Highwork and Concrete Formwork Companies (VSB) has presented its new annual report for 2023. The report shows once again that safety, quality and craftsmanship are defining values for members when working at height.

That safety also relates to the association members' greatest and most precious asset: their personnel. Through numerous initiatives, VSB works tirelessly to promote good training and professionalism, a sharp view of the labor market and health and safety regulations that fit seamlessly into practice. Thus the association contributes to an environment in which it is pleasant to work and in which employees can contribute in a sustainable way to providing temporary, safe workplaces at height.

In the annual report, each section (Scaffolding companies, Highwork companies and Concrete Formwork companies) looks back and ahead at the past and coming year. Of particular note for the Scaffolding Companies Section are the imminent update of the Scaffolding Directive, the prevention of theft of scaffolding material and work on the sustainability of the industry.

There is also a guideline at the heart of the Section of High Workplaces. This is the Directive on Temporary Suspended Platform Installations, which is under development. It contains all the information about assembling, disassembling and working with suspended platform systems. The directive, intended for technicians and users alike, covers design, work preparation, execution, erection, delivery and inspection as well as use. In 2023, VSB once again devoted attention to the official assembly method for mobile scaffolds. The background is the accidents that still occur with mobile scaffolds. VSB therefore advises companies and employers to check whether there is a complete delivery when a scaffold is purchased or rented and that this rolling scaffold is also assembled according to the latest safety requirements.

The topic of BIM has been worked on within the VSB for several years. This resulted in 2023 in a BIM Agreement Document for Temporary Auxiliary Structures prepared by the Section of Concrete Formwork Companies. Underlying the BIM Agreement Document is the ILS Temporary Auxiliary Structures compiled by the VSB. This model was specially compiled for the Dutch market and is used for data exchange for temporary auxiliary structures within the BIM method. Within the section, work continues on the Guidelines for Concrete Formwork and Support Structures.

For the latter part of these - the support structures - the Section is working on a separate guideline that can be sailed into the Scaffolding Guideline at a later date. The supports, which are predominantly constructed of scaffolding material, also fit better there.

In addition to the sections, the various VSB committees also report in the annual report. Copies of the VSB annual report can be viewed and downloaded through the VSB website.