Moves to promote higher professional standards in the scaffolding industry have gathered pace, with the national trade organisation approving updated best-practice requirements.
Scaffolding and Rigging New Zealand (SARNZ) president Graham Burke, of Wellington, said delegates attending the organisation's national conference in Dunedin yesterday approved the new best-practice guidelines, which all SARNZ members would adopt.
About 50 delegates and sponsor representatives attended the annual two-day conference, which ended yesterday.
The standards had been developed in consultation with industry groups and polytechnic authorities.
They had also gained Department of Labour approval, he said.
Bill Labes, of Dunedin, who owns the United Scaffolding Group, said the conference, held for the first time in the city, had been successful.
Despite the recession, Otago's scaffolding profession remained in good heart.
Some cost-cutting and belt-tightening had been required, but scaffolders were still busy, he said.
