Speakers
Matt Greenly
Alice Thomson
Sean Pike
David Gilmore
Safety
Session overview: This session brings together expert speakers to address some of the most important hidden hazards facing the scaffolding industry: fire safety, noise, dust and airborne contamination. Speakers will cover the current fire prevention and risk control strategies with practice guidance, plus tackle health risk assessments, surveillance and monitoring. You will be asked the pressing question - is silica the new asbestos?
Why this session matters: Fire, noise, dust and airborne contamination are not abstract hazards — they are everyday realities on constructions sites. Risks can be invisible but life-threatening, with potentially long-term health consequences. This session gives you the tools to do something about it. Whether you are reviewing your risk assessments, tackling face fit compliance, planning pre-dismantling clean-ups, or looking to introduce personal monitoring, this session will leave you with clear, actionable steps that directly reduces risk for your workers and liability for your company.
Matt Greenly is a Health and Safety Practitioner at Pragma+Associates, with 23 years' experience as an HSE Inspector. During this time he conducted hundreds of workplace inspections, presented over 70 prosecutions in criminal courts, and acted as an expert witness. As a nominated asbestos Inspector for HSE's Construction Division, Matt has extensive knowledge of asbestos enforcement, licensing and removal work. His HSE career spans multiple industries including construction, agriculture, manufacturing and engineering. Earlier in his career, Matt founded and ran a successful asbestos consultancy, leading a team of analysts and surveyors conducting surveys across a range of premises throughout the UK.
Alice Thomson is a Consultant with 4-Rail Services. Alice has worked in the Occupational Hygiene field for 9 years. Starting in Auckland, New Zealand where she covered a wide range of industries including construction, railways, quarries, waste, timber yards, manufacturing, maintenance, office spaces and laboratories. She became a full member of New Zealand Occupational Hygiene Society and onto the HAZANZ register while in New Zealand. Alice decided to move to London in 2024 to gain further experience and the ability to travel around the Northern Hemisphere.
She has assisted with broadening the breath of Occupational Hygiene work that 4-Rail Services provides from heavily rail oriented to also covering more construction, manufacturing, tunnelling, and chemical industries. Alice is a member of the British Occupational Hygiene Society and is passionate about providing instruction and training on Occupational Hygiene risks and controls to industry groups and has presented at the NZOHS Conference as well as to various Health and Safety industry groups and Transport for London management teams.
Sean Pike is the Managing Director of Layher UK and recently celebrated 27 years with the company. Layher Ltd is described as the world's largest manufacturer of modular systems, specialising in scaffolding equipment and solutions.
As Managing Director, Sean has played a pivotal role in shaping Layher's reputation as a trusted, client-focused solutions provider, helping build and lead a team known for its service, support, and commitment to excellence. He's been instrumental in introducing new products and innovations to the UK market and has been a prominent figure in the scaffolding industry for over two decades.
David Gilmore joined ITP in 1997 and has built an extensive career across all areas of the business, consistently demonstrating ambition, leadership, and a strong commitment to excellence. He later transitioned as an Account Manager within ITP’s Scaffold Team, where he developed into a highly regarded specialist in containment and weather protection becoming a trusted advisor to clients and construction professionals. His deep industry knowledge and technical expertise helped the development of the environmentally friendly polyolefin temporary keder roof sheeting, now widely adopted across the temporary roofing industry.
David began his career as a Factory Operator, manufacturing the company’s innovative elasticated Powerties, before quickly progressing to Warehouse Manager. In this role, he became a respected leader, recognised for maintaining exceptional standards of service, efficiency, and delivery.
A passionate advocate for safety, compliance, and best practice, David works closely with contractors to promote a greater understanding of scaffold sheeting standards and regulations.
