A guide to safely assembling and dismantling scaffolds
- Training, supervision and monitoring
- The law and planning for safety
- Protection of the public
- Scaffolders working at height
- Stability of scaffolds
Assembling and dismantling scaffolds remains a high-risk activity for:
- those carrying out the work
- other workers
- the general public
The following guide sets out safety measures which should be taken. It is aimed at:
- those directly working in the scaffolding industry
- planning supervisors
- principal contractors
- clients
Training, supervision and monitoring
Training of scaffolders in safety procedures is perhaps the most effective way to prevent accidents on-site.
Reasonable steps should be taken to ensure work is carried out safely by:
- clients
- principle contractors
- others in control
Simple steps to take include:
- checking the training level of scaffolders
- checking who will supervise the scaffolders
- monitor the scaffolders on-site to ensure proper safety standards are followed
The law and planning for safety
The law requires scaffolding operations are properly planned and that work on-site is carried out safely.
For detailed information, please see:
- Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (external link)
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (external link)
- Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 (external link)
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (external link)
Protection of the public
When scaffolding is being put up, the public can’t be allowed in or around the work area.
Steps to ensure this include:
- obtaining a temporary traffic management order for pavement or street closure whilst operations are carried out
- putting the scaffold up in quiet hours, ie early morning, at night or at weekends
- incorporating fans, crash decks and tunnels as early as possible into a scaffold
- putting up barriers and signs diverting the public away from the area
- storing scaffold clips and other loose materials safely on the scaffold
- not raising or lowering materials over members of the public or other site workers
Also consider that disabled people need proper access along pavements covered by scaffolding.
Scaffolders working at height
Scaffolds must have safety measures to stop people falling. In particular:
- when lifting or lowering materials, scaffolders must be clipped on, or working within, a handing platform that is:
- fully boarded
- has double guard-rails
- has toe boards
- a minimum 3 board working platform, together with a single guard-rail, is in place when the scaffold is assembled or dismantled
- for one handed work, safety harnesses must be always worn and fitted with a:
- 1.75 metre length lanyard
- 55 metre opening scaffold hook or similar
- harnesses should be clipped on to a secure anchorage point
- at a minimum the scaffold must be tied to a sound structure as work progresses such as:
- a ledger, transom or guard-rail supported with load bearing couplers
- a transom supported by ledgers in a lift above fixed at both ends by single couplers
- at least 1 bay of a scaffold should remain boarded out as work progresses and this should be used for ladder access for the full height of the scaffold
- safe ladder access should be set up as early as possible
- scaffolders should not go up and down scaffolds without:
- proper ladder access
- safe working platforms provided on each lift being worked on
Stability of scaffolds
Each year in the UK several scaffolds collapse.
To avoid this, make sure that:
- the anchors specified to tie a scaffold to a structure are suitable for the base material and are installed correctly
- scaffold anchors or ties are installed as assembly progresses
- scaffold anchors or ties are not to be removed too early during dismantling
- more ties are provided on a sheeted or netted scaffold to ensure its stability
- scaffolds are not overloaded with equipment, especially tube and fittings, during assembly or dismantling