Scaffolding Safety – Regulations and Requirements

You must comply with a number of regulations and laws when working with scaffolding. These are:

• The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (the HSWA)
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (the Management Regulations)
• The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
• Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAH Regulations)
• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM)

This list of regulations and rules seems long, and it is. But a lot of the duties share things in common, so complying with one will often set you up to comply with others.

Employers are ultimately accountable for scaffolding safety, and they have more responsibilities under the regulations and acts listed above. However, employees have duties, too.

We’ve gone through the acts and regulations you need to comply with below.

All employers have general duties under the HSWA to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees and anyone else who may be harmed by their work activities. The HSWA applies to all forms of work and workplaces, including construction sites, so it’s relevant to scaffolding.

Under the Management Regulations, employers must carry out a risk assessment of work activities and eliminate or control the identified risks. This information must also be shared with employees so they understand the risks they face and the control measures put in place to protect them.

Employees also need adequate training on safety issues so they can identify and avoid workplace hazards.

Under PUWER, employers must ensure all work equipment is suitable and safe for use. It must also be used exclusively by competent workers and subject to regular inspections to confirm it’s safe. All of these duties are relevant to scaffolding.

All work at height must comply with the WAH Regulations. Under these regulations, employers must avoid work above ground level whenever possible. This isn’t realistic for scaffolding work, so they must implement controls to reduce risks for workers and members of the public.

Scaffolding itself makes work at height safer because it provides a stable platform for workers to operate from. But scaffolding also presents risks. Workers can fall or drop objects, which creates a hazard for people on the ground. Erecting, using and dismantling scaffolding safely also takes expertise.

CDM is specific to the construction industry, but since this industry is synonymous with scaffolding, these regulations are relevant more often than not.

When construction projects have multiple contractors, one must be appointed as the principal contractor. The principal contractor is responsible for managing health and safety during the entire project. Their duties start with the construction phase plan, which identifies risks as early as possible during the project lifecycle and sets out how they’ll be managed.

Principal contractors must also check all other contractors, including scaffolders and workers using the scaffolding, are competent and able to work safely.

Employees must take reasonable care of their own and others’ wellbeing and cooperate with their employer in all safety matters. When it comes to scaffolding, this means:

• Following their training and agreed procedures.
• Using all personal protective equipment provided.
• Reporting safety concerns.

Following industry guidance can help ensure compliance with regulations. If you’re responsible for scaffolding safety, it’s best practice to follow guidance published by the National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC).

Two NASC resources are particularly helpful when it comes to scaffolding safety:

• TG20:13 covers the use of tube and fitting scaffolding
• SG4:22 advises on preventing falls (this publication is an update of SG4:15)

General access scaffolds must be designed, erected, altered and dismantled by competent workers under a competent supervisor. These procedures should be planned by, you guessed it, a competent person.

Following NASC guidance makes it easier to meet scaffolding safety requirements. NASC SG4 will help you prevent falls, and TG20 (or Technical Guidance 20) will help you assemble your scaffolding safely and securely.

In situations where NASC or the manufacturer’s guidance hasn’t been followed, a competent person must do the calculations necessary to ensure the scaffolding design is suitably strong and stable for the intended work. This requirement comes straight from the WAH Regulations.

Before using any scaffolding, check that:

• Platforms are boarded and wide enough for people to work safely from them.
• Boards are fully supported and don’t overhang dangerously.
• Access to work platforms is safe, ideally from a staircase or ladder.
• Loading bays have fall protection features, such as gates.

If the scaffolding is altered or compromised in any way, all of the above should be double-checked.

Scaffolding should be put through more detailed inspections at these points:

• After installation and before the first use.
• At least every seven days for the entire time the scaffolding is up.
• After anything has happened that may have made the scaffolding unsafe (such as extreme weather).

Again, scaffold inspectors must be competent, with their abilities matched to the complexity of the scaffolding being inspected.

There’s no qualification for competence. Instead, it’s the right combination of knowledge, experience and training. However, you can typically trust an inspector is competent if they’ve been assessed under the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) and hold the relevant CISRS card.

CISRS cards also exist for other roles around scaffolding and are a reliable indicator of competence.

• Ensure compliance with regulations, including the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, PUWER, Work at Height Regulations and CDM Regulations.
• Carry out a risk assessment and implement relevant safety measures.
• Follow NASC guidelines, specifically TG20:13 for tube and fitting scaffolding and SG4:22 for fall prevention.
• Conduct regular inspections of scaffolding before use, every seven days and after any events that might affect its safety.
• Provide training to workers so they understand essential scaffolding safety practices.

Proper training is essential for scaffolding safety. Our online Scaffold Awareness Training course covers safety regulations, risk controls and best practices. It includes modules on scaffolding types, risk assessment, inspection protocols and legal responsibilities. This coverage ensures employees understand their duties and how to work safely, helping to prevent accidents and costly downtime.