Procurement

Scaffolding procurement guidance

The selection of a competent scaffolding contractor is a key decision that will have an impact on the success or failure of a project.

Numerous clients have requested information and to help principal contractors and scaffolding users select a competent scaffolding contractor, we’ve developed some easy-to-understand guidelines which we hope you’ll find useful.

Further Guidance.

A comprehensive list of Safety and Technical Guidance notes are available from the NASC.  Compliance to the guidance notes would indicate compliance to current standards and legislation.

Principal Contractor Documentation.

Principal Contractors should usually have developed a comprehensive “Temporary Works Policy” and “Standards of Practice” which should lay out their minimum standards necessary to comply with current legislation and their operating standards.  The Principals Contractors operating standards may exceed that required by law.  Scaffolding contractors should comply with these standards.

Relevant industry Legislation and Standards. 

Legislation

Scaffolding must comply with the relevant provisions of the following main statutory Instruments:

  • The “Health and Safety at Work Act 1974”.
  • The “Work at Height Regulations 2005 (as amended 2007)”.
  • The “Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999”.
  • The “Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

Standards

  • BS EN 12811 (Referenced in the “Working at Height Regulations 2005”)
  • BS EN 13374: 2013.  Temporary Edge Protection Systems.

Technical Guidance.

TG20:21 is the latest scaffolding standard, published in 2021 by the NASC to replace BS 5973.  TG20:21 is developed to ensure that scaffolding constructed from Tube and Fittings is configured to a standard that complies to the design requirements specified by BS EN 12811, as required by the Work at Height regulations. 

TG20:21 is not law, but the document can be used in court as evidence of good practice so therefore has quasi-legal status.

Codes of Practice

BS 5975:20011:  Code of Practice for temporary works procedures and the permissible stress design of falsework.  Not law, but can be used in court as evidence of good practice, so therefore has quasi-legal status.

Temporary works are to the same safety standards as the permanent works.

All Scaffolding is Temporary works; management of the scaffolding contract should comply to the code of practice.

Scaffolding Design.

All scaffolding is classified as Temporary Works, the planning, design, construction and compliance to the design must be suitably managed by the Principal Contractor.  “BS 5975:2008 Code of Practice for temporary works procedures and the permissible stress design of falsework”, whilst not a legal document sets out an industry recognised process for the management of Temporary Works, the process within is recognised by industry as in compliance to current regulations.

The code defines levels of risk related to temporary works into four classes and identifies control measures as follows.

Class 0 – temporary works, checked by another member of the site or design team.  Standard solutions often come with manufacturer calculated working or ultimate capacities but still check for compliance with the design criteria to ensure they are, fit for purpose.

Class 1 – temporary works can be design checked by another member of the design team.

Class 2 – temporary works must be design checked by someone independent from the design team (not involved in or consulted by the original design team).

Class 3 – temporary works must be design checked by a third-party organisation independent from the design team organisation.

The code identifies roles and responsibilities of duty holders and titles for the duty holders.

Users Design Brief.

The purpose and use of all scaffolding must be carefully considered by the user and be conveyed to the scaffold contractor within a “The design brief”.

The following information, as a minimum, must be established and provided to the Scaffolder in the “design brief”, for all scaffolding works: –

Location

Duty and use.

Height and Length.

Hire Period.

The presence of any hidden hazards.

Details of the integrity of foundations and any supporting structures.

Special loading requirements, size and magnitude of load, confirm the method of handling and loading.

Cladding requirement. 

The proposed method of access required for users.

Retention of Design Information by Users.

TG20:21 identifies “Standard” or “Compliant” scaffolding, the integrity of which can be confirmed with a TG20:21 compliance certificate.

The level of design information necessary for each individual item of scaffolding should conform to one of the following levels.

  1. TG20:21 Compliance Certification
  2. Engineering Certification. The Certificate is to Include the following details: – Engineering Job Number, Date, Customer, Site and Location / Description. The confirmation content must specifically refer to the design brief details provided to the Engineer.
  3. Engineering Certificate, as above, but to also include “strength and stability calculations”.
  4. Design Drawing.
  5. Design Drawing and Design Risk Assessment. Signature of the designer, and counter of an Engineer who has checked the design required on all design information.

Non-Standard or Non-Compliant Scaffolding.

Any, non-standard scaffolding, is subject to further design. 

A design brief, including the details provided within the user’s design brief, must be provided to the scaffolding Engineer. 

Establish the competence records of the Engineer, the Engineer should hold suitable and sufficient Professional Indemnity insurance cover.

The principal contractor should ensure that the permanent building can support the proposed loads imposed by ties and standards identified within the design and that the arrangement of the scaffolding is suitable for their purpose.

A responsible person or regulatory authority may ask for “strength and stability calculations” for any nonstandard scaffold to be provided to the user, during an audit of their records. 

  • All scaffolding structures beyond the standard configurations identified within the above standards are subject to Engineering Design.  Engineering Design should include a Design Risk Assessment, strength and stability calculations and Drawings.
  • The design risk assessment should confirm the codes and British Standards are applied to the design.  Submit detailed calculations to the client before commencement of scaffolding operations.
  • A Scaffolding plan is to be submitted to the customer on complex contracts.
  • Obtain the design Engineers CV, and review their competence.
  • All edge protection should comply with the requirements of EN 13374.

Other Considerations

Access to the Scaffolding.

Access to the scaffolding structure should be the most practicable solution and should where possible be via Stair Towers.  Guidance is available within NASC SG25:19. Consideration should be given to emergency escape

Scaffold Ties.

The tying of scaffolding is an essential element of the design and should be considered at an early stage.  Scaffolding Anchorage systems should comply with the principles identified within TG20:21 or the design. 

The Method Statement and where appropriate the Engineering design should confirm tie locations and tie method employed.

The customer should complete Preliminary Testing to check that the substrate is suitable to support proposed tie loads. 

For extensive guidance regarding testing of ties, refer to TG20:21 Operational Guide section 07 and TG04:19.

Scaffolding Handover

  • “Scaffolding incomplete” signs should be displayed on incomplete scaffolding structures or scaffolding structures that are being adapted or dismantled. 

  • All scaffolding structures should be handed over on completion with an appropriate certificate containing the following information, scaffolding location, scaffolding purpose, tie locations and load details and where appropriate refer to engineering drawings.

  • All completed scaffolding structures should be tagged.

Competence

  • Work should be supervised by a minimum of one qualified scaffolder to a team of three.  One other team member should be at least a scaffolder.

  • The team supervisor for design structures is to be an advanced scaffolder and suitably qualified to comply with the training requirements specified by the UKCG.

  • All scaffolders employed on a project should hold a valid CISRS card.

  • Scaffolders should carry copies of their CISRS cards.

  • The customer should retain training records of scaffolders employed on the project.

Records

    • The scaffolding contractor should provide records of the inspection of PPE including harnesses and fall restraint equipment, in compliance with the requirements of “Work at Height Regulations 2005 (as amended 2007)”.

    • Toolbox Talk records

    • HAV Records

    Working methods  

      • The scaffolding contractor should provide the client with a detailed method statement and risk assessment pertinent to the project

      • Have a scaffolding plan for more complex scaffolding structures.  A scaffolding plan should include Phasing Plans for the construction and dismantling of the scaffolding, details of emergency evacuation and rescue plans.

      • The scaffolding contractor should implement collective fall protection work methods as defined within NASC SG4:22.   

      Scaffolding equipment

      • All scaffolding equipment used in the construction of the scaffolding structure should be to the relevant British and EN standard.

      If you require any further information or think we might be able to help you, please contact us.