Before any building or renovation project, it is important to consider how to keep contracted tradespeople safe as they go about their work.
Regardless of whether a project is a large commercial build or domestic renovations and repairs, the people employed will need adequate, safe access to the building, especially if working at heights.
Risks must be assessed and a plan put in place that is in line with Health and Safety Executive guidelines. The answer in many cases is to erect a well-designed, access scaffolding.
What is access scaffolding?
Access scaffolding structures are temporary platforms, ladders or staircases that provide a means of access at height on a project. It allows tradespeople such as bricklayers, painters, glaziers, electricians and roofers to complete their work safely and more easily.
It usually includes a combination of platforms, a way of anchoring them, and a means of reaching the platforms, such as ladders or staircases.
The idea is to mitigate the risk of injury or death to the workers and members of the public, and they should always comply with the Working at Height Regulations 2005.
What are the types of access scaffolding?
- Birdcages – Independently standing scaffold in a grid shape, usually used indoors for overhead tasks
- Independent scaffolds – scaffolding that does not need to be anchored to a building and has a double layer of upright poles, or standards
- Loading bay scaffold – a heavily reinforced platform designed for the delivery and storage of building materials
- Putlog scaffold – this type requires a building to support the platform on a single row of standards, while one side is tied into a wall with transverse beams
- Mobile towers – a self-supporting tower structure with caster wheels
- Static towers – a self-supporting tower structure fixed to one place
- Bridging system scaffold – a temporary bridge of scaffolding used to span space, such as over rivers or roads
- Suspended scaffolding – these are systems that are hung from above rather than supported from the ground
When might access scaffolding be used?
A combination of different scaffolding techniques might be needed on a project. The National Access & Scaffolding Confederation provides comprehensive guides for planning and designing access scaffolding that meets government regulations.
Examples of when these types of access scaffolding might be used include:
Painting and repairing or pointing brick walls
Simple painting or pointing work might need a mobile tower scaffold. This can allow the bricklayer or painter to roll the platform around, allowing them to work more efficiently.
Interior ceilings
Birdcages are used for accessing internal ceilings for electrical, painting and restoration work; these are more likely to be used on large-scale commercial projects.
External building work
Wall building, wall covering and cladding, and roofing might use a putlog scaffold that is anchored to the wall as it is built and can be added to as more courses are added.
Independent scaffolding can also be used for buildings where a putlog might not be appropriate, or for formwork or steel-frame buildings.
Material storage
More common in large-scale building projects, the loading bay scaffold is a strengthened platform that can hold more weight. This makes them ideal for holding pallets of bricks, beams and other building materials.
Staircases and viewing platforms
Static towers can provide independently supported staircases for access and can also be used for viewing towers like those used in music festivals or for security.
Cleaning and maintenance
Suspended platforms can be used as a way to access and maintain windows and delicate building facades where the height needs to be adjusted, or there is little ground space.
Spanning gaps
Temporary bridge structures can allow access for work over the top of major roads, and for the repair and building of bridges.
To discuss all your access scaffolding needs, whether domestic or commercial scaffolding, get in touch with our team.
