Businesses having work carried out onsite must ensure that they follow the relevant rules and regulations so that projects can go ahead safely, without posing a risk to staff members, visiting clients and guests, and the general public.
Scaffolding use is governed by the Work at Height Regulations, which states that all scaffolds must be designed, installed and taken down by competent professionals and then inspected every seven days as a minimum.
What are the Work at Height Regulations?
- Designed to prevent death and injury from falls in the workplace
- Employers must avoid unnecessary work at height
- Risk assessments must be carried out to prevent falls and plan for emergencies
- Equipment must be fit for purpose, maintained and routinely inspected
- Materials and tools must be prevented from falling
- Precautions must be taken when working on or near fragile materials (such as roofs)
How do Work at Height Regulations apply to scaffolding use?
- All scaffolding must be risk assessed and planned for to ensure structural stability before installation takes place
- Scaffolding design must be carried out by a competent person
- Top guardrails must be included on work platforms from which a fall could happen, with no unprotected gap exceeding 470mm in place
- Toe boards must be in place to prevent objects from falling
- Safe access must be provided, either with built stair towers or fixed ladders
- Scaffolding inspections must take place before the structure is used and then at least every seven days thereafter
- Inspections must also take place after adverse weather, any additions or alterations, and after any period of non-use
- Detailed inspection reports must be kept
What should you include in a risk assessment for scaffolding at work?
The aim of a scaffolding risk assessment is to identify potential hazards and put plans in place to mitigate these, as dictated by the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations, to prevent falls, collapses and dropped objects.
Scaffolding is considered a high-risk work environment and, under these regulations, any project involving these structures must be carried out with safety and planning mandates in mind.
Key considerations include:
- Site conditions
- Ground stability
- Underground hazards
- Environmental factors, such as high winds or poor lighting
- Structure and design (including base to height ratio and load capacities)
- Safe entry
- Fall protection
- Public protection
- Overhead obstructions
- Competency
- Supervision
- Emergency rescue plans
Working with KMS Scaffolding
Ensuring that scaffolding use is compliant is a significant undertaking, which is why it can be beneficial to enlist the help of professional commercial scaffolding companies.
Here at KMS, we make health and safety a top priority for every project we undertake, ensuring full protection for all those both directly and indirectly involved in the work.
We are CHAS and CITB-approved, as well as all relevant CISRS qualifications. We have more than 20 years of experience in the industry, so rest assured that all work is carried out to the highest of standards.
Over the years, we’ve worked on sites of all kinds, including shopping centres, high streets, schools, industrial units, churches and many more. To hear more about how we can help you get your project off the ground, get in touch with the team today.
