Scaffolding Safety Inspections: Everything You Need to Know

Under the Work at Height Regulations Act 2005, all scaffolding must undergo inspection as a legal requirement. This ensures the safety of the public as well as any workers using the scaffolding.

At Roden Scaffold, we regularly inspect our scaffolding for the duration of projects. However, the responsibility of inspections falls with the scaffold users or those hiring the scaffolding, so it’s important to be aware of the process and what’s involved.

What is a Scaffolding Inspection?

After scaffolding is installed but before it is used, a scaffolding inspection is carried out to ensure it is safe and secure. After this initial inspection, a weekly follow-up inspection should be carried out to ensure that it remains safe and no faults have occurred.

If any threats to the integrity of the scaffolding have occurred such as a bad storm, a new inspection is needed right away to check for damage or faults.

During the inspection, the inspector will fill out a detailed report of findings. This report should be kept on-site as a record of the last inspection and to show the scaffolding is safe and fit for purpose should an incident occur.

What’s in an Inspection Report?

For small paint jobs, ladders often suffice. But many homes have exceptionally high second floors or not enough floor space to safely use a ladder. In these cases, scaffolding makes the job much quicker and safer for a painter or decorator.

Not only that, but they need a secure place for their tools and paints, which is the perfect job for a scaffolding platform. The last thing you want is to fall from a ladder or drop a tin of paint all over your driveway.

3. Building Repairs

Here are the details the inspector will note down during the inspection:

• The name and address of the person who hired the scaffolding
• The name and position of the inspector
• The date and time of the inspection
• A brief description of the location and where the inspection was conducted
• Details of faults, defects, or potential risks that need to be resolved
• Details of any further action needed (e.g. work being halted until repairs are made, etc.)

Who Can Conduct a Scaffold Inspection?

An inspection can be carried out by any competent person who has knowledge of, training and experience with scaffolding.
Usually, the inspections are part of the scaffolding service and carried out by the team that installed the scaffolding for you. So you should make sure that this is included in the service you receive. Remember, it is your responsibility to have these inspections carried out regularly.

You can hire independent inspectors to come out and do the inspection for you for an additional fee. Or if you’re a contractor, you can have one of your team members trained to carry out inspections to save the expense of hiring externally.

This would involve taking a CISRS scaffold inspection course, which would be sufficient for a non-scaffolder to be considered “competent” for basic structures. However, for more complex or commercial structures, you’ll need a CISRS advanced cardholder, which is usually someone in the trade.

Reliable Scaffolding and Inspections

At Roden Scaffold Service, we design, erect and inspect our scaffolding so you don’t have to worry about sourcing an external inspector. When we assess your site and give you a free quote, regular scaffolding inspections will be included in the price you receive.