Scaffolds are common for large-scale construction and repairs. Whether building a new commercial structure, rehabilitation works on an existing building or working on any other large-scale project, a professional scaffolding company may help you set up everything you need to begin.
With this in mind, one of the main aspects of scaffolding safety is regular inspections and maintenance. Also, to maintain the safety of your workers and comply with Australian workplace safety regulations, it is significant to know when – and how often – to inspect your scaffold structure.
While inspections are undertaken with the assembly of the scaffolding structure, frequent inspections must be done to ensure the scaffolding maintains a good condition and is safe for use throughout the project duration. Many elements and factors can affect a scaffold structure’s stability, including weather and workplace conditions, incidents, and other emerging day-to-day hazards.
Duty holder obligations
As an employer, principal contractor, or PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking), you have the primary responsibility for the health and safety of everyone in your workplace and environment, including visitors. This is your main duty of care, ensuring that scaffolds are regularly and routinely inspected is your obligation.
It is the duty of principal contractors/builders to provide and maintain a safe working environment without risks to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable, including providing adequately maintained and safe systems of work and plant.
By not adequately protecting workers and placing their lives at risk when working at heights, including unsafe scaffolding, on-the-spot fines of up to $3,600 for businesses and $720 for individuals may be issued.
Scaffold inspection requirements
According to Safe Work Australia, there are various rules and guidelines related to scaffolding inspection.
First, a scaffold from which a person or thing could fall for more than 4 metres must be inspected. This includes a spur, hung, suspended or cantilevered scaffold. Unless a competent person provides a written confirmation certifying that the construction of the scaffolding is complete, it cannot be used.
Beyond this, a competent person must inspect a scaffold and all related supporting structures:
- Any incident that occurs that is likely to compromise the structural safety of the scaffold; damage, shifting of the scaffold, etc., before scaffold and scaffolding are used.
- Before the scaffold is utilised following necessary fixes have been completed.
- To guarantee the continued safety and integrity of the scaffold regularly once every 30 days.
Furthermore, in case an inspection reveals that the scaffold and all related supporting structures are a health or safety risk, the scaffolding must be fixed and modified. In addition, it should be examined again before use.
Even smaller scaffolds with a fall risk of fewer than 4 metres should be inspected consistently before use and thereafter in case of any incidents suspected of compromising the structure. This also applies after repairs, alterations, or if any new materials or components are added.
The requirements for a “competent person” may vary – but as a rule, one must have the ability to identify and recognise existing, predictable hazards, and have the know-how to eliminate hazardous working conditions, and take measures to eliminate them. If you are not an expert scaffolder, it is ideal to enlist the services of a scaffolding professional to undertake inspections. This ensures the safety of employees and limits your liability.
Inspection and maintenance procedures
A scaffold needs to be inspected on-site, especially when it is in place for a prolonged period. There are legal requirements that guide scaffolding inspections guiding procedures developed for the inspection and maintenance of scaffolds and scaffolding components. This ensures safe scaffolding for users and individuals close by.
For some insight into legal requirements, we will look at the relevant regulations related to scaffolding inspections and maintenance in Australia. The specific requirements for scaffold and scaffolding work fall within The Work and Safety Act 2011, with scaffolding inspections guided by the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011.
The Act aims to protect all workers’ health, safety, and welfare at work. Further, it protects the health and safety of all other people who might be affected by the work.
Frequency of inspection of scaffold
WHS Regulation section 225(3) addresses suspended, cantilevered, spur, hung and other scaffolds from which a person or thing can fall more than 4 metres. It directs such that it must be inspected by a competent person before use, before the resumption of use after an incident or repairs, and regularly every 30 days.
The frequency and necessity of inspections may differ contingent upon; weather and site conditions, the type and size of a scaffold and the risks associated with collapse. For instance, scaffolds subjected to more heavy-duty workloads such as demolition should be regularly inspected.
The inspector should have proper knowledge and experience in determining areas incorrectly altered and identifying faults in scaffolds. Records of inspections should be kept on-site, including location, comments, date and time of inspections, the relevant design or specification reference and the individual who conducted the inspection.
Structural inspection of scaffolding components
WHS Act section 25
Addresses suppliers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that plant is without risks to health and safety when used for the purpose it was designed or manufactured.
WHS Regulation section 199
Further, suppliers of a used plant must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, in case there are any faults identified in the plant, a written notice is given of the faults and the condition of the plant to whomever the plant is being supplied.
WHS Regulation section 213(1)
It is the responsibility of the person tasked with management or control of the plant at a workplace to ensure that the maintenance, inspection and, if necessary, testing of the plant is carried out by a competent person.
WHS Regulation section 213(2)
Per the manufacturer’s recommendations, the maintenance, inspection, and testing of a plant must be carried out. If there are no manufacturer’s recommendations, it should be done following the recommendations of a competent person. Correspondingly, assuming it is not practicable to do either of these two, the plant is inspected annually.
Procedures for the regular inspection
It is essential to develop and implement procedures for the regular inspection of new and re-used equipment to ensure defects and structural damage is detected. Before erection, a competent person should thoroughly inspect all scaffolding components and the overall condition and surface to determine their condition.
Under the Scaffolding Code of Practice 2021, PCBUs should refer to the manufacturer’s specifications for product maintenance, repair and fitness for helpful information.
Coatings to prevent corrosion, and welding and fabrication issues
Where scaffolding is painted may be more difficult for scaffolders on-site to identify cracking or wearing. Therefore, to verify a scaffold’s structural integrity, it may be necessary to remove paint from a sample periodically.
Hand over inspections
WHS Regulation section 225(2)
Unless there is a written confirmation from a competent person that the scaffold has been completed, the scaffolder in charge at a workplace must ensure that the scaffold is not used.
The person responsible for the erection or alteration of the scaffold should provide a handover certificate to the PCBU or principal contractor. This document should be kept on site until the scaffold is dismantled. For scaffolds under 4 metres, a handover certificate should state that it has been erected following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Post-handover inspections
Whenever a competent person inspects a scaffolding system once it is in use, that is a post-handover inspection. These should be done at least every 30 days where a person or object can fall greater than 4 meters in height. However, shorter intervals are essential, putting into consideration the site environment, the structure, the weather conditions, as well as other factors that can affect the integrity of the structure.
To ensure scaffolding and the system remains safe to use, the PCBU should discuss the intervals for inspections with the supplier or designer. Moreover, regular scaffold maintenance should include assessments of the components in use and those in storage. For scaffolding stored in spaces that are exposed to the weather, corrosion is common, and each component must be examined before it is put to use on a site.
All inspection records must be stored at the building site to be promptly accessible whenever required. Each inspection record should include the date and time of inspections, location, comments, relevant design or specification reference, along with the person who performed the inspection.