Fixed scaffold
HSE key message is that erecting and dismantling of scaffolding must only be done by trained and competent scaffolders.
- There should be safe access to the scaffold. As a minimum this should be a tied ladder with 3 rungs projecting above the step off at the platform level to provide a handhold ie the equivalent of at least 1.0 metre.
- You should never adjust scaffolding unless you are a trained and competent scaffold erector.
- You should ensure there are no gaps in guard rails and toe boards forming edge protection through which either anyone could fall or an object be dropped onto people below.
- You must have a safe system for lifting any materials up to the working height.
Possible hire cost: fixed scaffold cost depends on specification.
Set-up time: likely to be a day minimum for erection and a day for dismantling for any sizable structure.
When necessary, scaffolding can be designed as freestanding and therefore does not need to be tied into a fixed structure. However, a freestanding scaffold should be designed by calculation, by a competent person, to ensure it will have adequate strength and stability.