No work should be performed on scaffolds

Scaffolds and scaffolding

Construction work commonly includes scaffolds. They provide a safe, stable work platform when working at heights.

Table of Contents Show

Scaffolds and scaffolding
Licences
WHS duties
Managing risks
High risk construction work
Supporting information
Swing stage scaffold qualifications
Scaffolding hop-up bracket tie bars
Zip ties on scaffolding
Legislation
What is the Australian standard for scaffolding?
What are the do's and don'ts of scaffolding?
When must scaffolding be used?
What work tasks will be carried out from the scaffold?

Scaffolding is the individual components that, when assembled, form a scaffold. For example, tubes, couplers and frames.

Scaffolding work means erecting, altering or dismantling a temporary structure that supports a platform.

The Guide to scaffolds and scaffolding has information on types of scaffolds and their uses.

Licences

Scaffolding work involving a platform with a fall over 4 metres requires a high risk work licence. There are 3 classes of scaffolding licence:

basic
intermediate
advanced.

Contact your WHS regulator for more information on training and licences for scaffolding work.

WHS duties

Everyone in the workplace has WHS duties under the model WHS Act. You have specific duties if you are:

a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU)
a principal contractor
a designer, manufacturer, importer, supplier and installer of plant, substances or structures
an officer.

The model WHS Regulations have duties that apply to scaffolding work. This includes managing the risks of scaffolds, construction, and falls from height.

As a PCBU, you must, so far as is reasonably practicable:

ensure the health and safety of workers and others at your workplace
consult with workers who carry out work for the business or undertaking and who are (or are likely to be) directly affected by a health and safety matter, and
consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with all other relevant duty holders.

Managing risks

You must, so far as is reasonably practicable, eliminate or minimise risks associated with scaffolds and scaffolding work. This involves:

identifying hazards—find out what could go wrong and what could cause harm.
assessing risks if necessary—understand the harm each hazard could cause, how serious the harm could be and the likelihood of it happening.
controlling risks—implement the most effective control measures that are reasonably practicable in the circumstances.
reviewing control measures to ensure they are working as planned.

Some of the most common risks with scaffolds and scaffolding work are:

falls from height
scaffold collapse
working near power lines
falling objects.

For further information, see the General guide for scaffolds and scaffolding work.

You must inspect and maintain scaffolds and scaffolding. The Guide to scaffold inspection and maintenance has information on how to do this.

High risk construction work

Scaffolding work with a risk of falling more than 2 metres is high risk construction work. You must prepare a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) for high risk construction work.

For further information see the Code of Practice: Construction Work, and Safe Work Method Statement for construction work - Information sheet.

Supporting information

Guide to scaffold inspection and maintenance
Guide to scaffolds and scaffolding
Guide to suspended (swing stage) scaffolds
General guide for scaffolds and scaffolding work
Tower and mobile scaffolds information sheet

A scaffold is any temporary structure specifically erected to support access or working platforms.

It includes:

modular or prefabricated scaffold
tube and coupler scaffold
cantilevered scaffold
spur scaffold
hung scaffold
suspended scaffold.

The erection, alteration, use and dismantling of scaffold exposes workers to the risk of a serious fall or being struck by falling objects, such as scaffold components, tools, or in the event of a collapse, the entire scaffold.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland carried out a compliance campaign targeting the safe erection, alteration, use and dismantling of scaffold over 2009 and 2010. A follow-up campaign targeting swing stage scaffolds specifically was conducted in 2012.

Swing stage scaffold qualifications

The users (being the workers performing work from the cradle of the swing stage) of the swing stage scaffold must complete the Course in the safe use of swing stage scaffold. It would be expected that there are two users in the stage operating the hoists and the engineer would be a third person. Prior to performing this work, it must be determined that the weight of three people in the stage does not exceed the safe working load (SWL) of the stage.

Scaffolding hop-up bracket tie bars

In Queensland, there have been a number of incidents where tie bars have become inadvertently detached and workers have either fallen or been struck by a falling tie bar.

Find out more about scaffolding hop-up bracket tie bars.

Zip ties on scaffolding

In Queensland zip ties are being increasingly used in applications on scaffolding where the scaffolding manufacturer does not make reference to their use.

Find out more about zip ties on scaffolding.

Legislation

The specific requirements for scaffold and scaffolding work are located in the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, Part 5.1, Subdivision 3 – Additional control measures for particular plant and Part 6.3, Subdivision 4 – Scaffolding and are summarised below.

The Scaffolding code of practice 2021 (PDF, 1.63 MB) provides guidance on managing the risks associated with scaffolding.

Specific legislative requirements for scaffold and scaffolding work
High risk work licence	Scaffolding work is defined as high risk work and requires users to be appropriately licensed. Scaffolding work is divided into three levels (basic, intermediate and advanced) recognising the different levels of risk and the different techniques required for certain types of scaffolding. View information about obtaining a high risk work licence for scaffolding work.	WHS Regulation 2011, s81 and schedule 3 – High risk work licences and classes of high risk work
Safe work method statements	Safe work method statements are required for all high risk construction work, including any construction work that involves the risk of a person falling more than two metres.	WHS Regulation 2011, s291 and s299
Scaffold – written confirmation from a competent person	The person with management or control of a scaffold at a workplace must ensure that it is not used unless they receive written confirmation from a competent person that the construction of the scaffold has been completed.	WHS Regulation 2011, s225(2)
Scaffold – inspection by a competent person	The person with management or control of a scaffold at a workplace must ensure that the scaffold and its supporting structure are inspected by a competent person: before it is used before use is resumed after an incident that may reasonably be expected to affect the stability of the scaffold before use is resumed after repairs at least every 30 days. If an inspection indicates that the scaffold or the supporting structure creates a risk to health and safety then any necessary repairs, alterations and additions must be carried out. The scaffold and its supporting structure must be inspected by a competent person again before use is resumed.	WHS Regulation 2011, s225(3) and (4)
Scaffold – unauthorised access	The person with management or control of a scaffold at a workplace must prevent unauthorised access to any incomplete or unattended scaffold.	WHS Regulation 2011, s225(5)
Erecting scaffolding	A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must not erect or allow another person to erect scaffolding if there is a risk a person could fall three metres, for housing construction, or two metres for all other types of construction unless: a control measure prevents a person from falling a fall arrest harness system is used, or the PCBU otherwise complies with r306P(4). Note 1: r306P(4) describes a specific process for scaffolding erection that minimises the risk of a fall. Note 2: A PCBU must still manage the risk of a fall at any height under Part 4.4 Falls.	WHS Regulation 2011, s306P
Dismantling scaffolding	A PCBU must not dismantle or allow another person to dismantle scaffolding a there is a risk a person could fall three metres, for housing construction, or two metres for all other types of construction unless: a control measure prevents a person from falling a fall arrest harness system is used, or the PCBU otherwise complies with s306Q(3)(b). Note 1: s306Q(3)(b) describes a specific process for scaffolding erection that minimises the risk of a fall. Note 2: A PCBU must still manage the risk of a fall at any height under Part 4.4 Falls.	WHS Regulation 2011, s306Q
Notifiable incidents	Dangerous incidents, such as the collapse or partial collapse of a structure (e.g. a scaffold) or the fall or release from a height of any plant, substance or thing (e.g. scaffold component), must be notified to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland. View additional information about the notification of dangerous incidents, including the notification form.	WHS Act 2011, s35, s36, s37, s38 and s39

What is the Australian standard for scaffolding?

AS / NZS 1576.3:1995 Scaffolding - Prefabricated and tube-and-coupler scaffolding. AS 1576.4-2013 Scaffolding - Suspended scaffolding. AS / NZS 1576.5:2021 Scaffolding - Prefabricated splitheads and trestles.

What are the do's and don'ts of scaffolding?

1) Do carry out a health and safety check before using a scaffold. 2) Do not use a scaffold without a scaffold tag in place. 3) Do not climb up or down the scaffold or enter the scaffold from an unapproved entry point. 4) Do use the ladders or stairs.

When must scaffolding be used?

Scaffolds are commonly used in construction work so workers have a safe, stable work platform when work cannot be done at ground level or on a finished floor. Scaffolding in this Guide means the individual components, for example tubes, couplers or frames and materials that when assembled form a scaffold.