Know your scaffold contractor

Safety & Health Practitioner

In response to industry demand, the National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has launched a free specification document for organisations and individuals responsible for appointing, monitoring or managing scaffolding contractors.
 
The risk of an accident or injury to operatives, or the general public can be greatly reduced, says the NASC, if relevant parties know exactly what to demand from their scaffolding contractor at every stage of the process.
 
To this end, the guide gives details on the current best-practice requirements for scaffolding contractors prior to them working on site and what expectations are required once work has commenced.
 
The document is aimed at clients, site or project managers, agents, surveyors, CDM-coordinators, estimators, planners and designers. According to the NASC, the document is also suitable as a protocol template for all scaffolding works and could be used to accompany any tender or pre-qualification forms.
 
The guide covers:

• Scaffold types;
• Regulations, codes of practice and best practice;
• Competence;
• Scaffolders’ safety and PPE;
• Scaffolding design;
• Minimum scaffold requirements;
• Scaffold handover and statutory inspections;
• Risk assessments and method statements;
• Summary of scaffolder cards; and
• Scaffold inspection reporting.

NASC president, Gerry Cooper, said: “Non-regulated scaffolding contractors could get away with anything, if you let them! This guidance arms those responsible for using scaffolders with the facts and allows them to insist on latest best practice.”
 
To request the guide, e-mail enquiries@nasc.org.uk

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