3rd October 2017

Failures of Scaffold

False work Failures

Form work Bursting

Trench Support Failure

Hoarding Failures

Can be expensive and result in fatalities and

serious injuries

Cardiff 2000

Details

89 mph winds

Should have been designed for 130 mph wind

speed

Design changed on site without consultation with

designer

91 of the required 300 anchor ties installed

Top 6m of scaffold had no fixings


Principal contractor did not get design
checked or check scaffold after installation

No scaffold register

No weekly inspections

Took British Army 36 hours to make safe at a
cost of £10M

Railway closed for 5 days at a cost of £52M

Cost Taylor Woodrow Construction a total of

£65M

Taylor Woodrow sold to Vinci

Total HSE fines £320,000

BSI Standards Publication

BS 5975:2008+A1:2011

Code of practice for

temporary works
procedures and the
permissible stress design of
falsework
BRITISH STANDARD BS 5975:2008+A1:2011

Section 1: General

1 Scope
This British Standard gives recommendations and guidance on the procedural
controls to be applied to all aspects of temporary works in the construction
industry. It also includes guidance on design, specification, construction, use and
dismantling of falsework. This standard gives guidance on permissible stress
design of falsework. This guidance is also applicable to the design of what is
termed class A falsework1) in BS EN 12812:2004, the design of which is specifically excluded from BS EN
12812:2004.

Section 2 gives recommendations for the procedures required to ensure that

temporary works are conceived, designed, specified, constructed, used and
dismantled all in a safe and controlled manner.
Section 3 covers the design of temporary works and in particular the design of
falsework and relevant formwork. In addition Section 3 covers: materials
including material factors; loads and load factors; design of falsework, including
both proprietary equipment and traditional scaffolding solutions; wind loading
(reference to temporary and permanent stability) and reference to other British
Standards for the design of structural steelwork, reinforced concrete and
excavation support.
The structural design element in this standard is additional information
necessary for the structural design of falsework. It can be used in conjunction
with existing structural standards.
Principal Contractor

Designated Individual

TWC

TWS

Contractor

TWS

Temporary Works Designer

Liaise with TWC and provide solution based on
the design brief

Temporary works is an engineered solution
used to support or protect either an existing
structure or the permanent works during
construction, or support an item of plant or
equipment, or the vertical sides or side-
slopes of an excavation during construction
operations on site or to provide access

Every organisation involved in temporary
works must have a designated individual (DI)

Establish and implement procedures in their

organisation

Ensure contractors have adequate procedures

if they are carrying out and managing works

Appointed by DI of the Principal Contractor

Must be experienced (Competent)

Design brief to designer

TWC responsible for ensuring the design is

implemented on site

Provides Assistance to the TWC

Appointed by Principal Contractor or

contractor

May be several TWS’s on a project

Permit systems – Load, Strike


Serves as starting point for subsequent
decisions, design work, calculations and
drawings. All concerned with the construction
should contribute towards the preparation of
the brief

Collated by the TWC from various sources
and will include details of permanent works
and construction programme

Forward to temporary works designer

Competent designer provides information,
drawings, calculations etc.

Four categories of design check required

depending on complexity of temporary works

Standard solutions may be used such as

trench boxes
CSkills Courses Available

TWC 2 Day Course

TWS 1 Day Course

TWA 1 Day Course

MSc in Temporary Works, University of

London