The Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner has developed a new Scaffold Checklist to help principal contractors manage risk when commissioning scaffolding work.

This new checklist has three distinct sections that can be used independently of each other or progressively to keep a record for each scaffold erected.

• Part A has been developed for use prior to erection
• Part B during erection
• Part C prior to scaffold being placed into service / following modification / reinspection

These three sections are designed to ensure safety is taken into consideration at all stages of scaffold design and scaffold erection, maximising safety by the time the scaffold is built and in use onsite.

Companies accredited under the WHS Accreditation Scheme need to have, and implement onsite, a systems-based approach to ensure compliance with scaffolding requirements. Even when engaging the services of specialist scaffold contractors, compliance with the Scheme audit criteria requires accredited companies to ensure their system effectively manages all scaffold risks and hazards.

Scaffolding risk management has been a key focus of the Hazard 2020 Safety Campaign, with the OFSC’s ongoing data analysis revealing significant issues with compliance. During OFSC onsite audits, companies have consistently failed to define the qualifications required to install or verify scaffolding, and failed to undertake routine inspections in line with jurisdictional requirements.

Additional information and guidance on managing scaffold risks is available in the Scaffolding in Construction fact sheet.