Scaffolding inspection requirements in the UK: frequency, who can inspect, and records

Legal requirements

The inspection requirements for scaffolding come primarily from the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR), specifically Regulation 12 and Schedule 7. These regulations apply across Great Britain and set out when scaffolding must be inspected, by whom, and what records must be kept.

In addition, the following legislation applies:

• CDM 2015: Requires that all work at height is planned, organised, and supervised by competent persons. The principal contractor must ensure that scaffolding is erected and used safely.
• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: The general duty to provide a safe workplace includes ensuring that scaffolding is in good condition.
• NASC Technical Guidance (TG20 and SG4): Industry guidance from the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation that provides detailed technical standards for scaffold design, erection, and use.

The regulations treat scaffolding as "equipment for work at height" and apply the same inspection regime regardless of whether the scaffold is a simple independent tower or a complex suspended scaffold system. The standard applies equally to tube and fitting scaffolds, system scaffolds, and mobile towers.

Inspection frequency

The Work at Height Regulations require scaffolding to be inspected at three points:

Before first use

Every scaffold must be inspected after erection and before anyone uses it. This is a hard requirement. No worker should set foot on a scaffold until a competent person has inspected it and confirmed it is safe. The inspection should verify that the scaffold has been erected in accordance with the design (or TG20 compliance sheet where applicable).

Every seven days

Once in use, the scaffold must be inspected at intervals not exceeding seven days. The clock starts from the last inspection, not from the start of each calendar week. If the last inspection was on a Wednesday, the next must be by the following Wednesday. Missing or late inspections are one of the most common scaffold-related enforcement actions by HSE.

After any event affecting stability

An additional inspection is required after any event that could have affected the scaffold's strength or stability. Common triggers include:

• Strong winds (typically Beaufort Force 6 or above, or as specified in the scaffold design).
• Heavy rain or flooding that may have affected the scaffold foundations or base plates.
• Impact from plant, vehicles, or falling materials.
• Any alteration, modification, or partial dismantling of the scaffold.
• An extended period of non-use (the scaffold may have been affected by weather or ground movement during the interval).

The site manager or scaffold coordinator should have a process for triggering these additional inspections. After a night of high winds, every scaffold on site needs to be inspected before work begins the following morning.

Who can inspect scaffolding?

The regulations require a "competent person" but do not mandate a specific qualification. The competent person must have:

• Sufficient training and practical experience in the type of scaffold being inspected.
• Knowledge of the relevant regulations, standards, and guidance.
• The ability to identify defects and assess whether the scaffold is safe for use.
• Sufficient authority to stop the scaffold being used if it is found to be unsafe.

In practice, most principal contractors require one of the following:

• CISRS Scaffold Inspector: The most widely accepted qualification. CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) offers a specific Scaffold Inspection training course and card. This is the gold standard for scaffold inspectors.
• CISRS Advanced Scaffolder: Holders of the advanced scaffolder card are generally accepted as competent to inspect scaffolds.
• Site managers with scaffold inspection training: Some site managers complete scaffold inspection training courses (typically 2-3 days) to enable them to carry out inspections. This is more common on smaller sites where a dedicated scaffold inspector is not available.

The critical point is that the person inspecting the scaffold must be independent of the team that erected it. Self-inspection by the erection team does not meet the regulatory requirement. The inspector should have no commercial pressure to pass a scaffold that has defects.

What the inspection must cover

A scaffold inspection should systematically check:

• Foundations and base: Base plates and sole boards in place and level. Ground conditions stable. No evidence of undermining, waterlogging, or movement.
• Standards (uprights): Plumb, secure, and properly connected. No bent or damaged tubes. Joints at the correct positions.
• Ledgers and transoms: Level, properly connected, and at the correct spacing. No missing or damaged members.
• Bracing: Diagonal bracing in place as required by the design. All couplers tightened.
• Platforms: Full boarding with no gaps exceeding 25 mm. Boards in good condition, not split or warped. Properly supported at each end.
• Guard rails and toe boards: Top guard rail at minimum 950 mm above the platform. Mid-rail in place. Toe boards at minimum 150 mm height. No gaps that would allow a person to fall.
• Access: Internal ladders or stair towers in place and secured. Access gates at loading bays.
• Ties: All ties to the building in place and secure. Tie pattern matches the design. No ties removed without authorisation.
• Sheeting and netting: If fitted, securely attached. No damage that could create wind loading issues.
• Signage: Scaffold tags or status boards showing whether the scaffold is complete and safe for use, or incomplete and not to be used.

Record keeping

Schedule 7 of the Work at Height Regulations specifies what must be recorded after each inspection:

• The name and address of the person for whom the inspection was carried out.
• The location and description of the scaffold.
• The date and time of the inspection.
• Details of any matter identified that could give rise to risk to health or safety.
• Details of any action taken as a result.
• Details of any further action considered necessary.
• The name and position of the person making the report.

The report must be completed within 24 hours of the inspection. Copies must be kept at the site until the scaffold is dismantled, and then for three months after dismantling. If the site has multiple scaffolds, each one needs its own inspection record.

The report must be available for review by HSE inspectors, the person who commissioned the scaffold, and any employer whose workers use the scaffold. On multi-contractor sites, this means the scaffold inspection records should be accessible to all contractors, not locked in the scaffolding company's office.

Paper-based scaffold inspection forms are still common but are increasingly being replaced by digital systems. Digital records are harder to lose, easier to search, and provide a clearer audit trail. They also make it easier to track which scaffolds are due for inspection and flag overdue inspections automatically.

Tracking inspections and inspector competence

On a busy site with multiple scaffolds, keeping track of inspection schedules is a significant administrative task. The common failures are:

• An inspection is overdue because the 7-day cycle was miscalculated or forgotten.
• A scaffold was altered (ties removed, boards lifted) but no additional inspection was triggered.
• The person who carried out the inspection was not competent (for example, their CISRS card has expired).
• Inspection records cannot be located when an HSE inspector asks to see them.

The first step in preventing these failures is knowing who on site holds scaffold inspection qualifications and whether those qualifications are current. AttendIQ stores every worker's competency cards and qualifications, including CISRS cards, against their profile. When a CISRS card is approaching expiry, automated alerts notify the employer so the card can be renewed before the inspector loses their qualified status.

Combining competency tracking with a digital inspection schedule means you always know which scaffolds are due for inspection, who is qualified to inspect them, and whether the inspection was completed on time. When an HSE inspector asks to see your scaffold inspection records and the qualifications of your inspectors, you can pull up both in seconds.