Scaffolding Risk Assessment Example: A Practical Guide for UK Contractors
If you're searching for a scaffolding risk assessment example, you probably need to produce one for a job — or you want to check that what you already have is good enough. This guide walks through what a solid scaffolding risk assessment actually contains, why it exists in law, and how to fill one in so it reflects the real work rather than ticking a box.
The Legal Basis
Two sets of regulations govern scaffolding work:
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Regulation 3 requires every employer (and self-employed person) to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to workers and others affected by their work. This is your risk assessment duty.
- Work at Height Regulations 2005 set out the hierarchy for planning and carrying out work at height safely, including erecting, altering, and dismantling scaffolding.
A scaffolding risk assessment and method statement together form a RAMS — a combined document that identifies the hazards and then explains, step by step, how the work will be done safely. You need both.
What "Suitable and Sufficient" Actually Means
The HSE is clear that a suitable and sufficient risk assessment is not a generic template printed from the internet. It must reflect:
- the specific site (ground conditions, proximity to the public, overhead lines, traffic)
- the specific scaffold (type, height, loading, tie pattern)
- the specific workforce (competence, supervision level, number of operatives)
A one-page generic form with every box ticked "low" is not suitable and sufficient. An inspector or a court will look for evidence that someone who knows the job actually thought it through.
Common Scaffolding Hazards to Assess
Use these as a starting checklist — add or remove based on your actual site:
| Hazard | Who is at risk |
|---|---|
| Falls from height during erection/dismantling | Scaffolders, supervisors |
| Falling materials (tubes, boards, fittings) | Ground-level workers, public |
| Scaffold collapse due to inadequate ties or overloading | All nearby persons |
| Struck by passing vehicles | Scaffolders working near roads |
| Contact with overhead power lines | Operatives handling long tubes |
| Manual handling injuries (lifting heavy tubes, boards) | Scaffolders |
| Adverse weather (wind, ice, lightning) | Scaffolders working at height |
| Unauthorised access / climbing by members of the public | Children, trespassers |
Applying the Correct Hierarchy of Controls
Work through the hierarchy — don't jump straight to PPE.
Eliminate: Can any element of the work at height be done from the ground or from a permanent structure? Pre-assembling bays at ground level before lifting reduces time spent working at the edge.
Substitute: Could a different access system (MEWP, tower scaffold) be safer for a short-duration task? Document the comparison even if you decide scaffolding is still the right choice.
Engineering controls (collective protection first): Advance guardrail systems (AGR), through-the-board working, birdcage scaffolds with full working platforms, and loaded hop-up brackets all provide collective protection before a person is exposed to the edge. These should feature prominently in your risk assessment.
Administrative controls: Scaffold Design Drawings for complex structures; inspection regime (before first use, after alteration, after any event likely to have affected stability, and at least every seven days under the Work at Height Regulations 2005); restricting erection/dismantling to CISRS-carded scaffolders; exclusion zones beneath the scaffold during erection.
PPE (last resort, never sole control): Hard hats, safety footwear, gloves, and — where collective protection cannot be provided — a harness with a suitable anchor point. The anchor must be identified in the method statement, not left to the operative to find on the day.
Likelihood and Severity — Rating the Risk
Most UK risk assessments use a simple 3×3 or 5×5 matrix. The important thing is consistency: rate the residual risk (after controls are applied), not the inherent hazard. A fall from 6 m has a catastrophic potential severity regardless of your controls — your controls must be strong enough to make the likelihood very low, and you should state exactly what those controls are.
A Realistic Example Entry
Hazard: Fall from height during erection of a system scaffold at 8 m to a flat roof.
Who is at risk: Two CISRS Part 2 scaffolders.
Controls:
- Advance guardrail fitted to each lift before operatives step onto the board.
- Scaffold design reviewed by a competent person; design drawings held on site.
- Exclusion zone (Heras fencing) beneath the working area.
- Work stopped when wind speed exceeds Beaufort 5 (checked via site weather app each morning).
- Full-body harness and lanyard used only during the first board placement where AGR cannot yet be fitted — anchor point confirmed in the method statement.
- Scaffold inspected and signed off before handover to principal contractor.
Residual risk: Low.
Record-Keeping and Review
Sign and date the risk assessment. Name the assessor and confirm their competence. Review it if the scaffold is altered, if an incident occurs, or if site conditions change significantly. Under CDM 2015, on notifiable construction projects the principal contractor must also ensure this information feeds into the Construction Phase Plan.
Keep the original on site and ensure the scaffolding gang have been briefed on its contents — a document nobody has read provides no protection to anyone.