Compliance Management for Scaffolding Contractors
Handle NASC standards, TG20 compliance, and scaffold inspection with digital tools built for the access industry.
The Challenge
Scaffolding contractors face rigorous compliance requirements - weekly statutory inspections on every scaffold, TG20 compliance documentation for standard scaffolds, bespoke designs for complex structures, and CISRS certification for every operative. With dozens of scaffolds active across multiple sites, paper-based systems cannot keep track of which inspections are due, which scaffolds need design verification, and whether operatives have current cards. When HSE investigates a scaffold failure, you need instant access to complete erection, handover, and inspection records.
How Assistant Manager Solves Scaffolding Compliance
Each module is designed to address the specific challenges scaffolding businesses face every day.
Checklist Management
Scaffolding inspection requirements are statutory with specific timescales. Digital tracking is essential when managing dozens of scaffolds across multiple sites - paper systems cannot reliably maintain the inspection schedule
The Problems
Why This Matters for Scaffolding
- Weekly scaffold inspections are required by law but tracking due dates across dozens of active scaffolds is impossible with paper systems
Inspections are missed, scaffolds remain in use beyond inspection due dates, and HSE investigation following incidents finds gaps in the inspection record
- Handover documentation is supposed to confirm scaffolds are safe before client use, but certificates are often generated after the event or are incomplete
Users occupy scaffolds before formal handover, scaffolds are modified without inspection, and liability for incidents is unclear when handover was not documented
The Solution
How Checklist Management Helps
Scaffold register with automatic inspection due date tracking, handover certificate generation on site, post-alteration inspection workflow, and overdue alerts that escalate if ignored
Every scaffold has tracked inspection dates with automatic reminders, handovers are documented before client use, alterations trigger inspection requirements, and you have complete records for any scaffold at any time
Use Cases:
- • Scaffold register with inspection due date tracking
- • Pre-handover erection completion checklist
- • Handover certificate with design compliance confirmation
- • Weekly statutory inspection with photo documentation
- • Post-alteration inspection requirement trigger
- • Weather damage assessment inspection
- • Scaffold dismantling completion record
Feature Screenshot
Checklist Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Weekly scaffold inspections are required by law but tracking due dates across dozens of active scaffolds is impossible with paper systems
Real Scenario
"A scaffold partially collapses. HSE requests inspection records. The last documented inspection was 12 days ago. The regulations require inspection at least every 7 days. Prosecution follows for failure to comply with statutory inspection requirements."
Example 2: Handover documentation is supposed to confirm scaffolds are safe before client use, but certificates are often generated after the event or are incomplete
Real Scenario
"A worker falls from a scaffold that had been modified. There is no record of post-alteration inspection. The handover certificate was for the original scaffold but the alteration was never formally handed over. Both the scaffolding contractor and client face liability for allowing work on an uninspected scaffold."
Employee Scheduling
CISRS has multiple card categories with specific scopes - scheduling must match operative qualifications to scaffold complexity, not just check that cards exist. Inspection competency is equally specific and must be scheduled proactively
The Problems
Why This Matters for Scaffolding
- Scaffolding gangs are scheduled without verification that all operatives have valid CISRS cards at the appropriate level for the work
Operatives work at levels beyond their CISRS category, or work with expired cards, creating competency gaps that become evident only when incidents occur
- Inspection schedules are not integrated with erection team scheduling, leading to situations where no qualified inspector is available when inspections fall due
Inspections are delayed while inspectors are located, or are conducted by people who are not competent to inspect the specific scaffold type
The Solution
How Employee Scheduling Helps
Scheduling integrated with CISRS card verification by category level, inspection scheduling that ensures competent inspectors are available, and automatic blocking of assignments beyond operative qualification
Every operative on every job has verified qualifications for the specific work, inspection schedules are resourced with qualified inspectors, and scheduling errors cannot create competency gaps
Use Cases:
- • CISRS card verification by category (Part 1, Part 2, Advanced)
- • Scaffolding Supervisor CISRS card requirement check
- • Scaffold Inspector competency scheduling
- • Complex scaffold - Advanced Scaffolder confirmation
- • Harness training verification for all operatives
- • First aider allocation across active sites
- • Cross-gang resource coordination
Feature Screenshot
Employee Scheduling
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Scaffolding gangs are scheduled without verification that all operatives have valid CISRS cards at the appropriate level for the work
Real Scenario
"An operative falls while erecting a complex scaffold. Investigation reveals he had a Part 2 CISRS card but was working on a structure requiring Advanced Scaffolder qualifications. His supervisor assumed everyone on the gang was qualified because nobody checked specific card categories before assignment."
Example 2: Inspection schedules are not integrated with erection team scheduling, leading to situations where no qualified inspector is available when inspections fall due
Real Scenario
"A scaffold inspection falls due on a Friday. All your qualified Scaff Inspectors are on erection jobs at other sites. The inspection is delayed until Monday. Over the weekend, a subcontractor uses the scaffold for work at height. If anything had happened, you would be liable for the uninspected scaffold."
Time & Attendance
Scaffolding work involves mobile gangs moving between sites and between scaffolds within sites. Time tracking must capture scaffold-level detail for job costing and accountability while monitoring fatigue risks from long days and travel
The Problems
Why This Matters for Scaffolding
- Scaffolding operatives move between sites during the day, and paper time records do not accurately reflect which scaffolds they worked on for how long
Job costing is inaccurate, payment disputes arise about hours worked, and you cannot demonstrate who was responsible for specific scaffold erection if quality issues emerge
- Working time compliance is difficult to monitor when gangs self-manage and site-to-site travel adds to working hours
Fatigued operatives work at height with increased accident risk, and investigation reveals systematic working time breaches that compound original incidents
The Solution
How Time & Attendance Helps
Job-specific clock-in with scaffold identification, GPS-verified location tracking, automatic working time monitoring, and travel time integration with work hours
You know exactly who worked on which scaffold for job costing and quality tracking, working time compliance is automatically monitored including travel, and site presence is verified
Use Cases:
- • Scaffold-specific clock-in and out
- • GPS-verified site presence
- • Multi-site working hours tracking
- • Travel time recording between sites
- • Working Time Regulations compliance monitoring
- • Overtime tracking and alerts
- • Subcontractor gang hours verification
Feature Screenshot
Time & Attendance
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Scaffolding operatives move between sites during the day, and paper time records do not accurately reflect which scaffolds they worked on for how long
Real Scenario
"A scaffold is found to be defective. You need to know who erected it. Your time records show the gang was at that site that day, but they worked on three scaffolds. Nobody recorded which operatives worked on which scaffold. You cannot identify who is responsible for the defect."
Example 2: Working time compliance is difficult to monitor when gangs self-manage and site-to-site travel adds to working hours
Real Scenario
"An operative falls late on a Friday afternoon. Investigation reveals he started at 5am and was still working at 4pm when he fell. His gang had been working 12-hour days all week to meet a deadline. Nobody was monitoring their actual hours."
Training & Development
CISRS is the foundation but not the complete picture of scaffolder competency. Harness use, rescue procedures, and potentially additional skills (system scaffold, temporary roofs) must also be tracked and verified
The Problems
Why This Matters for Scaffolding
- CISRS cards have validity periods and different levels (Part 1, Part 2, Advanced, Supervisor) but tracking who holds what and when renewals are due is manual and error-prone
Operatives work with expired cards or at levels beyond their qualification, and HSE investigation reveals CISRS compliance failures
- Rescue from scaffold training and harness use are required for anyone working at height during erection, but these additional competencies are often overlooked when CISRS is the focus
Operatives cannot safely rescue colleagues who fall, and harness systems are misused because training was assumed rather than verified
The Solution
How Training & Development Helps
CISRS card tracking by level with renewal alerts, additional competency tracking for harness and rescue, and integrated verification preventing assignment without valid qualifications
CISRS compliance is tracked automatically with advance renewal alerts, rescue and harness competencies are verified alongside CISRS, and scheduling prevents assignment of operatives with gaps
Use Cases:
- • CISRS card tracking by category level
- • Card expiry alerts with 90-day warning
- • Harness and fall arrest system training
- • Rescue from scaffold competency
- • CISRS Scaffold Inspector qualification
- • System scaffold manufacturer training
- • Medical fitness certificate tracking
Feature Screenshot
Training & Development
Real-World Examples
Example 1: CISRS cards have validity periods and different levels (Part 1, Part 2, Advanced, Supervisor) but tracking who holds what and when renewals are due is manual and error-prone
Real Scenario
"HSE visits your site and checks CISRS cards. One operative's card expired two months ago - he did not realise and neither did you because your spreadsheet was not updated. Another has a Part 1 card but is working as a Part 2. Both are removed from site. You face enforcement action."
Example 2: Rescue from scaffold training and harness use are required for anyone working at height during erection, but these additional competencies are often overlooked when CISRS is the focus
Real Scenario
"An operative falls during erection and is suspended in his harness. His colleagues do not know how to rescue him. The rescue procedure they eventually improvise causes further injury. Investigation reveals nobody on site had current rescue training - they all had CISRS cards but nobody checked additional competencies."
HR Management
NASC membership and accreditation require demonstrable compliance systems. Having organised workforce documentation is essential for maintaining NASC status and winning work from clients who value NASC membership
The Problems
Why This Matters for Scaffolding
- Scaffolding companies use labour-only subcontractors to handle work peaks, but documentation of their CISRS status, insurance, and employment arrangements is inconsistent
Subcontract operatives work without proper verification, and incidents reveal gaps in competency or insurance that create unexpected liability
- Main contractors and clients increasingly require evidence of your NASC membership, competency systems, and insurance before allowing you on their sites
Contract opportunities are lost because you cannot quickly demonstrate your credentials and workforce competency
The Solution
How HR Management Helps
Unified workforce documentation for direct employees and subcontractors with CISRS tracking, insurance verification, and client-ready reporting for NASC requirements
All operative documentation is current and accessible, subcontractor compliance is verified before they work, and NASC and client requirements can be demonstrated quickly
Use Cases:
- • CISRS card central registry for all operatives
- • Subcontractor insurance certificate tracking
- • Labour-only CIS status verification
- • NASC compliance documentation
- • Framework pre-qualification responses
- • Right to work verification
- • Medical fitness certificate management
Feature Screenshot
HR Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Scaffolding companies use labour-only subcontractors to handle work peaks, but documentation of their CISRS status, insurance, and employment arrangements is inconsistent
Real Scenario
"A subcontract scaffolder is injured. He claims against your insurance. Investigation reveals he was genuinely self-employed, not CIS, and had his own insurance - but you had not verified this. Your insurer queries whether you are liable or his insurer is. The dispute takes months to resolve."
Example 2: Main contractors and clients increasingly require evidence of your NASC membership, competency systems, and insurance before allowing you on their sites
Real Scenario
"A Tier 1 contractor asks to add you to their scaffolding framework. They require NASC audit reports, CISRS matrices, insurance certificates, and method statements within two weeks. Gathering this from various sources takes three weeks. They go with a competitor who was more organised."
Risk Assessment
TG20 is powerful but has defined applicability limits. Risk assessment must identify when scaffolds fall outside these limits and require bespoke design - this is a technical assessment that requires scaffolding expertise
The Problems
Why This Matters for Scaffolding
- Every scaffold location has different hazards - proximity to power lines, ground conditions, building interfaces - but risk assessments are often generic rather than site-specific
Site-specific hazards are not identified or controlled, and incidents reveal that the risk assessment did not address the actual conditions
- Scaffold designs rely on TG20 compliance for standard scaffolds, but the limits of TG20 applicability are not always properly assessed
Scaffolds are erected claiming TG20 compliance when the situation actually requires bespoke design, creating structures that are not fit for purpose
The Solution
How Risk Assessment Helps
Site-specific risk assessment with TG20 applicability checking, location hazard identification prompts, and automatic flagging when designs are required outside TG20 scope
Every scaffold location is specifically assessed, TG20 limits are checked before compliance is claimed, and situations requiring design are identified before erection begins
Use Cases:
- • Site-specific scaffold risk assessment
- • TG20 applicability determination
- • Ground condition and foundation assessment
- • Overhead hazard proximity assessment
- • Building interface and loading assessment
- • Public protection requirement assessment
- • Design requirement flagging when outside TG20
Feature Screenshot
Risk Assessment
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Every scaffold location has different hazards - proximity to power lines, ground conditions, building interfaces - but risk assessments are often generic rather than site-specific
Real Scenario
"A scaffold base sinks and the scaffold becomes unstable. The ground was recently backfilled but the risk assessment specified standard base plates on compacted ground. Nobody assessed the actual ground conditions at that location. The assessment was copied from a previous job."
Example 2: Scaffold designs rely on TG20 compliance for standard scaffolds, but the limits of TG20 applicability are not always properly assessed
Real Scenario
"A scaffold collapses. Investigation reveals it was buttressed against a building with unusual load transfer characteristics that TG20 does not cover. The erection team assumed TG20 applied. Nobody assessed whether the specific situation was within TG20 scope. A design was required but not commissioned."
Incident Reporting
Scaffolding near-misses during erection are predictive of serious incidents. Additionally, contractors need to know about incidents on their scaffolds after handover - this requires contractual arrangements and systems to capture notifications
The Problems
Why This Matters for Scaffolding
- Near-misses during scaffold erection - dropped components, near falls, unstable sections - go unreported because they seem normal in a high-risk trade
Patterns of risk are invisible until a serious incident occurs, when investigation reveals multiple warning signs that were never formally reported
- Third-party incidents involving scaffold users are not always reported back to the scaffolding contractor who erected the structure
You do not know if scaffolds you erected are causing problems until you receive a claim or enforcement notice
The Solution
How Incident Reporting Helps
Mobile incident reporting with scaffold-specific forms, near-miss capture emphasising systemic issues, client incident notification requirements, and trend analysis across scaffold types
All incidents and near-misses are captured for pattern analysis, clients are contractually required to notify you of incidents, and you can identify systemic issues with specific scaffold configurations
Use Cases:
- • Erection near-miss and incident reporting
- • Scaffold configuration issue documentation
- • Client incident notification capture
- • Post-handover incident investigation
- • RIDDOR determination for scaffold incidents
- • Trend analysis by scaffold type
- • Equipment failure incident records
Feature Screenshot
Incident Reporting
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Near-misses during scaffold erection - dropped components, near falls, unstable sections - go unreported because they seem normal in a high-risk trade
Real Scenario
"A scaffolder falls during erection. Post-incident interviews reveal that several operatives had felt that same scaffold type was unstable during erection - it had a tendency to rack before bracing was complete. Nobody had reported this. It was just known within the gang."
Example 2: Third-party incidents involving scaffold users are not always reported back to the scaffolding contractor who erected the structure
Real Scenario
"A worker falls from a scaffold you erected. You hear nothing until three months later when HSE contacts you about prosecution. The site had not reported the incident to you. You had no opportunity to investigate or preserve evidence."
COSHH Management
Scaffolding chemical hazards are easily overlooked because the trade seems mechanical rather than chemical. But galvanising, client environments, and cleaning products create real exposures that require assessment
The Problems
Why This Matters for Scaffolding
- Scaffolding appears to involve minimal chemical hazards, but galvanising fumes from cutting, paint from client sites, and cleaning products create exposures that are often ignored
Long-term health effects from repeated exposure to fumes or substances that nobody assessed as hazardous in the scaffolding context
- Scaffolders work on client sites where they may be exposed to substances from client activities - asbestos in buildings, chemicals in industrial settings
Workers are exposed to hazards from client activities without awareness or protection because the scaffolding company did not assess the environment
The Solution
How COSHH Management Helps
COSHH management for scaffolding-specific hazards and client site hazard integration, with mobile access to hazard information and coordination with client COSHH
Scaffolding-specific hazards like galvanising fumes are properly assessed, client site hazards are identified before work starts, and operatives have accessible information about chemical hazards they may encounter
Use Cases:
- • Galvanised tube cutting fume assessment
- • Paint and coating product assessments
- • Client site hazard pre-assessment
- • Integration with client COSHH information
- • Equipment cleaning product assessments
- • PPE requirements for chemical hazards
- • Health surveillance requirements identification
Feature Screenshot
COSHH Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Scaffolding appears to involve minimal chemical hazards, but galvanising fumes from cutting, paint from client sites, and cleaning products create exposures that are often ignored
Real Scenario
"A scaffolder develops respiratory problems after years of cutting galvanised tube on site without extraction or RPE. COSHH assessments existed for the yard where cutting was controlled but nobody assessed on-site cutting as a separate activity requiring controls."
Example 2: Scaffolders work on client sites where they may be exposed to substances from client activities - asbestos in buildings, chemicals in industrial settings
Real Scenario
"Scaffolders erect access scaffold inside an industrial building. They are not told about chemical processes nearby. One operative develops symptoms from solvent exposure. The client assumed the scaffolding contractor would protect their own workers. Nobody coordinated the chemical hazard information."
Results Scaffolding Businesses Achieve
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