Raising the Bar on Scaffolding Inspections: New Guidance & How Safety & Access Can Help
Scaffolding has long been a backbone of UK construction. But beyond just supporting work at height, it represents a critical safety interface, and its integrity must be managed with diligence, including scaffolding inspections.
In May 2025, the Scaffolding Association released updated guidance on scaffold inspections, aimed at strengthening industry standards and ensuring safer sites across the UK. Their new “SIGNS25 – What Are the Requirements for Scaffold Inspection” document underscores legal obligations under the Work at Height Regulations (2005) and CDM Regulations, and provides practical direction for inspection regimes.
Below we highlight the key takeaways, why the new guidance matters, and how Safety & Access is uniquely placed to support your business, whether by training or by carrying out inspections on your behalf.
Key Requirements from the New Guidance
Here are some of the main points from the Scaffolding Association’s SIGNS25 guidance and accompanying commentary:
| Topic | Requirement / Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Weekly Inspection / Working Platform | Under Regulation 12(4) of the Work at Height Regulations, any working platform used in construction (or from which someone could fall more than 2m) must be inspected on site at least once every 7 days, or after any alteration, adverse weather, or potentially damaging event. |
| Exceptional or Dangerous Circumstances | Scaffold structures exposed to conditions that could cause deterioration e.g. storms, impact, overloading, unauthorised alterations must be inspected as soon as practicable. |
| Taking Out / Returning In to Service | When a scaffold is taken out of operational service, the 7-day inspection regime may shift to a periodic schedule determined by risk. But if reinstated, the scaffold must receive a full inspection before being used again. |
| Non-working Platform Structures | For scaffolds not used as working platforms (e.g. facade retention, shoring, storage scaffolds), regular inspection is still needed with frequency guided by risk assessment and in line with temporary works standards (BS 5975 etc.) |
| Stability Considerations (CDM 2015) | Even where statutory 7-day inspections don’t formally apply, structures must still comply with CDM Regulation 19 on structural stability. Temporary works must be designed, installed, and maintained so that collapse or instability cannot be foreseen. |
The updated guidance from the Scaffolding Association reinforces that inspections aren’t a box-ticking activity, they’re a safety linchpin, integral to risk control, compliance, and protecting lives.
Why This Matters to You & Your Workforce
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Regulatory Compliance & Liability: Failing to inspect scaffolds properly can lead to breaches of the Work at Height Regulations (2005) or CDM duties, with serious legal and financial consequences.
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Prevention of Catastrophic Failures: Many scaffold accidents begin with small defects such as missing components, overloading, environmental damage, things that go unnoticed until it’s too late.
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Confidence for Operatives & Clients: Regular, documented inspections build trust with your teams, suppliers, clients, and stakeholders.
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Proactive Risk Management: The new guidance encourages organisations to take a risk-based approach rather than purely reactive inspection schedules. That means being smarter about where, how often, and under what conditions inspections occur.
How Safety & Access Supports You
At Safety & Access, we’re committed to helping scaffold users and contractors not just meet standards, but exceed them. Here’s how we can help:
Training – CISRS Scaffold Inspection Courses
We deliver both CISRS Basic Scaffold Inspection and CISRS Advanced Scaffold Inspection training at our facilities.
These courses equip your staff to carry out competent inspections, identify defects, and certify scaffolding periods in line with industry expectations.
Empowering your own team to spot issues early can prevent downtime and reduce risk.
Inspection Services on Your Behalf
If you’d rather outsource, we can carry out scaffold inspections for you, from weekly checks to full structural assessments – infomation here
Our team uses the latest best practices, detailed reporting, and risk-based methods aligned with the new Scaffolding Association guidelines.
Consultancy, Audits & Compliance Support
We can audit your existing inspection regime, highlight gaps versus current guidance, and recommend improvements.
Provide toolbox talks, assistance with risk assessments, and scaffold inspection plans to integrate into your safety management system.
Final Thoughts
The new scaffold inspection guidance from the Scaffolding Association is more than an update, it’s a call to action for the industry to take inspection regimes seriously.
At Safety & Access, we believe safety isn’t just compliance – it’s culture. Whether you train your team to do inspections in-house or enlist our services, together we can help ensure scaffolds on your projects are inspected rigorously, defects are caught early, and lives are protected.
Want to discuss how we can support your scaffold inspection needs, or evaluate the training course best suited to your organisation? Just reach out. We’re ready when you are!
