Product Overview

Summary: This Emergency Response on Scaffolds Safe Operating Procedure provides a clear, step-by-step framework for managing incidents that occur on or around scaffolding. It helps Australian businesses respond quickly and safely to falls, structural failures, medical emergencies, and severe weather events, while demonstrating compliance with WHS obligations and protecting workers at height.

Working on scaffolds exposes workers to some of the highest-risk activities on a construction or maintenance site. When an incident occurs at height, confusion, poor communication, or ad‑hoc rescue attempts can quickly turn a serious situation into a fatal one. This Emergency Response on Scaffolds SOP sets out a structured, site-ready process for recognising scaffold emergencies, raising the alarm, coordinating rescue, and safely handing over to emergency services. It focuses specifically on the unique challenges of working at height, such as access and egress, stability of the structure, and the risk of secondary falls or collapses during rescue.

Developed for the Australian WHS environment, this procedure helps businesses align their emergency planning with the requirements of the Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations, as well as relevant scaffolding and fall prevention standards. It defines roles and responsibilities, communication protocols, rescue options, and decision-making criteria for when to attempt an on-site rescue versus securing the area and waiting for Fire and Rescue or other specialist responders. By implementing this SOP, organisations can reduce response times, ensure workers know exactly what to do under pressure, and demonstrate that foreseeable scaffold-related emergencies have been adequately planned for and controlled.

This document also supports integration with broader site emergency plans, toolbox talks, and scaffold inspection regimes. It provides practical guidance that can be used for drills and training, including scenario-based responses for falls from height, a worker suspended in a harness, partial scaffold collapse, objects falling from scaffolds, and evacuation due to high winds or storms. The result is a robust, defensible emergency response system that helps protect workers, contractors, visitors, and the business itself.

Key Benefits

• Ensure a fast, coordinated and controlled response to scaffold-related emergencies, reducing the risk of further harm.
• Demonstrate compliance with Australian WHS legislation and scaffolding standards by documenting a clear emergency response process.
• Reduce the likelihood of secondary incidents during rescue by defining safe access, exclusion zones and structural stability checks.
• Standardise communication and roles so all workers, supervisors and contractors understand their responsibilities in an emergency.
• Support effective training, drills and inductions with a practical, scenario-based framework for scaffold emergency response.

Who is this for?

• Site Supervisors
• Construction Project Managers
• WHS Managers
• Scaffolding Contractors
• Leading Hands and Forepersons
• Emergency Wardens and First Aiders
• Principal Contractors
• Safety Officers
• Maintenance Managers
• Facilities Managers for multi-storey sites

Hazards Addressed

• Falls from height from scaffolds and access ladders
• Suspension trauma following a fall arrest event
• Partial or full scaffold collapse during or after an incident
• Falling objects from scaffolds striking people below
• Electrical contact from scaffolds near power lines during emergency movement
• Entrapment or restricted access for injured workers on higher levels
• Exposure to severe weather (high winds, lightning, storms) while on scaffolds
• Panic, uncontrolled evacuation and unsafe self-rescue attempts
• Manual handling and musculoskeletal injuries during rescue operations

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Terminology (Scaffolds and Emergency Response)
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities (PCBU, Supervisors, Workers, Emergency Wardens)
• 4.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Codes of Practice
• 5.0 Pre-Emergency Planning for Scaffolds (Access, Rescue Points, Equipment)
• 6.0 Communication and Alarm Procedures for Scaffold Incidents
• 7.0 Initial Response and Scene Safety (DRSABCD, Exclusion Zones, Scaffold Stability Checks)
• 8.0 Emergency Scenarios and Step-by-Step Response
• 8.1 Fall From Height on or Adjacent to Scaffold
• 8.2 Worker Suspended in Harness After Fall Arrest
• 8.3 Partial or Full Scaffold Collapse
• 8.4 Falling Objects from Scaffold Striking Persons Below
• 8.5 Medical Emergency on Scaffold (e.g. cardiac event, unconscious worker)
• 8.6 Severe Weather or Environmental Threat Requiring Scaffold Evacuation
• 9.0 Rescue Methods and Limitations (On-site vs External Emergency Services)
• 10.0 Use of Rescue and Height Safety Equipment
• 11.0 Interaction with External Emergency Services (Information to Provide, Access Arrangements)
• 12.0 Post-Incident Actions (First Aid, Incident Reporting, Notifications and Preservation of Scene)
• 13.0 Training, Drills and Competency Requirements
• 14.0 Documentation, Records and Review of Emergency Response
• 15.0 Risk Assessment and Emergency Planning Checklist for Scaffolds
• 16.0 Appendices – Sample Emergency Response Flowcharts, Contact Lists and Drill Forms

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth and relevant State/Territory variants)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (particularly provisions relating to falls and emergency plans)
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Construction Work
• AS/NZS 1576 Scaffolding series
• AS/NZS 1891 Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices series
• AS 3745: Planning for emergencies in facilities
• AS/NZS ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems