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Scaffolding and Temporary Platforms Risk Assessment

Scaffolding and Temporary Platforms Risk Assessment

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Scaffolding and Temporary Platforms Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Scaffolding and Temporary Platforms Risk Management, from governance and engineering controls through to inspection systems and ongoing monitoring. This management-level Risk Assessment supports WHS Act compliance, demonstrates executive Due Diligence, and helps protect your business from operational and legal liability.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Governance, WHS Leadership and Legal Compliance: Assessment of senior management responsibilities, WHS policy frameworks, officer due diligence duties, and integration of scaffolding risks into organisational safety management systems.
  • Design, Engineering and Load Capacity Management: Management of scaffold design verification, load calculations, structural integrity, design registration (where applicable), and controls to prevent overloading and structural failure.
  • Procurement, Hire and Equipment Quality Control: Protocols for selecting, hiring and purchasing compliant scaffold components, supplier pre-qualification, inspection on delivery, and lifecycle management of platforms, trestles and accessories.
  • Contractor and Scaffolder Competency Management: Systems for verifying high-risk work licences, trade qualifications, supervision arrangements, and competency of contractors and in-house scaffolders engaged in platform-related activities.
  • Planning, Design Review and Job-Specific Risk Management: Assessment of pre-start planning processes, design review, site-specific risk assessments, consultation with workers and other PCBUs, and documentation of control measures for each project.
  • Access, Egress and Working at Height Systems: Management of safe access and egress routes, edge protection, fall prevention systems, stair towers and ladders, and controls for preventing falls from and through scaffolds and platforms.
  • Platform Erection, Alteration and Stabilisation Management: Governance of erection and dismantling methodologies, bracing and tying requirements, stability and foundation controls, and change management for scaffold alterations and extensions.
  • Temporary Work Platforms, Trestles and Gantries Management: Assessment of non-standard and temporary work platforms, mobile scaffolds, trestles, gantries and staging, including suitability, configuration control and use limitations.
  • Inspection, Handover and Tagging Systems: Protocols for pre-use inspections, formal handover procedures, scaffold tagging systems, inspection frequencies, defect reporting, and withdrawal from service criteria.
  • Load Management, Material Handling and Housekeeping on Platforms: Management of material loading plans, storage on platforms, mechanical lifting interfaces, manual handling risks, and housekeeping to prevent slips, trips and falling objects.
  • User Training, Induction and Behavioural Controls: Systems for user inductions, toolbox talks, behavioural expectations, supervision, and enforcement of rules relating to working on or around scaffolds and temporary platforms.
  • Environmental and Site Condition Management: Assessment of wind loading, weather exposure, ground conditions, nearby services, and other environmental factors that may affect scaffold stability and safe use.
  • Interaction with Other Work Activities and Traffic Management: Controls for interfaces with cranes, mobile plant, public areas, vehicular traffic, and concurrent trades working above, below or adjacent to scaffolds and platforms.
  • Emergency Response, Rescue and Incident Management: Planning for fall arrest rescue, medical response, emergency access to platforms, and incident reporting, investigation and corrective action processes.
  • Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement of Platform Safety Systems: Ongoing performance monitoring, audits, KPI review, consultation outcomes, and continuous improvement of organisational scaffolding and temporary platform safety systems.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Construction Managers, Project Managers and Safety Professionals responsible for planning, approving and overseeing scaffolding and temporary platform operations across their organisation or worksites.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Governance, WHS Leadership and Legal Compliance
  • • Lack of clear organisational policy for scaffolding and temporary platforms
  • • Failure to comply with WHS Act 2011, WHS Regulations and relevant Australian Standards (e.g. AS/NZS 1576, AS/NZS 4576)
  • • Inadequate allocation of WHS responsibilities for scaffolding and temporary platforms
  • • Insufficient consultation with workers and Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) on scaffold risks
  • • Poor integration of scaffolding risk management into the broader WHS management system
  • • Inadequate monitoring of Principal Contractor and subcontractor compliance obligations
  • • Inadequate verification of authorised person for design approval, inspection and handover of platforms
2. Design, Engineering and Load Capacity Management
  • • Use of non-engineered or ad-hoc temporary work platforms, trestles and gantries
  • • Inadequate structural design resulting in overloading, collapse or excessive deflection
  • • Failure to account for dynamic loads, stacked materials, wind loading and impact forces
  • • Inappropriate modification of proprietary scaffolding systems without engineering approval
  • • Use of incompatible components from different scaffold systems
  • • Lack of formal design verification for complex, suspended or cantilevered platforms
  • • Inadequate design for access/egress (ladders, stair towers, hop-ups) creating entrapment or fall risks
3. Procurement, Hire and Equipment Quality Control
  • • Procurement of substandard or non-compliant scaffold components and trestles
  • • Use of damaged, corroded or structurally compromised items due to poor asset control
  • • Inadequate verification of hired scaffolding systems and temporary platforms
  • • Lack of traceability for components, leading to mixed and incompatible systems
  • • Failure to ensure guardrails, toeboards, access systems and stabilisers are included with hired platforms
4. Contractor and Scaffolder Competency Management
  • • Use of scaffolders without appropriate High Risk Work Licence (HRWL) or verification of competency
  • • Inadequate skills in erecting, altering and dismantling complex platforms and trestle systems
  • • Poor understanding of load ratings, bracing, ties and platform stabilisation requirements
  • • Inconsistent work practices between subcontractor crews leading to variable safety standards
  • • Insufficient supervision of apprentices, trainees and labour hire workers involved with platforms
5. Planning, Design Review and Job-Specific Risk Management
  • • Inadequate pre-planning for access to raised and high-level platforms
  • • Failure to identify interaction with other trades, mobile plant, cranes or overhead services
  • • Poor coordination of platform erection with construction staging and structural stability
  • • Lack of site-specific risk assessment for unusual building geometry or restricted spaces
  • • Inadequate planning for emergency egress and rescue from elevated platforms
6. Access, Egress and Working at Height Systems
  • • Inadequate systems controlling access to raised platforms, trestles and gantries
  • • Uncontrolled access by unauthorised or untrained persons to high-level platforms
  • • Poorly designed access routes leading to trips, missteps or falls from height
  • • Absence of systematic controls for preventing falls from platforms, hop-ups and edge locations
  • • Use of ladders or makeshift means to access platforms contrary to design
7. Platform Erection, Alteration and Stabilisation Management
  • • Systems failures in managing how platforms, trestles and gantries are erected and stabilised
  • • Insufficient controls over tying, bracing and anchoring to the supporting structure
  • • Inadequate procedures for changing platform configuration, height or bay length
  • • Lack of defined responsibility for ensuring stabilisers and outriggers are installed and maintained
  • • Inconsistent use of manufacturer instructions and engineering drawings during erection
8. Temporary Work Platforms, Trestles and Gantries Management
  • • Systemic underestimation of risks associated with smaller temporary work platforms and trestles
  • • Use of trestles and planks in configurations not covered by manufacturer instructions
  • • Inadequate control over platform spacing, plank overhang and guardrail requirements
  • • Lack of procedures addressing movement or instability of mobile platforms and gantries
  • • Poor delineation between low-level and high-level temporary platform risk controls
9. Inspection, Handover and Tagging Systems
  • • Platforms being used before completion, inspection or handover by a competent person
  • • Inconsistent or undocumented inspection routines for scaffolds and temporary platforms
  • • Defective or altered platforms remaining in service due to poor tagging or status identification
  • • Failure to identify and rectify damage from impact, weather or unauthorised modifications
  • • Inadequate recordkeeping around periodic inspections, repairs and sign-offs
10. Load Management, Material Handling and Housekeeping on Platforms
  • • Overloading of scaffolds, trestles or temporary platforms due to poor control of materials storage
  • • Inadequate systems for managing movement of materials onto and off high-level platforms
  • • Trip hazards from tools, offcuts and debris causing falls on or from platforms
  • • Lack of controls for distributing loads evenly across platforms and bays
  • • Dropped objects from elevated platforms impacting persons below
11. User Training, Induction and Behavioural Controls
  • • Workers accessing and working on platforms without adequate training in platform risks and controls
  • • Normalisation of unsafe behaviours such as climbing guardrails, moving planks or removing components
  • • Misunderstanding of platform tags, signage and exclusion zones
  • • Fatigue, rushing or production pressure leading to bypassing of safe access requirements
12. Environmental and Site Condition Management
  • • Adverse weather (wind, rain, lightning) affecting stability and safe use of raised platforms
  • • Ground conditions or slab capacity inadequate to support scaffold and trestle loads
  • • Poor lighting around access points leading to slips, trips and falls
  • • Exposure to overhead electrical services or live edges near platforms
  • • Accumulation of mud, ice, dust or overspray on decks increasing slip risk
13. Interaction with Other Work Activities and Traffic Management
  • • Mobile plant, vehicles or cranes contacting or destabilising platforms and scaffolds
  • • Simultaneous operations beneath or adjacent to platforms without coordination
  • • Uncontrolled public or visitor access near temporary platforms and gantries
  • • Vibration from nearby works compromising stability of trestles or temporary supports
14. Emergency Response, Rescue and Incident Management
  • • Delayed response to falls from height or platform collapses due to poor planning
  • • Lack of capability to perform prompt rescue from high-level platforms, trestles or gantries
  • • Inadequate communication systems for workers on remote or isolated platforms
  • • Insufficient incident investigation processes to address systemic failures
15. Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement of Platform Safety Systems
  • • Failure to detect emerging risks or recurring non-conformances in platform management
  • • Outdated procedures and controls not reflecting current legislation, standards or technology
  • • Limited use of data from inspections, incidents and worker feedback to improve systems
  • • Complacency due to long periods without serious incidents involving platforms

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

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Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice: Guidance on preventing falls from one level to another, including scaffolds and temporary platforms.
  • Safe Work Australia – Construction Work Code of Practice: Requirements for managing WHS risks associated with construction activities, including scaffolding.
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice: Guidance on managing risks associated with plant, including scaffolding as a form of plant.
  • AS/NZS 1576 Scaffolding (series): Technical requirements for the design, construction and testing of scaffolding systems and components.
  • AS/NZS 4576:1995: Guidelines for scaffolding – Safe use, erection, alteration and dismantling practices.
  • AS/NZS 1657:2018: Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders – Design, construction and installation.
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

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Safe Work Australia Aligned