Product Overview

Summary: This Scaffold Licence Requirements Safe Operating Procedure sets out a clear, compliant process for ensuring only appropriately licensed and competent workers erect, alter and dismantle scaffolding on your sites. It translates complex Australian WHS and high risk work licensing obligations into practical, step‑by‑step requirements that protect workers at height and safeguard your business from regulatory breaches.

Working at height remains one of the leading causes of serious injury and fatality in the Australian construction and maintenance sectors. This Scaffold Licence Requirements SOP provides a structured framework for verifying, recording and monitoring scaffold-related high risk work licences before any scaffolding activities commence. It clarifies which scaffold tasks require a high risk work licence, what class of licence is needed, how to verify authenticity, and how to manage subcontractors and labour hire workers in line with Australian WHS legislation.

Many organisations struggle to keep pace with changing licensing rules, inconsistent verification practices across sites, and gaps in recordkeeping that are only exposed after an incident or regulator visit. This procedure resolves those issues by standardising licence checks at induction, pre‑start and during periodic audits; defining roles and responsibilities for supervisors, HR and contractors; and integrating licensing controls into permit to work and safe work method systems. By implementing this SOP, businesses can demonstrate due diligence, reduce the likelihood of unlicensed scaffolding work, and build a defensible compliance trail that stands up to scrutiny from regulators, clients and principal contractors.

Key Benefits

• Ensure only correctly licensed and competent personnel erect, alter or dismantle scaffolding on your sites.
• Reduce the risk of falls from height and scaffold collapse arising from unlicensed or improperly supervised work.
• Streamline licence verification, recordkeeping and audit processes across multiple projects and subcontractors.
• Demonstrate clear due diligence and compliance with Australian WHS and high risk work licensing requirements.
• Standardise expectations for scaffolding contractors, labour hire providers and internal teams across your business.

Who is this for?

• Construction Project Managers
• Site Supervisors
• WHS Managers
• Safety Advisors
• HR and Training Coordinators
• Labour Hire Coordinators
• Scaffolding Contractors
• Principal Contractors
• Operations Managers
• Compliance and Risk Managers

Hazards Addressed

• Falls from height due to incorrectly erected or altered scaffolding
• Scaffold collapse or structural failure from improper design, erection or loading
• Falling objects from poorly constructed or modified scaffold platforms
• Unauthorised or unsupervised alterations to scaffolding by unlicensed workers
• Inadequate inspection and sign‑off of scaffolds before use
• Legal and financial exposure resulting from non‑compliance with high risk work licence requirements

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Licensing Categories (e.g. Basic, Intermediate, Advanced Scaffolding HRW licences)
• 3.0 Legal and Regulatory Requirements
• 4.0 Roles and Responsibilities (PCBU, Project Manager, Site Supervisor, HR, Contractors)
• 5.0 Licence Requirement Matrix for Scaffolding Activities
• 6.0 Licence Verification and Validation Process
• 7.0 Induction and Onboarding Requirements for Scaffolders
• 8.0 Management of Contractors and Labour Hire Personnel
• 9.0 Recordkeeping, Registers and Document Control
• 10.0 Integration with SWMS, Permits to Work and Site Access Controls
• 11.0 Monitoring, Inspections and Compliance Audits
• 12.0 Non‑Compliance, Corrective Actions and Escalation
• 13.0 Training, Competency and Refresher Requirements
• 14.0 Review, Consultation and Continuous Improvement
• 15.0 References and Related Documents

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and equivalent state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Cth) – High Risk Work Licensing and Construction Work provisions
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Construction Work
• Safe Work Australia – Guide to Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• AS/NZS 1576 Scaffolding series
• AS/NZS 4576: Guidelines for scaffolding