Findings Report: Scaff Safe 2022
Project timeframe: 19 September - 31 December 2022
Introduction and background
Falls from heights are the number one killer on NSW construction sites. Most serious and fatal falls are from roofs, ladders and scaffolds – and from a height of less than 4 metres.
Falls from heights (FFH) continue to be a priority issue (high-impact harm) as highlighted in the SafeWork NSW Roadmap to 2022, as the leading cause of worker fatalities and serious injuries across all industries.
Data analysis indicates the majority of falls from heights across the state occur in the construction industry, with ladders, roofs and scaffolds being the most likely where workers will fall.
A compliant scaffold will keep workers safe when undertaking construction and finishing work at heights. However, when poorly installed, inadequately maintained or missing components, they are serious falls or collapse risks.
Where having a complete and compliant scaffold is a minimum expectation and requirement, inspectors observed in 2021 that:
- Over 30% of sites had scaffolds missing components
- Around 40% of sites had scaffolding with gaps in excess of the current Australian Standards
- Over 40% of sites had scaffolds that were missing mid-rails
- 30% of sites had scaffolding missing handrails
- Nearly 50% of sites had Principal Contractors that allowed access to unsafe or incomplete scaffolds.
This report provides a summary of the findings from construction site visits which were undertaken statewide between 19 September – 31 December 2022, for the Scaff Safe 2022 inspector visit program and campaign.
Types of sites visited
- house construction - 57%
- commercial - 13%
- mid-high rise - 12%
- infrastructure - 11%
- other (see below) - 5%
- demolition - 1%
Other: School building extension / construction, Low-rise residential, Residential remedial / roof replacement and Civic.
SafeWork inspectors visited 266 construction sites state-wide, with the majority being residential house construction sites (152), followed by commercial (34), mid-high rise (33), infrastructure (30) other site types (13) and then demolition (3). As with previous years, the safety levels observed by inspectors on construction sites remains unacceptable when it comes to exposing workers to scaffold falls from heights and collapse risks, particularly on house construction sites.
Types of scaffold inspected
- mobile: 94
- modular: 4
- other: 2
Other: A frame scaffold on a first floor deck with no handrails, scaffold tower to access roof, trestle scaffold and removed.
Fines and notices
Inspectors issued 511 notices, totalling $110,400 in fines as part of Scaff Safe 2022.
Improvement notices are issued to remedy systems of work or hazards that do not pose a serious and immediate or imminent risk to any person’s health or safety.
- A prohibition notice ceases the workplace activity and is issued if an activity is occurring at the workplace that involves a serious risk to the health and safety of a person.
- On-the-spot fines can be issued if there is a serious or imminent risk, or if the business is a repeat offender.
Scaff Safe 2022 was built upon the previous year’s visit findings, where inspectors had observed improvements across some of our focus areas.
However, there were continued safety concerns regarding missing components, gaps and scaffolds being altered by unlicenced trades. The campaign tagline “Shortcuts cut life short – Be Scaff Safe” and the message focus was on:
- Unsafe scaffolds kills
- SafeWork NSW continues to target unsafe scaffolds as part of its latest scaffold safety campaign, Scaff Safe 2022
- Employers must maintain the scaffold in a safe condition for the duration of the construction project/work
- On-the-spot fines apply for not managing the risk of scaffolds and falls from heights.
Safety campagin social interactions
The Facebook and LinkedIn campaigns combined reach:
- Facebook: 388,928
- LinkedIn: 124,814
Falls from heights risks
High compliance
- 93% of decks were every two metres (not more than three) to ensure scaffolders are protected from falls.
- 80% of gaps between the hop-ups/decks and building floor were 300mm (vertical) or less.
- 92% where two hop-ups are used, tie bars were installed.
- 90% of working deck clear of materials to provide safe access (min 450mm).
Requires improvement
- 30% of sites did not have gaps between the scaffold platforms and building edge/face of 225mm (horizontal) or less.
- 24% did not have safe access to each working deck and adequate protection installed around access bays.
- 29% had missing toe boards/brick guards.
- 30% did not have all lap boards lashed and secured.
Other key campaign messaging was disseminated via an email to industry associations, unions and other interested stakeholders, emails to approximately 10,700 scaffolding high risk work licence holders, a SafeWork NSW front page website scroller, SafetyCast (podcast), industry articles in both the Construct NSW and the SafeWork Wrap and a dedicated staff signature block.
Scaffold inspection
Many scaffold falls from heights occur because there are components missing or unsecured, and workers fall through the gaps. In many cases, the scaffold has missing components because unlicenced workers have removed them to access parts of the building or structure.
Low compliance
- 42% of sites working decks were incomplete, with missing ledgers, planks or hop-ups.
- 44% did not have handrails and mid-rails installed.
- 92% did not prevent unauthorised access to incomplete scaffold.
As in line with previous years, inspectors observed an unacceptable level of missing components on scaffolds, including missing ledgers, planks, hopups, mid rails and handrails. It was also found that PCBUs allowed unauthorised access to the incomplete scaffold.
This is a particularly high risk activity, which can result in near misses, dangerous occurrences and accidents that leave workers seriously injured.
Scaffold collapse risks
High, requires improvement, to low compliance.
High compliance
- 93% of the scaffold was erected on solid foundations.
- 98% of loads placed on the scaffold within its rated capacity.
- 92% of containment sheeting/netting accounted for wind loading.
Requires improvement
- 21% did not have adequate ties installed.
- 13% did not have adequate bracing (zig zag).
- 17% of sites had no vehicular protection in place (where it is required).
Scaffold use risks
High, requires improvement, to low compliance.
The principal contractor and site supervisors have critical roles and obligations to ensure the safety of workers when using scaffolds. This includes ensuring the scaffolds remain safe and compliant for the duration of the construction project and that workers are not accessing incomplete sections. Inspectors observed poor compliance when it came to access of unsafe scaffolds and written confirmations (handover certificates).
Requires improvement
- 25% of sites did not have written evidence/confirmation of a compliant scaffold available on site.
- 20% of sites did not have the scaffold inspected by a licenced scaffolder or competent person within the last 30 days.
When it comes to scaffold stability, inadequate ties and the lack of vehicular protection and were the highest risks observed by inspectors. These results were also reflected in Scaff Safe 2021.
Low compliance
- 25% of sites allowed unauthorised workers access to incomplete scaffold.
Unlicenced workers removing scaffold components
A scaffolding high risk work licence is required when erecting, altering or dismantling scaffolds where a person or object could fall more than 4 metres. Unlicenced workers removing scaffold components continues to be a concern for SafeWork NSW, as this can lead to falls from heights or scaffold collapse.
Requires improvement
- 15% of PC did not communicate that the scaffold components must not be removed by unlicenced workers.
Low compliance
- 26% of the scaffold on site had been altered by trades.
Inspectors observed the most likely trades to remove a scaffold component were bricklayers, carpenters and renderers. There has been an improvement from PC communicating that scaffold components should not be removed by unlicenced workers, since the previous round of inspections.
Types of trades altering scaffold
- 38% other (see below)
- 20% bricklayer
- 18 carpenter
- 6% renderer
- 5% labourer
- 5% formworker
- 3% builder
- 3% painter
- 3% roofer
Other: Scaffolder, all trades, cladding trade and/or roofer/carpenter, glazier and unknown.
Overhead powerlines and other consideration
Requires Improvement
- 25% of sites where scaffold was within a safe approach distance to OH power lines, advice was not provided to the asset owner.
- 16% of sites where scaffold was within a safe approach distance to OH power lines, controls were not in place.
- 18% did not have a safe work method statement (SWMS) for the erection and dismantling of scaffolding readily accessible.
Low compliance
- 32% did not conduct a risk assessment.
Any voltage that causes sufficient current to pass through the heart – such as that found in live overhead power lines – can cause serious injury or death. Risk assessments help implement measures to control the risk of falls, reduce accidents and provide workers with a practical and safe way of working on construction sites.
Mobile scaffold
High compliance
- 100% of the operational was free of floor penetrations, power lines and other hazards.
- 93% of the castor wheel locks were inworking order and locked when workers are on the scaffold.
- 91% of the working decks were complete.
Requires Improvement
- 86% of mobile scaffold was supported by a hard and flat surface.
- 87% where the ground surface is unstable the scaffold was supported by boards or steel channels.
- 87% of deck heights allowed for midrails and handrails to be at the correct height.
Low compliance
- 42% of working platform over 2 meters in height, did not have handrails, mid rails and kick plates being maintained.
- 57% did not have internal ladder access.
- 35% of scaffolds had some handrails and mid-rails installed the wrong way around.
Conclusion
Falls from heights remain the primary cause of traumatic fatalities on NSW construction sites. Whilst there were some positive safety observations by inspectors, there were also many sites with an unacceptable level of falls and collapse risks due to unsafe scaffolds, particularly on house construction sites.
There continues to be safety concerns regarding missing components, gaps and scaffolds being altered by unlicenced trades. Anecdotal inspector observations have also found that the timber used for scaffolding is of a low standard and presents a potential on-site safety risk.
Principal contractors and site supervisors have duties under work health and safety laws to ensure workers lives are not placed at risk from unsafe scaffolds. This means adequately planning for safety, conducting risk assessments, and managing the life-cycle of the scaffold to ensure it remains safe and compliant for the duration of the construction project, including during the finishing stages where additional access to the façade may be required.
Principal contractors also have a duty to supervise, consult and communicate with workers about how they can work safely with scaffolds and ensure workers using the scaffold do not remove scaffold components if they do not hold the appropriate licence. This, for example, could be achieved through regular toolbox talks, safety signage and a system of regular inspections.
Scaffold suppliers and installers must ensure the scaffolds they supply are fit for purpose and compliant with the appropriate Australian Standards. This means ensuring scaffolds, are built by licenced scaffolders, are appropriate for the site, and there is adequate communication with principal contractors to ensure the scaffold is altered where necessary as the build progresses, so it remains in a safe condition from handover through to the finalisation of the construction project.
Workers must not alter or remove components to the scaffold if they do not hold a scaffolding high risk work licence and must not access an incomplete scaffold. SafeWork NSW will continue to work with the industry to target falls from heights and scaffold collapse risks in the NSW construction industry.
For more information on how to manage scaffolds safely on construction sites, please see the Scaffold Industry Safety Standard (PDF, 11195.23 KB), along with other SafeWork guidance materials.
Useful resources
- Scaffold safety checklist (PDF, 567.71 KB)
- Pocket guide to construction safety (PDF, 1759.1 KB)
- Using Scaffolds in Construction ()
- Scaffolding Industry Safety Standard (PDF, 11195.23 KB)
- Scaffold handover certificate PDF, 64.48 KB
Download a copy of the Scaff Safe 2022 Findings Report ()