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Scaffold anchor installation and testing

Scaffold Anchor Installation and Testing

Installation and pull-testing of scaffold tie anchors, with certified results your principal contractor will accept.

Scaffold anchors need two kinds of test. Preliminary tests establish what load an anchor type can safely take in a particular base material; proof tests then confirm that the installed anchors were fitted correctly, on a proportion of anchors on every job. I install and test anchors to BS 8539 and NASC TG4:25 across Surrey, London and the South East, with certified results you can hand straight to the principal contractor. Dedicated county guides cover scaffold inspections in Surrey and scaffold inspections in London. The inspection cycle this testing sits alongside is covered in how often scaffolding needs to be inspected.

Scaffold anchor pull test on an eyebolt using a hydraulic tester

What's included

Preliminary tests on an unproven base material, to establish the safe working load before the tie pattern is fixed
Proof tests on a proportion of installed anchors, to the loads TG4:25 sets, confirming correct installation
Installation of scaffold anchors where required, to the manufacturer's instructions and BS 8539
A certificate recording the anchor type, base material, test loads, number tested and the results, for each scaffold
Retesting after alterations or where ties have been removed and replaced, for example around window installations

See what you receive for an example of the paperwork behind it.

The four substrate questions

Dense engineering brick, soft stock brick, aircrete and hollow block behave nothing like each other, and the manufacturer's figure assumes a base material that may not be yours. Before any anchor goes in I want to know what the wall is made of, whether it is solid or cavity, what condition it is in, and whether anything behind the face will reduce the holding power. When the drawing does not say, only the test does.

Who it's for

Scaffolding contractors installing ties and needing a defensible test record.

Principal contractors deciding what anchor evidence to demand from subcontractors.

Anyone whose paperwork still cites TG4:19, which was replaced by TG4:25 in 2025.

Standards

BS 8539, the code of practice for the selection and installation of post-installed anchors in concrete and masonry, and NASC TG4:25, Anchorage Systems for Scaffolding, which sets the testing proportions and loads.

Qualified and accredited

CISRS Advanced Scaffolder, with the Advanced Scaffold Inspection endorsement
CITB Temporary Works Coordinator (Site Safety Plus)
NEBOSH
SMSTS (CITB)
Anchor bolt installation and testing
Safety for Directors
Associate member, Scaffolding Association
Fully insured

Inspections are carried out to the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (Schedule 7), working to TG20:21 and SG4:22. Anchor testing is carried out to BS 8539 and NASC TG4:25.

Frequently asked questions

TG4:25 sets the proportion to be proof tested on each job, and it depends on the number of anchors and the base material. Preliminary testing is additional where the substrate is unproven. Send me the scaffold details and I will tell you what the job needs.

A preliminary test asks what load this anchor type can take in this base material; it is about the building. A proof test asks whether this specific anchor was installed correctly; it is about the fitting. Doing proof tests without preliminary testing on an unproven substrate confirms the anchors hold a load nobody has established they should be holding.

Yes. For contractors on a weekly round, anchor testing is usually done on the same visit.

A certificate for each scaffold recording the anchor type, base material, number tested, test loads and results, within 24 hours.
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Book Anchor Testing

Call me on 07737 041470 or send the site details. I'll come back to you within 24 hours on weekdays, or the next working day at weekends. If it's urgent, call rather than email.

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