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Scaffold inspections and audits

Scaffold Inspections and Audits

Statutory 7-day inspections and independent audits across London and the South East, with your report delivered within 24 hours.

A scaffold must be inspected by a competent person before first use, after any substantial alteration, after any event likely to have affected its stability, and at intervals of no more than seven days. I carry out those inspections independently across Surrey, London and the South East, and the written report with photos is in your inbox within 24 hours. Dedicated county guides cover scaffold inspections in Surrey and scaffold inspections in London. What the seven-day cycle involves is set out in my guide to how often scaffolding needs to be inspected.

Scaffold safety inspector checking a base plate and sole board on a tube and fitting scaffold

What's included

Statutory 7-day inspections on a fixed weekly route, same scaffold, same day, every week
Inspections before first use and after alterations, high winds, impact or anything else likely to affect stability
Handover inspections for completed scaffolds, so the scaffold is signed off before the first trade steps on it
Independent audits for principal contractors, councils and housing providers, across every scaffolding subcontractor on the site
Scafftag and inspection tag updates on every visit, so the tag and the report always agree
A written Schedule 7 report with captioned photos and clear actions, within 24 hours

What the report contains

Every report records the eight particulars Schedule 7 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 requires: who it was prepared for, the location and a description of the scaffold, the date and time, any matter that could give rise to a risk, any action taken, any further action needed, and the name and position of the inspector. On top of the legal minimum I add captioned photographs, a stated safe or unsafe verdict, defects carried forward from the previous visit until they are closed, and a short summary email listing the actions that matter. The report is kept on site until the work is complete and for three months afterwards, as the regulations require. A page-by-page walkthrough is on what you receive.

Who it's for

Scaffolding companies

that need an independent competent person for weekly, handover and post-alteration inspections, and clean paperwork for NASC, SMAS, CHAS or Constructionline audits.

Construction firms and principal contractors

with scaffold on site, a duty under CDM 2015 to plan, manage and monitor it, and a growing need for records signed by someone independent.

Councils and housing providers

with access scaffolds on their properties and a duty to the residents beneath them.

Standards

Inspections are carried out to the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (regulation 12 and Schedule 7), working to NASC TG20:21 for tube and fitting scaffolds and SG4:22 for preventing falls in scaffolding operations.

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

Before first use, after any substantial alteration, after any event likely to have affected its stability, and at intervals of no more than seven days. The seven days run from the last inspection, and every unscheduled trigger resets the clock.

You hear about it on site the same day, not three days later in a PDF. The report states what the defect is, where it is, whether the scaffold is safe to use in the meantime, and what needs doing. Defects are carried forward on the next report until they are closed.

Yes. I do not erect scaffolds at all. Every inspection I do is of someone else's work, which is the point of an independent inspector.

Yes. A fixed weekly round is most of what I do. Several scaffolds close together on one visit keep the cost per scaffold down, so tell me about all of your sites, not just the one you are calling about.

Legally, yes, and done properly in-house inspection works. The difference is what the record is worth under pressure. A report written by an employee of the firm that erected the scaffold weighs less than an independent one when a principal contractor, an insurer or the HSE asks for it.
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Book an Inspection

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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