Had to stop work on contractor and raise a near miss yesterday as the came across contractor dismantling a 2 storey height scaffold with exposed edges and no fall restraint or other protection. The company had been assessed and approved based on their H&S policies, and having qualified scaffolder and they had submitted risk assessments and method statement (generic) which included scaffolding erection and dismantling and contractors held Construction skills cards including working at height awareness training. The risk assessment stated that were guard rails were removed, fall restraint must be worn. This was not followed by operators. They complained they had no anchorage point and there was no other way of securing thenmselves during the task. I'm not a construction safety provision and have limited experience of scaffolding practices but i know the requirements of WAH Regs. They have been stopped pending an investigation but for my knowledge I'm looking for some guidance or instruction document regarding how to safely dismantle scaffolding (approved method) when guard rails have to be removed during the task. This is not large scale scaffolding but 2 storey scaffolding regulary installed at site for maintenance and repairs access/egress. Thanks for the help!

It sounds looks like a standard case of good documentation to win the work but no reality management thereafter e.g. standard industry practice before people shout at me; There are some really good scaffold compaines out there who practice in reality what they preach via documentation

There is a supermarket, one of the big three, nearing completion in my area. As I walked to the dentist this morning I paused at the road junction and noticed the scaffolders erecting the scaffold. They were wearing hard hats but nobody could be above them; high vis vests but they were isolated on their platform; harnesses but they were not connected. These guys were only visible from the road not the site since they were on the outside of the building. In my experience and observation this is the norm.

Thanks for your replies. We have dealt with the situation now and awaiting the revised risk assessment and method statement from the contractor. Additional training is being provided by contractor to his employees in workign at height and additional staff to receive scaffolder training. Not permitted to continue until this is in place and approved. There is supervision from project leader but not constantly trhoughout the job. Thanks,

Safetyman One should however be careful about stopping work where the available guidance issued by the NASC and approved/accepted by the HSE does not formally require the use of harnesses below 4 metre as they are useless below this height. You have a classic caase of a MS written to meet some imposed standard when the Scaffolders are trained to the NASC document. This is not to say however that the work practice was necessarily good I am also moved to say that one has to be careful about tackling construction safety with little experience of the work. Bob