Isn't the whole point of SG4 to ensure that a guard rail is built before every lift in order to protect the scaffolder from falling? To ensure the scaffolder is attached at all times via harness? to select the correct fall restraint or arrest equipment? to ensure there are no gaps large enough for operatives to fail during construction. It seems to me that it is more a case of poor planning or supervision rather than poor guidance.

yes that is correct, however there are still times during erection and dismantling that the guard would not be installed immediately and this is when they are exposed to a fall in which unless there is 4 meters clearance the operative will still hit the ground using a fall arrest etc you could not use a fall restraint, it would could more damage than good!

SG4:10 is the scaffold industries agreed safe system of work for erecting altering & dismantling scaffolding and when followed correctly is fully workable & fit for purpose.
From my experience there are far too many scaffolders out there with a "gung ho" attitude towards working to SG4:10.
Even now almost 3 years after its introduction I still come across scaffolders whom don't want to or are reluctant to use the scaff step system and the advance guard rails and are caught working to the old tunnelling method.

The top and bottom of it is that some scaffolders just don't help themselves by being stubborn and un receptive to the agreed working methods.

I think SG4:10 is a decent, practical guide for scaffolders - when its applied correctly.

Chris, I can't see why there is a reason that scaffolders should be working with fall arrest gear and insufficient fall clearance distance. With advanced guardrails, scaff-steps, short-lift working, retractable inertia reels, etc there is a lot of equipment and safe working methods that can be employed so this shouldn't be an issue. Get your hands on the guide if you can. Unfortunately the NASC charge for this guide which means a lot of scaffolders in smaller outfits will never get to see it.

There are also good trainers in this field that carry out SG4:10 training for scaffs - Safety & Access and Simian Risk to name two.

SG4:10 will be reviewed in 2015 (i think) what are peoples thoughts on the possible outcomes of this review?

As an ex-scaffolder (which I would guess most of you are not) working in a harness is one of the most annoying and dangerous pieces of equipment going. Walking a 21 foot tube (Don't know if that length is still the norm in the UK) and constantly having to un-hook / re-hook a harness is one of the most stupid ideas ever dreamt of. Scaffolders HAVE to keep their on on the top of the tube to maintain its balance while walking it (this is so they can put it on the 'scarf' and tighten the fitting). Being distracted by the harness issue detracts from safety! Ensuring handrails, fully boarded out platforms, etc., adds to their workload, but does mean harnesses are not actually required.

This may seem somewhat provocative - OK it is - but it is meant to be. Until you truly know whats involved, making statements about how stubborn people are is not helpful, and indicates a 'pen pusher' mentality.

Sorry. Did not make myself clear. Ensure lifts are fully boarded, with double handrails etc (where possible) on 'normal' elevations, then there is no need for harnesses. There are occasions where they make sense, for example, when constructing 'drop' scaffolds down the sides of buildings, etc. (although I have seen people using the harness lanyards as a 'support' when they lean over the sides of a building during the construction of a cantilever scaffold- that is they relied on the lanyard to keep them from falling!!!- the guys WERE coached by myself at the point of observation), but again shows that harnesses are not the 'wonderful' solution all make them out to be. I know I scaffolded a long time ago when no-one wore harnesses, but we were very spatially aware and knew we had to rely on all our senses to keep alert to all the dangers (e.g. traps - where someone who is not a scaffolder has removed a transom from underneath a board as they adapted the scaffold to suit their needs). Too much PPE gives people a false sense of security!

Hi Allanwood

Putin and the Russian Parliament recently agreed to annex Crimea, but that does not make it right.

While I accept that the average fatality rate prior to the 1992 MHSWR for scaffolders falling from heights was 2 (per 100K hrs worked), and that since then it is 1, it does not detract from my point that harnesses are dangerous for scaffolders to wear, as it distracts them from 'safely' walking the tube (i.e standards) as they need to look at the top to maintain its balance. The biggest risk to scaffolders (over the past 10 yrs or so) is actually slips, trips and falls on the same level. Harnesses do not help here!

Most people do not wear PPE because it is uncomfortable to wear and/or it interferes with their work. Have you ever thought to ask them? You might try wearing a harness for a week at work so you can find out for yourself how uncomfortable they actually are. Oh, also try 'walking' a 21 ft tube and hook-on and off a structure of some kind, to get to the location you want to get to, without worrying about dropping said tube - try it on the ground (much safer), and you just might understand what I am getting at.

As I said earlier, erecting the scaffold with handrails, toeboards, fully boarded lifts, every lift, etc., is a better way to go. Ideally, harnesses would only be used when the pre-job risk assessment indicates they are necessary (i.e when constructing cantilevers, flying shores, etc). BTW can you tell me if all those working on the scaffold in the UK (Bricklayers, Stonemasons, etc) also have to wear harness above 4m, when the lifts are fully boarded, have double handrails, etc?

Surely, it is better to use a risk-based approach, working with the scaffolders, to review the 'Safe System of Work' and identify what their issues are, than just assuming they are stubborn and 'gung ho' (which is patently not true for the majority). I am not saying all scaffolders are 'saints' - they are not - but like most workers in most industries they have their issues with rules / procedures / quality of PPE etc. In such cases, it is usually a better way forward to identify what these issues are and either revise the procedures (with the workers involvement) and/or provide better quality PPE.

Are there any accident statistics available for scaffolders falling from height?

I would think they are so accustomed to their working methods that they very rarely fall?

Firesafety101, according to the NASC there were 12 falls by operatives from scaffold structures in 2012, 17 falls from ladders, 3 from cradles/bosun chairs, 12 from gangways, trestles and working platforms, and 54 from walls, roofs, ropes and lorries. So a total of 105 out of approximately 14,000 operatives working 5 days a week. To help put this in context, there were 155 slip, trips and falls from the same level. In how many instances would harnesses have stopped all the falls? as HSE Chris Wright noted, unless you have 4 meters clear beneath your work area you will hit the ground. In 2012, the number of falls from scaffolding at or above 4m, was 2, with no reported falls from a scaffold where the fall was arrested by a lanyard/harness.


Allanwood, I have no doubt that SG4:10 contains much useful and valuable information that can keep the lads safe, but the SG4:10 standard is voluntary, it is not the law (e.g. not all of Britain's scaffold companies are members of the NASC). The reason it is voluntary is that scaffolding is not 'black and white'- every scaffold is different, meaning there are many shades of grey. Interestingly, the NASC’s analysis of the ‘unprotected traversing element’ - where harnesses are recommended - shows that it represented only a small percentage of the scaffolder’s working day. In accordance with the 1992 MHSWR, when a risk assessment has been completed and solutions proposed, - i.e. wear harnesses when on a scaffold platform - there is a need to revisit and re-assess the risks to avoid any 'unintended consequences'. In my view, the risk of a scaffolder 'dropping' a tube onto the public or fellow workers below, while focusing on un-hooking/re-hooking' the harness while walking a tube, far outweighs that of any potential fall to the scaffolder. Most, if not all 'fixers' hold competency certificates issued by the CITB (i.e. basic/advanced) to demonstrate they are accustomed to their working methods, and can do them safely.

As for your comment about my negative attitudes towards SG4:10 - which you know nothing about - and wearing harnesses (which are OK in certain situations) indicates that you police safety with a 'my way or the highway' approach. This may explain why you keep meeting so many stubborn and 'gung-ho' scaffolders. We must all remember as safety professionals that we are there to help people. We are not there to dictate every aspect of their working lives - after all scaffolders are the professionals of their trade, which is why we employ them.

Ideally that is so. Not always the case, especially when working on the street in a major city.