Ask the designer how they intended the brickies access the task?

Amogorji

This problem has existed since the first scaffolds were erected, so thousands of years ago!

It depends to some extent on what you call a leading edge, i.e. how big a gap between scaffold platform and the face of the building where the brickies are working.

When the law was more prescriptive and more proscriptive in the Construction (Working Places) Regulations 1966, it still recognised that there are times when precautions might need to be removed "for the time and to the extent necessary" to do the work.

As a rule of thumb, there should not be a gap of more than 300mm on the inner face of the scaffold through which a brickie (or someone else) could fall.

For various (legitimate) reasons, full scaffolds are usually erected with a gap between the inside and the face of the structure, but this can be protected as and when required, e.g. with the use of hop-ups on the inner face of the scaffold.

So, it's about making decisions as to who can alter the scaffold and when, and then putting it back into its original state when work requiring temporary changes that increase risk is completed. That of course also means making sure that whoever is in charge, usually the Principal Contractor is on top of getting each trade in at the right time.

P

I would suggest the following points to investigate/use to prevent the issue going forward

Review the scaffold specification for the work required

Use of adjustabe transoms can work well in this situation

A service gap of 225mm (maximun) is allowed, however this does not mean that you can have an internal gap over every elevation of the scaffold structure. It will need to be managed as the work progresses

Hopefully this will help solve your issues, however it all comes down to planning and ensuring the scaffod structire built is suitabe for the works you wish to undertake, taking into account that adaptations may well be required during the life of the project.