Temporary works companion content
On this page:
News and legislation
BS 5975 is currently going through consultation. To keep informed of progress, follow these British Standards Institution standards development pages:
BS 5975-1 Code of Practice for Temporary Works – Procedures, General Information and Design of Falsework. Part 1: Management procedures for the control of temporary works
BS 5975-2 Code of Practice for Temporary Works – Procedures, General Information and Design of Falsework. Part 2: The design of falsework
Temporary works document templates
These templates are designed to support the exercises from the training courses and represent what is typically required from such documents:
- Design brief (PDF, 715KB)
- Temporary works register (PDF, 708KB)
- Inspection checklist and record (PDF, 1.2MB)
- Design and checks certificate (PDF, 708KB)
- Permit to load (PDF, 667KB)
- Permit to unload (PDF, 661KB)
It can be helpful to see forms used ‘in action’ to understand the level and type of information that is expected. These forms are completed examples based on the blank templates above. They are based on a scenario that is outlined in the first document in this list.
- Completed example - Scenario brief (PDF, 96KB)
- Completed example - Design brief (PDF, 130KB)
- Completed example - Temporary works register (PDF, 172KB)
- Completed example - Inspection checklist and record (PDF, 139KB)
- Completed example - Design and checks certificate (PDF, 161KB)
- Completed example - Permit to load (PDF, 157KB)
- Completed example - Permit to unload (PDF, 189KB)
The following forms may apply to any construction project, they are therefore relevant to temporary works. These forms come from a wider collection of checklists and forms that accompany the GE700 publication.
A simplified temporary works flowchart has been developed with the support of Andun Engineering Consultants, the flowchart breaks the project steps down into:
- Role appointment
- Process
- Key TW document
Download a copy of the simplified flowchart (PDF, 163KB)
The full flowchart, on which this is based, can be found at http://andun.co.uk/temporary-works-flowchart.
Case studies
This below accordion contains links to articles relating to 11 key incidents, that trainers may choose to develop into case studies or scenarios to support exercises or the wider scheme of work.
Download all case studies as PDF documents (Zip, 15.26MB)
1972 | London Bridge, Reading
2000 | Cardiff
- Firms fined over scaffolding collapse, BBC News Wales
- Cardiff Scaffold Collapse Dec 2000, Scaff Mag
- Scaffold collapse – Cardiff, Safetyphoto.co.uk
2004 | Singapore
- Nicoll Highway collapse, Singapore Government Agency Website
- Revisiting lessons learned from the Nicoll highway Collapse, Scaff Mag
- The collapse of the Nicoll Highway_SCOSS (PDF, 163KB)
2008 | Stroud
- Risk management briefing, Construction Industry Council (PDF, 26KB)
- First corporate manslaughter conviction delivers £385,000 penalty, SHPonline
2011 | Great Yarmouth
2011 | Battersea
2016 | Watford
- Company fined after worker paralysed by fall at Watford Football Stadium, SHPonline
- Revealed raft of safety failings that led to tragic Watford Stadium collapse
2017 | Cricklewood
2017 | Luton
2019 | Bristol
- Rail line closed after 4,000t replacement bridge gets stuck in mud, New Civil Engineer
- Gipsy Patch Lane mega-bridge move runs into trouble on soft ground, Stoke Gifford Journal
2021 | Warrington
- Scaffolding collapses onto train line throwing services into chaos, Cheshire Live
- Scaffolding collapse causes travel chaos, Scaff Mag
- RIDDOR dangerous occurrence scaffold failure, Network Rail (PDF, 91KB)
Further Reading
The below accordion contains a selection of further reading that includes standards and guidance. Where the document is freely available a direct link has been included.
Andun: https://andun.co.uk/
British Standards Institution (BSI): https://shop.bsigroup.com
- BS 5975:2019 Code of practice for temporary works procedures and the permissible stress design of falsework
- BS 7121, Parts 1 to 14, Code of practice for safe use of cranes
- BS EN 12811-4:2013 Temporary works equipment - Protection fans for scaffolds. Performance requirements and product design
- BS EN 12812:2008 Falsework. Performance requirements and general design.
CIRIA: www.ciria.org
- C579 (2003). Retention of masonry façades – Best practice guide
- C589 (2003). Retention of masonry façades – best practice site handbook
CITB Shop: Construction site safety – The comprehensive guide (GE700)
In particular:
- oBook C: General safety (Chapters 04, 07 and 09)
- oBook D: High risk activities
- oBook F: Specialist activities (Chapter 03).
CITB: CDM guidance for designers
Concrete Centre: www.concretecentre.com/Publications-Software.aspx
Concrete Society: www.concrete.org.uk
- CS030 (2012). Formwork – A guide to good practice. Third edition.
Construction Plant Hire Association: https://www.cpa.uk.net
- Ground Conditions for Construction Plant (2014). Good practice guide
- Definition of Engineering Terms Relating to Piling, Excavations and Temporary Works Design (STIG TIN 201)
CONSTRUCT: https://construct.org.uk/toolkit_category/technical-formwork/
- CSG005: Guide to the safe use of formwork and falsework (2008)
HSE: www.hse.gov.uk
- L153: Managing health and safety in construction, Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Guidance on Regulations
- CIS56, Safe erection, use and dismantling of falsework
- HSG48, Reducing error and influencing behaviour
- RR834 (2011) Preventing catastrophic events in construction
- HSG150 Health and safety in construction
- SIM 02/2010/04 The management of temporary works in the construction industry
HMSO:
ICE Publishing: www.icevirtuallibrary.com
- Pallett, PF and Filip, R (2018). Temporary Works: Principles of Design and Construction. Second edition
- McAleenan, C and Oloke, D (2010). ICE Manual of Health and Safety in Construction
- Hewlett, W., Jones, A., Marchand, S. and Bell, B (2014). Re-visiting Bragg to keep UK's temporary works safe under EuroNorms
The Institution of Structural Engineers: https://www.istructe.org
NASC: www.nasc.org.uk/information
- TG20:21: Good practice guidance for tube and fitting scaffolding
- TG9:18: Guide to the design and construction of temporary roofs and buildings
Pallett Temporary Works Limited: http://www.temporaryworks.info
Steel Construction: http://www.steelconstruction.org
The Structural Engineer: www.istruct.org/journal
These largely reference to permanent works but the principles apply to temporary works.
- Carpenter, J. (2003). Practical application of risk management, The Structural Engineer, 15 July 2003, pp.19–20
- Carpenter, J. (2010) A simple approach to the management of risk on civil and structural engineering projects: how to get on with ERIC, The Structural Engineer, 7 April 2010, p.20
Temporary Works forum: www.twforum.org.uk/home (see ‘Resources’)
- TW16.005 Rev A. TWf Information Sheet No. 2 – Temporary works training
- TW19.010. TWf Information Sheet No. 6 – The safe management of temporary works
- TW21.081. TWf Information Sheet No. 13 – PAS 91, Construction prequalification questionnaires – Supplementary questions specific to temporary works
- TW17.037. Principles for the management of temporary loads, temporary conditions and temporary works during the construction process
- TW11.027, Rev F. Competencies of the TWC
- TW19.065/TWf2019:03. Temporary Works Procedure: Sample
Temporary works: references (up to end of February 2020)
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