About Scaffold
Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes or tubes, although it can be made out of other materials.
The Berlin Foundry Cup depicts scaffolding in ancient Greece (early fifth century BC). The ancient Egyptians, Nubians and Chinese are also recorded as having used scaffolding-like structures to build tall buildings. The ancient Africans have also used wooden scaffoldings to support mosques.
This European Standard specifies performance requirements and methods of structural and general design for access and working scaffolds. Requirements given are for scaffold structures that rely on the adjacent structures for stability. In general these requirements also apply to other types of working scaffolds.
The purpose of a working scaffold is to provide a safe place of work with safe access suitable for the work being done. This document sets out performance requirements for working scaffolds. These are substantially independent of the materials of which the scaffold is made. The standard is intended to be used as the basis for enquiry and design.
This the requirements of BS EN 12811-1. TG20 is largely based on BS 5973 with extracts taken directly from the old code, it also uses permissible stress design method. However, TG20 received a mixed response from the UK industry and as a result TG20 is being re-written and the new version is due for release sometime in 2008. This is the reason for the ‘limbo’ situation. Until the release of the revised TG20 the HSE continue to allow scaffold to be built in accordance with BS 5973.
