CONTENTS

Construction Site Safety

5. Part 2. System Scaffolds and
Mobile Towers
System Scaffolds References
HSE publications
Introduction
HSG 150 Health and safety in construction
The majority of safety guidelines and industry
practices have been based, for many years, on HSE Construction information sheet No. 49
traditional tube and fittings scaffolds. However,
prefabricated system scaffolds are now widely
British Standards
used. BS 1139 Part 1 Metal scaffolding
System scaffolds are of a modular layout. They BS 1139 Part 2 Specification for steel and
comprise standards with welded node connectors aluminium couplers
to which ledgers and transoms are fastened,
usually with proprietary wedges or rings (rather BS 1139 Part 5 (HD 1000: 1988)
than loose coupler connections). BS 2482 Specification for timber scaffold boards
There are two types of systems: BS 5973 Code of Practice for access and working
•modular, the most widely used system at scaffolds and special scaffold structures in steel
present, which comprises separate Other references
standards and transoms
CITB: A Guide to Practical Scaffolding
•frames, with both standards and transoms
welded in one unit. The National Association of Scaffolding
Contractors Technical Guidance Note TG5: 91
The safety requirements of system scaffolds are
broadly similar to traditional scaffolds, but there
The Management of Health and
are some significant differences.
Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Legislation These regulations place a requirement on every
employer to make a suitable and sufficient
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
assessment of every work activity including
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations scaffolding; to detect and define any hazard to
1992 employees which might be encountered during
their work, or to any other person who might be
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
affected by their operations.
Regulations 1996
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations 1998
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment
Regulations 1998
The Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999

© Construction Industry Training Board GE 700/5/2

October 1999
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Once those hazards have been identified, it is then
the employer’s duty to put control measures into
place, to remove or reduce those hazards as far
as is reasonably practicable.
Where a hazard is identified that requires it, the
employer must offer health surveillance to
employees, which must be appropriate, taking into
account the risks to their health and safety that
have been identified.
The employer must provide employees with
comprehensible and relevant information of any
risks that exist in the workplace and of any
measures that are in place to reduce those risks.
The employee, in return, has a duty under these
regulations to tell the employer of any work
situation which presents a risk to themselves or
their workmates, or of any matter which affects the
health and safety of themselves or their
workmates.
The Manual Handling Operations
Regulations 1992
Each employer must, as far as is practicable,
avoid the need for employees to carry out any
manual handling operations. Where this is not
possible, the employer must make an assessment
of the work to be carried out and take appropriate
steps to reduce the risk of injury to employees.
Whilst there is an intrinsic need for scaffolders to
handle scaffolding components and fixings,
employers should take this into account when
carrying out manual handling assessments.
Employees, in their turn, must use the safe
systems of work that have been put into place by
their employer.
Reference
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations
1992
For system scaffolds, the majority of the
manufacturers have taken steps to reduce the
weight of individual scaffolding components to
limits which reduce the risk from manual handling.
The heaviest components in the decking have, in
many cases, been reduced to below 25 kg.
5/2/2
FIRST PAGE
The Construction (Health, Safety
and Welfare) Regulations 1996
These Regulations govern all work activities on a
building or construction site. They are less
prescriptive than previous Regulations since there
is less emphasis on specific details and more on
general duties, but the Schedules to this set of
Regulations do contain a number of key
dimensional and prescriptive requirements.
The three pieces of legislation outlined above also
require that the employer provides the employees
with adequate information, instruction and training
to be able to carry out any work task to the best of
their ability and in complete safety.
(For further information see Construction Site
Safety, Module 2, General Safety Legislation)
Basic system scaffolding
considerations
Before the erection of a system scaffold the
following points must be clearly defined:
What is the purpose of the scaffold?
The purpose of the scaffold is to provide a safe
place of work and the configuration of a system
scaffold may vary depending on whether it is for
bricklaying, masonry, refurbishment, glazing or
painting.
Where will it be erected?
Care will be required in the initial setting out of the
system scaffold as far as jack adjustment and the
positioning of fixed length ledgers are concerned.
Measuring the length of the building and the
positioning of standards and ledgers in relation to
door openings will be important.
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Are the ground conditions suitable?
Bay lengths may often differ from those
associated with traditional scaffolding, which may
cause loads to be concentrated in particular spots.
Initial ground inspection and levelling is essential
to reduce the amount of jack levelling and
adjustment required. As with tube and fittings
scaffolds, care should be taken with regards to
manholes, slopes and the general load bearing
capabilities of the area on which the system
scaffold is to be placed.
What materials are to be used?
The spacing of standards and the width of the
working area are prime considerations taking into
account that heavy or bulky materials may be
deposited on the scaffold.
Stability of the scaffold structure
The scaffold structure must be of sufficient
strength and rigidity when erected and, if
appropriate, secured to the structure it surrounds
to ensure that it remains stable.
FIRST PAGE
When adapted or altered, this must be in such a
way to ensure that scaffold structure remains
stable.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Schedule 2(3)
Can safe access to the working place be
provided?
System scaffolds provide a variety of options for
safe access to the working place such as pole
ladders, internal ladder systems or staircase
towers. A decision must be made at an early stage
in order that provision may be made for the
particular type of access required.
How many working platforms will there
be?
Platforms may often be required at every level,
whether or not they are working places (and may
be a requirement in some systems). However, it is
likely that only one or two may be used as working
places, without specific advice or design, due to
the weight of materials on the platforms or the use
to which that platform is being put.
How and where will the scaffold be tied
in?
The pattern of ties and the frequency of their use
will vary between manufacturers, and different
system scaffolds often employ their own
proprietary tie methods in place of the
conventional through ties or Hilti rings. It may be
necessary to tie in different places compared to
traditional scaffolding, so consideration should be
given to the exact locations available.
What bracing will be required?
Ledger bracing is not generally required in system
scaffolds. This has the benefit of providing a clear
walk-through at platform level. However, the
frequency of facade bracing will vary from product
to product, and plan bracing may be required if tie
or anchor positions are not readily achievable.
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CONTENTS
System scaffold specifications
Materials
All scaffold systems should comply with BS 1139
Part 5 (HD 1000:1988)
Components should be free from any weld
defects, bends, distortion, or corrosion, that may
affect the safe functioning of the items. Many
scaffold systems are galvanised, so the risks from
corrosion are reduced.
Fittings employed for tying and adaptations to the
scaffold should be free from worn threads and
damaged bolts.
Foundations
The foundations must be of adequate strength to
support the scaffold structure, any materials
placed on it and the persons working from it.
Because of the difficulty of levelling a system
scaffold as erection progresses, all such scaffolds
should be properly levelled and located at the first
level. If this is done correctly, components should
be vertically self-aligning, but great care must be
taken to check the initial vertical alignment at the
base.
Platform decking
The requirements for platform boarding, in terms
of minimum thickness for a given span, are no
longer applicable.
Types of platform
There are several different types of platform
available for use with system scaffolds:
•conventional scaffold boards (225 mm x
38 mm x 3.9 m) (plus steel and aluminium
versions of similar dimensions)
•timber battens (typically 225 mm x 60 mm x
2.5 m)
•decking platforms of plywood and aluminium
(650 mm x 50 mm x 2.5 m or 3.0 m or
3.5 m)
•steel decking platforms (330 mm x 50 mm x
2.5 m or 3.0 m)
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FIRST PAGE
Spacings
Only scaffold boards, be they timber, steel or
aluminium, require supporting at 1.2 m or 1.5 m
centres. Other decking products have been
generally designed to span distances of up to
3.0 m or 3.5 m. The manufacturers of the various
types of decking will provide specific guidance.
Requirements for scaffold boards
Any scaffold boards used should comply with
BS 2482, or The National Association of
Scaffolding Constructors Technical Guidance
Note TG5: 91. Scaffold boards should not be
warped, twisted, split or badly worn. They should
be banded or nail plated.
Reaction to wind
All scaffold boards or decking platforms should be
secured against the possibility of wind uplift. There
are many fittings and straps to achieve this, but
security against wind uplift is increasingly built into
the platform or automatically into the design of the
supporting scaffold transom.
Platform widths
Whilst the minimum width of a working platform
according to the Regulations is 600 mm, a number
of systems offer options less than the original 5
boards’ width (1300 mm). The width chosen will
depend largely upon the nature of the application,
e.g. bricklaying will not be suitable on a 750 mm
wide scaffold, but painting and cladding may be
well suited to this width.
Other widths will need to be used depending on
the tasks to be carried out.
Ledger bracing
Ledger bracing is not generally required within
system scaffolds due to the inherent stiffness of
the joints. However if the system scaffold exceeds
its design boundaries, e.g. going well beyond the
last tied lift, ledger bracing may well be required for
stability.
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Longitudinal or face bracing
The rules for longitudinal or face bracing will be
determined by the manufacturer, and will vary from
product to product.
Ties
The need for ties with a system scaffold is the
same, in principle, as for a traditional scaffold.
However, a system scaffold has different
characteristics (e.g. its components are shorter
and lighter) so the tie pattern will need to be
supplied by the manufacturer. Again, it may well
vary from product to product.
Increasingly, new methods of tying are being used
to replace conventional through ties or Hilti rings.
The eyebolt and plastic plug type ties are now
widely used to speed productivity on systems.
Sheeting of scaffolds
The rules relating to sheeted or un-sheeted
scaffolds will be determined by the manufacturer,
but companies using system scaffolds should be
in no doubt that additional ties will be required for
sheeted structures.
Access
Pole ladders are still widely used for access within
all types of scaffolding, but steel ladders are also
used. Integral ladder access platforms in
aluminium or steel are now widely available as an
alternative.
Staircase tower structures may be more
appropriate for the movement of both larger
numbers of personnel and for heights in excess of
10 metres.
Concentrated loads
Loading tower structures may be required to
provide specially designed and braced scaffolds
giving support for concentrated loads, e.g. pallets
of bricks or tiles, the weight of which would be
excessive on standard scaffold working platforms.
Where this type of loading tower system scaffold
is erected adjacent to the working scaffold, the two
structures should be securely tied both to each
other and to the building.
FIRST PAGE
Erection of a scaffold
The erection, alteration or dismantling of a scaffold
must be carried out by, or under, the supervision
of a competent person.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Regulation 28
Safe places of work
There must be:
•suitable and sufficient safe access to, and
egress from, every place of work.
•sufficient working space and it must be
suitable for any person working there.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Regulation 5
Falls
Suitable and sufficient steps shall be taken to
prevent any person falling.
When carrying out work at a place from which any
person is likely to fall a distance of two metres or
more, working platforms must be provided with:
•suitable and sufficient guard-rails, toe-boards
and barriers
•a sufficient number of working platforms.
No toe-boards are required if a stairway or rest
platform is provided and used solely for access,
and not for working on or the storage of materials.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Regulation 6
Plant and equipment
Each item of plant and equipment used in
conjunction with any scaffold must be of sound
construction and materials, and must be
sufficiently strong and suitable for the job it has
been designed to do. It must be maintained in
such a condition.
Reference
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations 1998
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Requirements for guard-rails and toe-
boards
Any guard-rail must be suitable, and of sufficient
strength and rigidity. It must be used in such a way
that it is secure and does not become accidentally
displaced.
The structure to which it is attached must be of
sufficient strength to prevent the guard-rail giving
way if any person or object fell against it.
The main guard-rail must be at least 910 mm in
height, with one or more intermediate guard-rails
placed between it and the working platform.
There must not be a gap greater than 470 mm
between any guard-rails, and between the guard-
rails and toe-boards.
Toe-boards must be at least 150 mm in height and
securely fixed to the inside of the frame of the
system scaffold.
As an alternative to intermediate guard-rails, a
substantial guard may be provided but it must be
securely fixed.
Guard-rails, toe-boards or brick-guards must be so
placed as to prevent the fall of any person,
materials or objects from any place of work.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Schedule 1
Stability of working platforms
The working platform must be of sufficient
strength and rigidity. It must be erected and used
in a way that ensures that it does not become
accidentally displaced and endanger persons
working on it or who may be affected by it.
When being dismantled, it must be done in such a
way to prevent any accidental displacement of any
part or member of the scaffold.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Schedule 2(4)
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FIRST PAGE
Safety on working platforms
A working platform must be:
•of sufficient dimensions to permit the free
passage of persons or materials, in addition
to providing a safe working area
•not less than 600 millimetres wide
•constructed to avoid gaps that could cause
injuries, or through which any objects could
fall
•erected, used and maintained to prevent the
risk of slipping or tripping, or any person
being caught between the working platform
and any adjacent structure
•provided with sufficient handholds and
footholds to prevent any person slipping
on, or falling from, the working platform
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Schedule 2(5)
Requirements for ladders
Any ladder used in conjunction with a system
scaffold must be in good condition, of sufficient
strength and be located so that it does not become
displaced. If it is 3 metres or more in length, it
should be secured if practicable. If this not
practicable, a person should be positioned at the
foot of the ladder to prevent it slipping.
The top of the ladder should extend to a sufficient
height, of at least 1 metre, above the platform level
unless alternative means are used to provide a
safe handhold.
If a ladder, or a series of ladders, rises 9 metres or
more, rest platforms or safe landing areas must be
provided.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Schedule 5
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Mobile Towers
The use of lightweight aluminium mobile towers on
construction sites is a popular alternative to
traditional tube and fittings towers. However, these
systems have some limitations, and should only
be used when they satisfy the general site
requirements.
Legislation
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations
1992
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations 1998
The Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999
References
HSE publications
HSG 150 Health and safety in construction
Tower scaffolds: construction information sheet
N.10 (Revision 3)
FIRST PAGE
British Standards
BS 1139 Part 3 (HD 1004)
Specification for prefabricated mobile access and
working towers
Other references
CITB: Video production VID 035 Dead Simple – 7
steps to safety
PASMA (Prefabricated Aluminium Scaffolding
Manufacturers Association) Code of Practice
General conditions and provisions
The same points that arise from The Construction
(Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 for
scaffolds apply to mobile towers but, in addition,
the following points should be particularly noted:
Materials
Mobile towers may be constructed from steel, but
are principally of aluminium.
All components must be free from any welding
defects, dents, bends or distortion, or any
corrosion that could prevent their safe use.
Platform boards must be free from holes and
delamination.
Verticality
With tower systems, if properly levelled and
located at the first level, components should be
vertically self-aligning, but care should be taken to
check vertical alignment at the base.
Basic aluminium mobile tower
components
Five different items go to make up a basic mobile
aluminium tower:
•frames
•braces
•platforms
•legs
•castors
A risk assessment should be carried out to
determine whether or not a mobile aluminium
tower scaffold is suitable for its intended purpose.
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CONTENTS
Construction of mobile towers
All mobile tower structures should be properly
constructed and safely used.
Any person erecting a mobile tower should be
competent in its erection and have received
adequate training or, if not fully competent, be
under the supervision of an experienced and
competent person.
Preparation and planning
All aluminium mobile towers are work equipment
and, as such, come under the requirements of
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations 1998. As this work equipment is used
on site, the requirements of the Construction
(Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996
also apply, which will dictate the need for
inspections and the subsequent need for a report
to be made.
Preparation
Before the erection of any mobile tower the
following points must be clearly addressed:
•Where will the tower be built?
•Is safe access available?
•How many platform levels are required?
•Will they all be working levels?
•What loadings are to be imposed?
•Are the ground conditions suitable?
•Will the tower be tied in or independent?
A report is not necessary, however, in respect of
any mobile tower, unless it has remained erected
in the same place for a period of 7 days or more.
Prior to assembly
Check that all the components are present and
undamaged. Ensure that they are all from the
same manufacturer/supplier, and are for the same
type of tower.
Castors should have a functioning locking device,
that should always be applied whilst the tower is
stationary.
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FIRST PAGE
Adjustable legs are only to be used for levelling,
and not to gain additional height. If additional
height is needed then a further lift should be
added, providing this is within the manufacturer’s
height limitations.
Stability
The stability requirements of BS 1139 (Part 3)
determine that the original height to base ratios
(3½:1 for towers used inside a building, or 3:1 for
towers used outside) are no longer sufficient. The
overturning and wind calculations have been
investigated and interpreted by individual
manufacturers and guidance must be sought from
the details which will be found within the
accompanying assembly guides.
However, as general guidance, it should be
assumed that stabilisers will be required in all
cases if an aluminium tower is to have a working
platform higher than 3 metres in height.
With aluminium towers, stability is an important
issue and there are a number of other factors that
should cause concern:
•sloping ground
•sheeting
•over-reaching
•percussion and drilling tools
•lifting materials
•cantilevers
Placing steps, ladders etc. on the working platform
of a mobile tower to gain additional height is
particularly dangerous and should be prohibited.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Regulation 30(6)(a)
Inspection and reporting
Where the tower constitutes a working platform, it
must be inspected:
•before being taken into use for the first time
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•after any substantial addition, dismantling or
other alteration
•after any event which is likely to have affected
its strength or stability
•at regular intervals not exceeding 7 days
since the last inspection
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Schedule 7
Plant and equipment
All plant and equipment used in connection with a
mobile tower must be of sound construction and
materials, and of sufficient strength and suitability.
It should also be maintained in such condition.
Reference
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations 1998
Training
Those persons concerned with the erection,
alteration or dismantling of mobile towers must be
in possession of the appropriate training,
knowledge or experience, or be supervised by a
competent person who has received such training.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Regulation 28
Requirements for working
platforms
Safe places of work
There must be a suitable and sufficient safe
access to, and egress from, every place of work,
along with sufficient working space.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Regulation 5
FIRST PAGE
The stability of the structure
Any surface on which a mobile tower structure is
erected or rests must be stable, and of sufficient
strength to support the structure and its loads.
Foundations must be adequate to support the
structure and, if appropriate, the tower must be
built on sole plates sufficient to disperse the load.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Schedule 2
The mobile tower structure must be of sufficient
strength and rigidity for the work to be done safely.
It must be secured and, if appropriate, have
outriggers added to ensure that it remains stable
whilst both erected and being worked from. The
structure must then be dismantled in such a way
that ensures that any part does not become
accidentally displaced.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Schedule 2
Falls
Suitable and sufficient steps must be taken to
prevent any person falling from a place of work.
Where that person is likely to fall a distance of two
metres or more, those steps must include the
provision of:
•guard-rails, intermediate guard-rails, toe-
boards, barriers, substantial brick-guards or
similar means of protection
•a sufficient number of working platforms.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Regulation 6
Platform widths
Working platforms must comply with the minimum
600 mm platform width required by The
Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996, but will normally be such that
they will be supplied with the tower components
and naturally fit the dimensions of the tower.
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CONTENTS
A working platform must be:
•of sufficient dimensions to permit the free
passage of persons or materials, and
provide a safe working area without
excessive gaps through which any objects
could fall
•must not be less than 600 millimetres wide
•must be erected, used and maintained to
prevent the risk of slipping or tripping.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Schedule 5 (a)(b)(c)(d) and (e)
Requirements for guard-rails and toe-
boards
Any guard-rail, toe-board or barrier must be
suitable, of sufficient strength and rigidity, and be
used in such a way that it is secure and does not
become accidentally displaced.
The structure to which it is attached must be of
sufficient strength to prevent it giving way if any
person or object fell against it.
The main guard-rail must be at least 910 mm in
height, with one or more intermediate guard-rails
placed between it and the working platform.
There must not be a gap greater than 470 mm
between any guard-rails, and between the guard-
rails and toe-boards.
Toe-boards must be at least 150 mm in height and
securely fixed to the inside of the frame of the
system scaffold.
As an alternative to intermediate guard-rails, a
substantial guard may be provided but it must be
securely fixed.
Guard-rails, toe-boards or brick-guards must be so
placed as to prevent the fall of any person,
materials or objects from any place of work.
No toe-boards will be required if a stairway or rest
platform is provided and used solely for access,
and not for working from or storing materials.
Reference
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996 Schedule 1
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FIRST PAGE
Facade bracing
The bracing within an aluminium mobile tower is
usually an integral part of the design, but users
must follow the supplier’s instructions on the
number required, location and correct fitting.
Ties
If steel mobile towers are to be tied in, the rules for
normal scaffolding apply.
With aluminium towers, greater care should be
taken to avoid the couplers causing damage to the
thin wall tubing and, accordingly, only special
couplers should be used. Rules on the vertical
frequency of ties will be supplied by the
manufacturer or supplier.
Access
Under no circumstances must any attempt be
made to climb up the outside end frames of a
mobile tower, as this may make the structure
unstable. It is only safe to climb up the inside
where the frame has a properly designed, built-in
ladder.
Under no circumstances should a ladder of any
description be leaned against the outside of a
mobile tower. To do so would cause the tower to
become unstable and add to the overturning
moment of the tower.
There are several purpose-designed types of
internal access for mobile scaffold towers. These
include:
•built-in ladders
•vertical ladders
•inclined ladders
•stairways or stair-ladders
With steel scaffold components, where access is
provided via an internally-secured ladder, care
should be taken with the means of access into the
working platform level, as this will usually be
through a hatch in the working platform. Once
access has been gained, the hatch should be
replaced and remain shut until someone needs to
leave the working platform.
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General safe use guidelines

Always follow the supplier’s or manufacturer’s
instructions which will be contained in the
assembly guide, which should be issued with each
tower.
Access
Ensure that an appropriate ladder or stairway
access is provided to the mobile tower. If materials
are to be carried up the tower to the working
platform, particular care should be taken. If
feasible, raise materials within the tower structure.
However, if this is not possible, ensure that any
materials are raised within the base area of the
Overhead electrical lines
tower or, where fitted, within the area delineated by
the extremities of the outriggers. Mobile towers should never be erected in close
proximity to overhead electrical power lines.
Moving towers
Wind
Do not attempt to move tall, fully-erected towers.
Reduce to a safe height appropriate to the ground Aluminium structures are very vulnerable to wind
conditions. factors and if the wind speed reaches 25 mph, the
tower should be tied into a rigid structure. If there
Watch for potholes and obstructions.
is a possibility of the wind reaching speeds
Move from the base by manual methods, not by approaching or in excess of 40 mph, the tower
vehicle. should be safely dismantled beforehand.

No persons or materials must be on the structure Operators should be aware of high winds in
during movement. exposed, gusty or medium breeze conditions.

Caution must be exercised when wheeling a tower
over rough, uneven or sloping ground, taking care
to unlock and lock the castors as necessary. If
stabilisers are fitted, they should only be lifted
sufficiently above the ground to clear obstructions.
The height of a tower when being moved should
not exceed 2½times the minimum base dimension.
It is recommended by manufacturers that if the
wind reaches speeds over 7.7 metres per second
(17 miles per hour) that all work should cease on
the tower.
You should also be aware of open ended buildings
which can cause a funnelling effect.

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Wind Force Description Wind Effect Locally Speed Speed

Number of Wind mph m/sec
0 Calm Calm, smoke rises vertically 1 0–1
1 Light air Direction of wind shown by smoke drift, but 1–3 1–2
not by wind or weather vanes
2 Light breeze Wind felt on face. Leaves rustle. Wind or 4–7 2–3
weather vanes move
3 Gentle breeze Leaves and small twigs in constant motion. 8–12 3–5
Wind extends light flags
4 Moderate Wind raises dust and loose paper. Small 13–18 5–8
breeze branches move
5 Fresh breeze Small trees in leaf begin to sway. Little 19–24 8–11
crested wavelets form on inland waters
6 Strong breeze Large branches in motion. Umbrellas used 25–31 11–14
with some difficulty
7 Near gale Whole trees in motion. Becoming difficult to 32–38 14–17
walk against the wind
8 Gale Twigs break off trees. Progress is generally 39–46 17–21
impeded
9 Strong gale Chimney pots, slates and tiles may be 47–54 21–24
blown off. Other slight structural damage
may be caused

Overloading
The capacity of each platform and tower structure
is often shown on labels attached to the frame of
the mobile tower, or will be in the manufacturer’s
assembly guide. Never exceed the recommended
loading levels as this may well cause the tower to
become unstable.
Incomplete towers
Where the proper erection of a mobile tower has
not been completed, it should not be left
unattended without the display of a notice stating:
Training
Training for any operation on a construction or
building site is a requirement of the Regulations.
Adequate training must be provided for
scaffolding, or any other task where any risk to
health and safety of employees or other persons
affected by their actions is present.
This applies equally to mobile towers, and training
courses are available from the CITB, from
manufacturers and suppliers. Certificates should
be provided as proof of training.

Incomplete.
This scaffold should not be used.

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