Taking the Lead and Challenging the Future Together

Guidance Notes of Good

Contracting Practice

Scoffolding

Offshore Contractors’ Association

58 Queens Road
Aberdeen AB15 4YE

Telephone: 01224 326070

email: info@oca-online.co.uk

www.oca-online.co.uk
 INDEX
1. Int rodu ction ……………………………………..………
……………………………………..………...
... 3

2. Resp onsi biliti es ……………………………………………

…………………………………………….. 4
2.1 Init iator of access requirem ent .……………...…
.……………...……..4
…..4
2.2 Scaffolding Forem an ……………………….………..
……………………….……….. 4
2.3 Scaffold / Access
Access plat form user …………….……….5
…………….……….5
2.4 Project Support (onshore & offshore) …..…………..
…..…………..5

3. Risk Assessm ent …………………………

…………………………………………
……………… 7
3.1 In trod ucti on … ………………………………………
………………………………………7
3.2 Man ual H and ling …………………………………….
…………………………………….9
3.3 Raising and Lowering of Materials …………………1
…………………10

4. Fall Arrest Eq uip men t ………………………………...…..

………………………………...….. 12
4.1 Insp ection and use of Fall Arrest
Arrest Equ ipment ……...
……... 12
4.2 Working at H eigh t …………………………………..
………………………………….. 13
4.3 N ASC Guid ance N ote SG4:00 ………………………
……………………… 15
4.4 Rescu e Plan ………………………………
……………………………………….….1
……….….16
6

5. Conven tion al Scaffolding ……………………….………….

……………………….………….17
17
5.1 Scaffolding Tu be…………………………………
be…………………………………….
…. 17
5.2 Scaffold Board …………………………
……………………………………….
……………. 18
5.3 Fit ting : Dou ble Coup ler …………………………….
…………………………….18
5.4 Fit ting : Single Coup ler ……………………………...
……………………………...19
5.5 Fit tin g : Swivel Coup ler ……………………………..
…………………………….. 19
5.6 Fit ting : Sleeve Coup ler ……………………………..
…………………………….. 20
5.7 Fit tin g : Base Plat e …………………….……………
…………………….…………… 20
5.8 Fit ting : Gravlock ……………………………………
…………………………………… 21
5.9 Fittin g : Band & Plate ……………………
………………………...……
…...…….. 21
21
5.10 Tim ber Pole Lad der …………………………………
…………………………………22
5.11 Ligh tweigh t Plat form Stagin gs …………………….
……………………. 22
5.12
5.12 Ladder / Un it (Lattice ) Beams ……………
…………………….
………. 23
5.13 Type s of Scaffold Struct ure …………………………
…………………………..24

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 5.14 Desi gned Scaffold Struct ures ………………………. 29
5.15 Scaffolds Requiring Design En gineering Inp ut ……29
5.16 Ladd er Access ………………………………………..30
5.17 Life Du ratio n of Ere cted Scaffold …………………..36

6. Oth er Access Systems …………………………..………... 37

6.1 Syste m Scaffold ………………………………………37
6.2 Alumini um/ GRP Tower Systems …………………..38
6.3 Mechanical Elevated Work Platforms
(mechanica l mobile plant) …………...……………...40
6.4 Rop e Access ………………………………………….40

7. Mater ial Storag e …………………………………..………. 41

7.1 Insp ection & Storage of Scaffold Material ………….41
7.2 Insp ection Details : Scaffold Fittin g ………………..42
7.3 In spect ion Deta ils : Scaffold Board ……...………….42
7.4 Insp ection Details : Scaffold Tub e ………………….43
7.5 Insp ection Details : Pole Ladder ……………………43
7.6 Illus trat ion of Rack Capa city ………………………..44
7.7 Tu be & Fit ting Self Weight s…………………………45

8. Inspect ion & Taggin g ………………………….………… 46

8.1 Insp ection / Taggin g ………………………………..46
8.2 In spect ion Tag s ...…………………………...……….48

9. Oversid e Working ……………………………..…………. 49

9.1 Rest rictio ns …………………………………………..49
9.2 Man nin g …………………………………….………..49

10. Comp eten ce & Trai nin g ………………………………….. 50

11. Legisla tion and Referen ces ………………………………. 51

12. Cont ribu tors ………………………………………………. 54

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 1. INTRODUCTION

Member companies of the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) provide

scaffolding access services to the Offshore Oil and Gas industry.
Over the years various means of access have been introduced into the
offshore oil and gas industry, including system scaffolding, aluminium
scaffolding and roped access. This document is intended as guidance for
member companies, their clients and contractors as to the various types of
Bill Abbott Steve Black access available. Advice as to the appropriateness of particular access
The Rigblast Group Lt d Salamis (Marine & Industrial) L td systems should be sought from those member companies of OCA, which
provide access services.

Scope

This guidance is intended for the users and providers of temporary access
Keith McMillan systems on oil and gas installations operating on the United Kingdom
Cape Industrial Services L td Contin ental Shelf. Additional risk assessment may be required for floating
installations.

Objectives

To provide guidance on types of temporary access available to companies

Graham Morrison requiring access to work faces, which do not have permanent access.
H ealth and Safety E xecutive To provide guidance on health and safety issues arising from the provision
Joe Bogan and use of temporary access systems, such as risk assessment, manual
SGB Powerchem handling and overside working.
To list relevant legislation and other sources of information.

Robin McKenzie
The Rigblast Group L td

Doug Sheal
Salamis (Marine & Industrial) L td

Gail Amey
Offshore Contractors A ssociation

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2. RESPONSIBILITIES
The following is a broad set of responsibilities for the key positions in any
scaffolding / access environment . It is recommended that they be used as
the basis for the development of local rules that more specifically define the
key interfaces and responsibilities at a specific location.
2.1 Initiator of access requirement
This recent Directive is expected to be incorporated into UK law by
2004 by amending the regulations to describe a preferred hierarchy
of access systems as between scaffolding, ladders and rope access
and the arrangements for their use. Compliance with the minimum
requirements is designed to ensure a better standard of health and
safety for workers in the use of work equipment provided for
temporary work at a height.

For every scaffold / access platfor m erected there will be an initiator , who
will request the scaffold in order to comp lete a scope of work or service. T he 10. Oth er Applicable Regulation s include:
initiator therefore has a number of responsibilities to fulfil to assist in the safe
and efficient erection of any access structure: ⇒ Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
1994 (COSHH ). These require employers to protect
• Formally notify the Scaffolding Foreman of access requirement.
workers’ hearing form exposure to noise at work.
• Accurately define the scope of the access requirements, to assist the
scaffolding contractor in ensuring that the structure is ‘fit for ⇒ Noise at Work Regulations 1989 (NAWR). These require
purpose’ on erection. employers to protect workers’ hearing from exposure to
• Ensure that reasonable timescales are provided to allow sufficient pre noise at work.
task planning and risk assessment to be carried out by the Scaffolding
Foreman. ⇒ Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAWR). These
require employers, employees and self-employed workers to
2.2 Scaffolding Foreman prevent risks of injury from electrical equipment and
systems.
The Scaffolding Foreman / Chargehand will be the central focus for all
access activities. This ensures that one central point is utilised to co-or dinate
all aspects of access management, redu cing risk and in creasing efficiency. 11. Step Change in Safety Task Risk Assessment Guide.
The following responsibilities ensue:
This document gives comprehensive guidelines of the completion of
⇒ Arrange appropriate Permit to Work compliance at all times. task risk assessment.
⇒ Co-ordinate the completion of task risk assessments and toolbox 12. CONTRIBUTORS
talks to relay information and instructions to the working party.
⇒ Ensure that any potential conflicts of activities are addressed during
the pre job planning.
⇒ Request Design Engineer assistance if access requirements are not
within the parameters of BS5973 or the company’s Technical
Manual.
⇒ Ensure that sufficient materials are readily available to complete
workscopes.
⇒ Allocate personnel to the task ensuring competencies and numbers
are sufficient to complete tasks safely.
⇒ Handover completed scaffold structure to initiator / end user.
⇒ Ensure that a competent person is available to conduct statutory 7-
day inspections and to maintain the inspection tags and scaffold
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5. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerou s
Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDO R)
These require employers to notify certain injuries, diseases and
dangerous events.
6. The Manual H andling Operation s Regulations 1992
These require employers to assess and control the risks to their
employees from manual handling. The employer should avoid the
need for hazardous manual handling, assess the risks of injury from
manual handling that can not be avoided and reduce the risks of
injury, as far as reasonable practicable.
7. Lifting Operations and Lifting Equ ipment Regulations 1998
(LOLER)
LOLER require that where the scaffolding is erected using lifting
equipment the equipment is strong and stable enough for the
particular use and marked to indicate safe working loads, positioned
and installed to minimise any risks, used safely ie the work is
planned, organised and performed by competent people and subject
to ongoing thorough examination and inspection by competent
people.
8. Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 1992
The primary purpose of these Regulations is to reduce risks to the
offshor e workfor ce from major accident hazards, It also requires
arrangements to be in place for the verification of safety critical
elements and to show that risks are as low as reasonably practicable
(ALARP). Where scaffolding offshore is left in place for any length
of time, for example, the effects of increased congestion in
increasing blast overpressures may need to be considered.
9. Temp orary Work Act H eight Directive 2001
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⇒ Make adequate provisions available (labour) for the safe dismantle of
access structures.
⇒ Follow local rules relating to ‘adverse weather’ policy.
2.3 Scaffold / Access platform user
To ensure that th e scaffolding / access platform is maintained to as safe a
standard as practical, the user has these key responsibilities:
⇒ Conduct a task risk assessment (TRA) for the activities to be carried
out o n th e scaffolding structure.
⇒ Identify and manage any conflicting activities that occur when using the
scaffolding / access structure.
⇒ Ensure that t he scaffold is ‘fit for purp ose’ for the intended workscope.
Any alterations to t he structure should b e requested to t he scaffolding
foreman.
⇒ Notify the scaffolding foreman of any changes to the scaffold due to
weather, damage or collision.
⇒ Maintain a high level of housekeeping / tidiness whilst working on th e
access platform and when leaving the worksite unattended.
⇒ Formally notify the scaffold foreman when work on scaffold has
ceased, ensuring the access platform is left in an acceptable condition.
2.4 Project Support (onshore & offshore)
Project support function provides technical support to the scaffolding
foreman to carry out their duties. Responsibilities include: -
⇒ Providing a Safe System of Work, in conjunction with the client.
⇒ Ensuring that the quality of the equipment supplied for erecting the
scaffold / access structur es meets the relevant standards.
⇒ Providing the Scaffold Foreman with suitably trained and competent
personnel to complete the workscopes safely.
⇒ Providing access to competent design engineers.
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Flowchart of Key Responsibilities. OCA Revision of Offshore Scaffold Guidance Regulations

1. H ealth and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (H SW Act)

Initiator Requests
Scaffold access This act covers nearly all the safety regulations in Great Britain both
onsh ore and offshor e (see below). The Act places general duties on
employers to ensure, so far as is reasonable practicable, the health
Scaffold foreman
and safety of their employees and others who may be affected by
Surveys
workscope their und ertaking (HSW Act sections 2 and 3). Th ese general duties
are supported by the specific requirements of the supporting
Regulations.
Does scaffold
require a design?
(I.e. outwith the Yes Request design 2. Application Outs ide Great Britain Order 2001 (AOGBO)
parameters of drawing from Design
BS5973 or Engineer
This order is an amendment of the earlier Order that applies most of
Technical Manual)
the regulations made under the HSW Act to offshore installations,
No Develop a design pipeline works and connected activities in the territorial waters
drawing
Requisition outside the mainland of Great Britain. As well as these general
Materials regulations, there are also some offshore-specific regulations made
under the Act.
Erect Scaffold
3. Management of H ealth and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
(MH SWR)
Scaffold inspected
by a competent
person These contain general duties to carry out risk assessment, undertake
appropriate health surveillance and arrange appropriate information
Scaffold Register &
Inspection Tag Handover to end and training for employees.
maintained user
4. Provision and Use of Work Equ ipment Regulations 1998
Statutory (PUWER)
Inspection
PUWER contains general duties covering the selection of suitable
Job complete, work equipment and its maintenance and information, training and
scaffold foreman instruct ion for workers. The equipment to which PUWER applies is
notified to
dismantle scaffold wide, covering mobile equipment such as scaffolding as well as fixed
plant. PUWER also cover the contr ol of hazards such as instability
and contact with dangerous parts of machinery and hot and cold
surfaces.

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 3. RI SK ASSESSME N T
requisite skills, knowledge and understanding to enable them to perform
their work tasks to an appropriate standard, and also ensures that those skills
are maintained and enhanced. 3.1 Introduction

A competency process ensures that:
♦ Competent persons are employed
♦ Evidence of competency can be provided to the client
♦ Evidence of competency can be provided to the regulatory
authorities
♦ Training needs are identified and appropriate training programmes
implemented
It is acknowledged that, whilst training imparts knowledge, the employee
must be given the opportunity to put this knowledge into practice, in order
to develop the requisite skills and achieve the standard required in the work
place.
A scaffolding activity risk assessment together with a task based risk
assessment must be carried out prior to the erection or dismantling of a
scaffold and must involve the persons carrying out the task. (See Risk
Assessment Flow Chart).
The control room via the permit to work system must ensure that all hazards
in the area of the task location are clearly identified and communicated to
the persons carrying out the t ask.
The success of a Task Risk Assessment will depend on the method of
communication to the workforce. Those carrying out the task must be fully
aware and thoroughly understand, the hazards and the precautions put in
place. Open two-way dialogue should take place at a meeting prior to
starting the task, these meetings are referred to as toolbox talks.

Failure by management to provide a safe system of work, and failure by The toolbox talk should fulfil four functions:
employees to adhere to procedure, may result in serious injury.
1. Give everyone involved in the task a thor ough understand ing of the
It is recommended that employers have in place procedures for the erection activity details involved in the task, both their own and that of
and dismantling of scaffold structures. Section 11 of this guidance contains others. The potential hazards should be identified for each stage of
further references to legislation, standards and codes of practice relating to the task.
access.
The control measures to be put in place to mitigate the hazards and
It is recommended that scaffolders hold a recognised qualification, which the individual actions and responsibilities at various stages of the
demonstrates the level of skills and competence attained, through training task should be established for each specific project.
and examination. The Construction Industry Training Board, CITB, is the
lead body in the provision of scaffold training. The Engineering 2. Provide the opportunity for those involved in the task to identify
Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) is also a recognised body, any further hazards and control measures which may have been
which provide scaffolding qualifications based on continuous assessment and overlooked in the initial assessment.
competency. It is further recommended that employers have in place a
programme of continuous assessment, in order to demonstrate t hat skills are 3. Reach agreement of the whole work team on whether or not to
maintained and training needs identified. proceed with the task. If agreement cannot be reached, THE JOB
SHOULD NOT BE STARTED.
Recommended Training
4. Make clear to all involved that should conditions or personnel
11. LEGISLATION & REFE REN CES change or assumptions made when planning the job prove false,
they should re-assess the situation and, if in any doubt, THE JOB
Scaffolder (CITB) Basic & Advanced SHOULD BE STOPPED.
Inspector (CITB) Advance or Inspector s
For these reasons a toolbox talk should be held at or near the worksite, and
Scaffolder (In-h ouse) Scaffold Awareness, Compon ent Ident ification should include all people involved in the work and those who may be
Helper Manual Handling, Material Quality, etc. affected by it.
COPYRIGHT © 2002 OCA COPYRIGHT © 2002 OCA
 When new team members join the team, the same communication should be
given to them. The guidance below has been developed to act as a checklist of activities that
require to be considered and/ or actioned when working overside:-
Once the team is satisfied that all hazards have been identified and that
suitable controls have been put in place to reduce the risk to an acceptable • Valid Permit to work is available for the task in hand
level, they can then undertake the task. • Task specific risk assessments are conducted for each individual
overside job. “Take 5 principles” are encouraged as the mechanism to
address any changes to the workscope.
Risk Assessment Flow Chart • Stand-by vessel is available at all times when working overside.
• Radio contact is maintained with the stand-by vessel at all times.
• Fall arrest system is in place including training to the scaffolding
Break tasks into component parts to
operatives, rescue arrangements for working overside to be detailed on
identify activities to be assessed
a rescue plan.
Identify any hazards • Twin chamber, self-inflating lifejackets are worn at all times when
working overside.
• Any overside scaffold that is outwith the parameters of BS 5973 and/ or
Identify who hazards could affect
company technical manuals, is designed by a competent design
engineer.
Using risk ratings – determine level • Weather restrictions are advised by the standby vessel captain.
of risk
Overside working during the hours of darkness will only be undertaken in
yes
Is risk significant? no E X T R E M E emergency situations and with a suitable & sufficient task risk
assessment in place.
Identify and evaluate
current control measures
Is
Issignificant
significantrisk
riskalready
already 9.2 Manning
no
yes adequate ly controlled?
adequately controlled?
Recommended minimum manning for overside scaffolding works:-
Review/ revise existing control m easures
or identify/ implement new preventative • Two competent scaffolders overside
and protective measures • One competent scaffolder providing materials for overside workers.
• One competent radio operator. (Must have valid training on the radio
communication equipment on board)
Evaluate controls 10. COMPETE NCE & TRAININ G

yes no
Is
Isrisk
risknow
nowacceptable?
acceptable? A competency and training process ensures that employees have the

Implement controls

Record findings of risk assessment

and set d ate for review

Monitor and review

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9.1 Restrictions 3.2 Manual Handling

The manual handling of scaffold components on offshore oil and gas

installations is commonplace because of restricted access for mechanical
handling aids. In practice, this results in scaffold components being man-
handled from storage racks to worksites, often at different levels on the
installation and often, at outside locations, in inclement weather e.g. high
winds. Manual Handling risks can be reduced by the use of lightweight
system scaffold, where feasible (see section 6). The manual handling
operations regulations apply to all employers in respect of their employees at
work and others who may be affected. Manual handling operations are
defined as the transporting or supporting of any load, including the lifting,
putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving by hand or bodily force.

The scaffolding service provider shall, so far as is reasonably practical, avoid

the need for his employees to undertake any manual handling operations at
work, which involve a risk of personal injury.

Risk assessment shall identify whether mechanical handling aids (e.g. crane)
can be used. Where mechanical handling aids cannot be used, th e employer
shall:

a) Make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the manual handling

operations to be un dertaken
b) Take approp riate steps to reduce the risk of injury to those
employees arising out of manual handling operations
c) Take appro priate steps to provide tho se employees who are
undertaking any manual handling operations general indications,
and, where it is reasonably practical to do so, precise information on:

• The task to be carried out

• The weight of each load/ component

Attention to the ergonomic design of th e workplace is an important factor in

controlling the risks associated with manual handling.

Appropriate manual handling training should be provided for all personnel

involved in the erection/ dismantling of scaffold struct ures. The training
should address:

4 How to recognise harmful manual handling

4 Appropriate systems of work
4 Use of mechanical aids
4 Good handling techniques

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