Licence scope and the mixed crew on a school refurbishment
A two-storey school refurbishment requires a 9 m high scaffold along one elevation, plus a 3.5 m tower inside the hall and a 2 m guard-rail frame at a loading dock. The site supervisor holds a basic scaffolding certificate; a labourer holds an intermediate certificate; the leading hand's intermediate certificate expired five weeks ago and renewal is booked next month. The client's contract says all scaffold work must be done by 'appropriately licensed persons'. The supervisor plans to erect the 9 m scaffold himself with the labourer, have the leading hand do the tower and guard-rail, and sign off the handover. Work starts Monday; a Work Health and Safety inspector is expected on Wednesday.
1. Identify who may lawfully perform each of the three scaffold tasks and explain the reasoning, including what must happen before Monday.
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Match each structure to the licence class required, not to the person's experience.
- 9 m scaffold along the elevation: above the basic (low) height limit, so it is intermediate work. The supervisor's basic certificate does not cover it. The labourer's intermediate certificate does, but only if it is current and the labourer is competent for that configuration (height, ties, access). Working under the supervisor's direction is not enough - the licensed person must actually do the erection.
- 3.5 m tower in the hall: generally within basic scope, so the supervisor may do it, and the intermediate labourer may also do it.
- 2 m guard-rail frame at the dock: low-level work; basic scope covers it, but it still needs a competent person and a documented plan.
Before Monday: the 9 m scaffold must be reassigned to a currently licensed intermediate scaffolder, or a licensed contractor engaged. The leading hand cannot do licensed work on an expired ticket, even for a day - expiry is not a grace period. The supervisor should not 'sign off' work he is not licensed to erect; handover and inspection should be done by a competent licensed person. Record licence numbers, expiry dates and classes on the site register, and brief the crew on who does what. If the inspector arrives Wednesday, an unlicensed 9 m erection is the exposure, not the tower.
2. The leading hand argues that his certificate only lapsed recently and he has 15 years' experience, so he should be allowed to erect the tower. How should the supervisor respond, and what records should exist?
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The supervisor should refuse, and explain why the argument fails on two separate grounds.
- Legal: a licence or certificate of competency authorises work only while it is in force. Experience and recency do not substitute for a current ticket. Letting him work would expose both men and the PCBU to enforcement action and could void insurance coverage for any incident.
- Practical: the tower is basic-scope work, so there is no need to take the risk - the supervisor or the intermediate labourer can do it lawfully. The leading hand can supervise, plan, inspect and direct without holding the tool, provided he is not performing licensed erection, alteration or dismantling.
Records to hold: a site licence register listing each person, class, number, expiry and the structures they are authorised to work on; a copy of each certificate; the renewal booking confirmation; a supervision/ allocation record showing who erected what and when; and the handover certificate naming the licensed person who inspected and signed off. Diary the expiry dates with a reminder at least a month ahead so this does not recur.