Handover and Tagging After Storm Damage
A 30 m long independent scaffold on a retail unit was inspected and tagged 'green - safe for use' on a Friday. Over the weekend a storm with gusts recorded at 55 mph passes through. On Monday the site supervisor finds that two ties on the top lift have pulled out of the masonry, one ledger has a visible bend, and a section of netting is torn and hanging. The scaffold is needed for work that afternoon. The supervisor proposes to replace the two ties, straighten the ledger with a jemmy, remove the torn netting, and re-tag the scaffold green so the afternoon shift can proceed.
1. Evaluate the supervisor's proposal against inspection and handover requirements. What must happen before the scaffold is used?
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Evaluation: The proposal is unsafe and non-compliant.
- The scaffold has suffered an event (storm) that may have affected its stability. It must be inspected by a competent person before further use. A green tag from Friday is invalid after the storm.
- Two ties pulled out: This indicates the tie capacity or the masonry substrate has failed. Replacing two ties without investigating why they failed risks repeat failure. The masonry must be assessed and the tie design reviewed.
- Bent ledger: Straightening a bent tube with a jemmy is not acceptable. A bent tube has yielded and lost capacity; it must be replaced. Straightening it hides the damage.
- Torn netting: Must be removed or replaced, and the wind loading re-assessed if netting is reinstated.
- Re-tagging green without a competent inspection is a false declaration.
What must happen:
- The scaffold must be taken out of use (red tag or equivalent) immediately.
- A competent person must inspect the whole scaffold, not just the visible damage.
- The tie failures must be investigated: substrate, anchor type, installation.
- Damaged members must be replaced, not straightened.
- The design must be reviewed if the tie pattern is inadequate.
- Only after a satisfactory inspection and a new handover record may the scaffold be re-tagged and used.
2. Describe the inspection and handover records you would require, and who should sign them.
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Inspection record:
- Date, time, location and extent of inspection.
- Name and competence of the inspector.
- Findings: tie failures, bent ledger, torn netting, any other defects.
- Actions taken: ties replaced, ledger replaced, netting removed/replaced.
- Whether the scaffold is fit for use, and any conditions.
- Signature of the inspector.
Handover record:
- Confirmation the scaffold is complete to design, with the design reference.
- Confirmation of ties, bracing, foundations, guardrails, toe boards, access.
- Confirmation the scaffold is fit for the intended use and loading.
- Signature of the person handing over and the person receiving.
- Date and time.
Who signs: The inspection must be by a competent person (e.g. an advanced scaffolder or a scaffold inspector with the relevant competence). The handover should be signed by the scaffold contractor's competent person and accepted by the site supervisor or principal contractor's representative. The tag must reflect the outcome and be dated and signed. A green tag must never be applied without a current inspection.