BG Tunisia

Maintenance Department

Title: Scaffold Erection And dismantling Procedure

Basic Requirements And Guidelines

Document No: MD-SCAF-001

D Issued Maintenance Manager Abdelmejid Benhaj

C Approved HSSE Manager Jim Moffat

B Approved Scaffold Supervisor Khaled Tarchouna

A Prepared Scaffold Supervisor M Maaroufi

2
Revision No: 0

Date: 24 June 2003

3
Maintenance Department Scaff0lding Erection and Dismantling

CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

2.0 Scaffolding Components

3.0 Scaffold Tubular

4.0 Scaffold Board

5.0 Basic Scaffolding Requirements

6.0 Scaffolding Types

7.0 Dismantling Scaffolds

8.0 Contractor Competency Requirements

9.0 Scaffold Inspection & Certification

10.0 Offshore Scaffold Erection & Dismantling Requirements

11.0 Associated Procedures

Rev 0 Jun 2003 MD-SCAF-001

Maintenance Department

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Where work cannot be safely done from the ground or from part of a building or other
permanent structure, there shall be provided either scaffolding or where appropriate
ladders or other means of support, all of which shall be sufficient to provide safe access
to and egress from the working place.

2.0 SCAFFOLDING COMPONENTS

COUPLERS: BS 5973 (1993); REF BS 1139 Part 2 (1991)

1. Right Angle Coupler: A coupler used to join tubes at right angles to each
other. Minimum SWL 6.3 kN
2. Swivel Coupler: A coupler used for joining tubes at varying angles.
Minimum SWL 5.3 kN
3. Putlog Coupler: A coupler used for connecting a putlog or a transom to a
ledger. Minimum slip resistance 1.2 kN, SWL 0.53 kN
4. Sleeve Coupler: An external coupler used to join tubes in length. Minimum
(Tensional), (Class A) SWL 1.5 kN, (Class B) SWL 3.0 kN.
5. Joint Pin or Spigot: An expanding pin used internally to join tubes end to
end. Has no Slip Resistance.
6. Toe Board Clip: A clip used for attaching toe boards to tubes.
7. Base Plate: A metal plate with a spigot for distributing the load from a
standard/raker or other load-bearing tube. Minimum dimension 150mm x
150 mm .
8. Castor wheel: A wheel for use with mobile tower scaffolds. SWL identified
on frame of wheel.
9. Beam Clamps: A clamp used for connection of scaffold tubes to a beam
structure. Loadings refer to manufacturer’s recommendations.
10. Gin Wheel: Used for raising and lowering components and materials to a
scaffold structure. SWL stamped on the frame
11. Scaffold tubes: See section 3
12. Scaffold Boards: See section 4

3.0 SCAFFOLD TUBULARS:

1. Tubes shall be manufactured and tested in accordance with BS 1139 Part 1

‘Specification for tubes for use in scaffolding’.
Galvanised steel tubes are the ones used on BGT Installations. They are
resistant to corrosion and properties are as follows:
 Outside diameter, 48.3 mm
 Nominal wall thickness, 4.0 mm
 Weight, approx. 4.5 kg/m

2. Inspection: The ability of a scaffold to carry its load is largely dependent on the
strength and condition of tubes used in construction. Consequently, tubes must
be checked to ensure they are:
 Straight
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 Free from cracks, splits, bad dents and excessive corrosion

 Cut square and clean at each end

Note: Tubes showing any evidence of damage from the aforementioned should be
destroyed.

3. BSS Definitions (Tubes)

 Standard: A vertical tube

 Ledger: A longitudinal tube, normally fixed parallel to the face of a building in the
direction of the larger dimensions of the scaffold. It acts as a support for the
putlogs and transoms, and frequently for the tie tubes and ledger braces, and is
usually joined to the adjacent standards.
 Transom: A tube spanning across ledgers to form the support for boards or units
forming the working platform or to connect the outer standards to the inner
standards.
 Brace: A tube placed diagonally with respect to the vertical or horizontal
members of a scaffold and fixed to them to afford stability.
 Tie or tie assembly: The components attached to an anchorage or the building, or
framed around part of it or wedged or screwed into it with a tie tube. Used to
secure the scaffold to the structure.
 Guardrail: A member incorporated in a structure to prevent the fall of a person
from a platform or access way.
 Putlog: A tube with a flattened end, to rest in or on part of the brickwork or
structure.
 Bridle: A horizontal tube fixed across an opening, or parallel to the face of a
building, to support the inner end of a putlog transom or tie tube.
 Reveal tube: A tube fixed by means of a threaded fitting or by wedging between
two opposing surfaces of a structure, e.g. between two window reveals, to form
an anchor to which the scaffold may be tied.
 Raker: an inclined load-bearing tube.
 Puncheon: A vertical tube supported at its lower end by another scaffold tube or
beam and not by the ground or on a deck.

4.0 SCAFFOLD BOARDS:

All scaffold boards are manufactured from sawn and seasoned timber. Boards shall
comply with BS 2482 ‘ Specification for Timber Scaffold Boards’.
Timber boards come in three thickness – 38 mm, 50mm, 63 mm – and are normally 225
mm wide and 3.90 m long. Shorter boards are used when necessary. The most
common board is 225 mm x 38 mm.

1. Identification of boards:

Each board shall be identified by having the following information clearly marked on
it:

 The British Standard number (BS 2482)

 The identification mark of the supplier
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 The letter M or V denoting machine or visually graded

 The word ‘support’ followed by the maximum span in metres over which the
board has to be supported followed by the abbreviation ‘max.’ e.g. BS 2482AB
Co. M support 1.5 max.

2. Inspection and Maintenance:

Care should be taken of boards in use. No over-stressing should be allowed,

e.g. that caused by impact loading. Boards should not be used as ramps or
platforms over long spans, nor should they be placed where vehicular or other
loads can be put on them. Boards showing any evidence of damage from the
aforementioned, e.g. tyre marks, should be destroyed.
Scaffold boards should be stacked no more than 20 high, bonded together with
short timber battens, and placed on level timbers, off the ground for protection
from surface water. Boards should be protected from weather and have a free
circulation of air.

5.0 BASIC SCAFFOLDING REQUIREMENTS:

1. Foundation:

The foundations for a scaffold should be adequate to carry and dispose the load
imposed both locally at each standard and, in general, to carry the whole weight
of the scaffold.
The foundation for a scaffold should be maintained in an adequate condition
during the life of a scaffold.
On surfaces such as steel and concrete, which are of an adequate hardness and
thickness to prevent the scaffold tube penetrating into the surface, the uprights of
a scaffold may be placed directly on the surface, although it is generally
preferable to use a base plate.
On surfaces such as hard asphalt, timber flooring, and steel grating, where there
is a possibility of the standards deforming the surface, a base plate shall be used
at the bottom of each standard.
On soils, ash, hog gin, gravel soft asphalt and any type of flooring or paving
which would be penetrated by a standard with a base plate beneath it, or if there
is doubt about the surface, there shall be a further spreading of the load by a sole
plate of timber or other suitable material.
When a sole plate is used, the sole plate area beneath any one standard shall be
at least 1000 cm2, with minimum dimension of 219 mm, and if the sole plate is of
timber, it shall not be less than 35 mm thick. On sites where the ground is soft or
has been distributed, the sole plate area shall be not less than 1700 cm2 where
individual sole plates are used, e.g. under hoist towers, and not less than 3400
cm2 when two are combined under two standards. In this case, if the sole plate is
of timber, it may be necessary to use one with a total thickness in excess of 35
mm. Sole plates should wherever possible support at least two standards.
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The soil or ground beneath the sole plate should be well compacted and free
from irregularities which would make the sole plate unstable or poorly bedded. It
is generally the responsibility of the main contractor to ensure that ground
conditions are adequately prepared to receive the scaffold.
On slopes exceeding 1 vertical to 10 horizontal, a check may have to be made on
the foundations to ensure the stability of the scaffold.

2. Base Plates:

The main function of a base plate is to distribute the load from the standard or raker
or other load bearing tube. Base plates shall measure at least 150 mm x 150 mm.
If the base plate is made of mild steel it shall be at least 5 mm thick. If made of other
materials then it must be thick enough to be capable of distributing the required load.
If fixing holes are incorporated in the design they must be diametrically opposed
(opposite each other), 6 mm in diameter, not less than 50 mm from the centre of the
plate, and not less than 19 mm from the edge.
The shank must be at least 50 mm high.
No base plate must ever bear directly on any fragile surface.
Where the surface slopes, suitably shaped packing pieces must be used to maintain
a level bearing.

3. Standards:

The standards carry the weight of the scaffold and should be very carefully spaced.
The vertical intervals at which standards are linked to one another, i.e. the lift height, is
one of the most important dimensions in scaffolding. This dimension should be
measured on site and maintained in accordance with the requirement of the design.
Standards should be plumb to within 20 mm in 2 m (subject to a maximum total
deviation of 50 mm).
Any joints in standards should be staggered. Joints in standards of access scaffolds
tied to a building may be made with either joint pins or sleeve couplers (sleeve couplers
are preferred). These types of coupler have limited load capacity in tension. In scaffolds
which are free standing or projecting above the level of a building or otherwise subject to
forces which would produce tension in the uprights, the standards should be joined in a
manner capable of resisting the applied tension.
No more than three out of four standards at the corner of any bay should have joints in
the same lift, except in the case of the bottom 6.5 m of a scaffold where an extended
base lift is necessary for pedestrian access or other reason. In these instances, when it
is permissible to have four joints in the same lift, one of these must be spliced with a
short length of tube.
Where any of the standards in a scaffold are founded in a light well or at a level lower
than the remainder of the standards, the extension downwards should be stiffened by
horizontal tubes, in two directions at right angles, and fixed at lift heights not greater
than that of the foot lift of the remaining scaffold. Where access for the personnel is
required under the first lift, a height of up to 2.7 m is permissible. This may necessitate a
special design.
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3. Ledgers:

Ledgers join the standards together. They should be horizontal and fixed with right angle
couplers. A foot lift may follow the slope of the ground at the base of the scaffold, in
which case the ledgers will be fixed to transoms that are attached to standards with right
angle couplers. The area that the ledger spans between standards is called a bay.
Joints in ledgers may be made with sleeve couplers or expanding joint pins. Where
tension is likely to occur only sleeve couplers should be used. Joints in ledgers on the
same lift and in adjacent lifts should not normally occur in the same bay. However, when
guardrails are to remain permanently in place, the absence of a joint in the guardrail
may be accepted as giving sufficient continuity to the scaffold to permit joints in the
ledgers above and below it in the same bay. Where joints are necessary, they should be
positioned at a distance not greater than 1/3 of the span between adjacent standards.

4. Transoms:

Transoms may be fixed to the inside and outside ledgers with wrap over putlog couplers
or to the standards with right angle couplers.
The spacing of transoms and putlogs for boarded lifts should be in accordance with
Table 1. Board end transoms should be fixed so that the end overhang of a board does
not exceed that given in Table 1. In no case should the overhang be less than 50 mm.
Transoms and putlogs for non-boarded lifts should be fixed at one per pair of standards,
including the pair at each end of the scaffold, and should be fixed within 300 mm of the
standard.
On scaffolds of a height greater than 50 m, the transoms on non-boarded lifts, when
fixed at the frequency of one transom per pair of standards, should be fixed to the
ledgers or uprights with right angle or other suitable couplers provided they are capable
of sustaining a safe working slip load of 5 kN.
When a boarded platform is moved to a new level, the transoms on the lift from which
the boards have been taken may be re-arranged to comply with the requirements for a
non-boarded lift.

Table 1. Maximum span of Scaffold Boards

Nominal thickness Maximum span Minimum overhang Maximum overhang
of boards between transoms
mm mm mm mm
38 1.5 50 150
50 2.6 50 200
63 3.25 50 250

5. Ledger Bracing:

Independent tied access scaffolding should contain ledger bracing, generally on

alternate pairs of standards. Any pairs of standards which are ledger braced should be
made into a continuous series of triangles.
When the bay length is 1.5 m or less, the ledger bracing may be fixed to every third pair
of standards.
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The ledger bracing may be fixed from ledger to ledger with right angle couplers or fixed
to the standards using swivel couplers.
To facilitate the inclusion of boarded lifts, bracing is sometimes placed between
standards, using swivel couplers, and ledgers, using double couplers.
The direction of ledger bracing is immaterial for the structural stability of the scaffold but
it should be pre-planned to take account of the intended use of the scaffold.
The bracing on boarded lifts should be from under the outside ledger of a boarded lift
down to the inside ledger of the lift below so as to avoid the toe-boards. This
arrangement may require an extra width on the scaffold to accommodate the brace.
In scaffolding over footpaths, it may not be possible to ledger brace the lowest lift.
Ledger bracing may be omitted from this lift provided the lengths of the standards in the
lift are not in excess of 2.7 m. In the latter case, account should be taken of the reduced
loading capacity of this lift which may necessitate a special design.
To improve access on one lift only, ledger bracing from the inside ledger to the guardrail
level of the lift below may be used, provided that every pair of standards is so braced
instead of every alternate pair.

6. Sway / Façade Bracing:

Sway bracing should be provided to all scaffolds to prevent movement along the façade
of the building. One such brace assembly should be provided on every face at intervals
along the scaffold not exceeding 30 m. It need not be fixed where the scaffold is
securely butted between opposing outside or inside faces of returns or recesses,
provided that no length greater than 10 m is so fixed against movement in both
directions.
The two principle forms of brace arrangements are where the bracing takes the form of
either a zigzag from bottom to top or a continuous sloping tube from bottom to top. In
either case the bracing tube should be connected to:
 Every standard with swivel couplers; or
 Every lift on to extended transoms with right angle couplers.
The longitudinal brace should be fixed as near to the standard/ledger connection as
possible. When it is fixed to extended transoms, these should be fixed to the ledgers or
standards with right angle couplers.
The bracing should start from the base of the one of the outside standards. In the lower
lift, when the bracing is started, a guardrail should be placed through the braced bay to
prevent people passing.
When sway bracing is omitted, the lateral movement of both the inside and outside lines
of the standard at every lift should be prevented, either by both lines being adequately
butted or by adequate plan bracing on to firm points inserted at every level.

7. Scaffold Ties:

Ties should be provided to resist inward and outward movement of independent and
putlog scaffolds. They should have a minimum capacity of 6.25 kN.
When only two ties are required, it is preferable to place the ties toward the ends of a
straight run of scaffold
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Ties should evenly be distributed over the scaffold with spacing not exceeding 8.5 m,
vertically or horizontally. Where the building surface permits a staggered arrangement of
ties, this should be adopted in preference to a rectangular pattern. They are normally
spaced at 6 m intervals horizontally and every 2nd lift vertically.

8. Working Platforms and Decking:

Scaffold platforms for persons only must be a minimum of 600 mm wide, i.e. when
erecting the scaffold. Increase to 4 boards wide when storing material, leaving a 2 board
clear passageway for persons to walk past. A 3 board minimum passageway should be
left clear when materials are being transported along the platform, which in this case
would normally be 5 boards wide.

Any group of boards across the width of the scaffold should be of the same length, with
all boards of the same thickness.
38 mm thick boards are the most common in use and are supplied in lengths of 3.90 m.
When these are used, there should be four transoms to each board. Boards, which are
38 mm thick and less than 3.3 m long, may be supported on three transoms. Boards,
which are nominally 38 mm thick and less than 2.10 m long, should not be used unless
they are securely fixed to prevent tipping.
Boards, which are less than 1.80 m long, may be supported on two transoms, but
should be fixed at both ends. Such boards occur adjacent to ladder openings and
provision should be made to prevent them from moving under impact and vibration.
Boards, which are used on small static and mobile access towers and on small
platforms, where the platform is surrounded by a guardrail and toe board, need to be
fixed down and should be prevented from moving laterally.

There are no permissible gaps in decking. Scaffolds should be erected as near to the
building as is reasonably practicable, except when it is required for workers to sit on the
edge of the boarded deck, in which case the gap should not exceed 300 mm.

9. Guardrails, Toe Boards, and Brick Guards:

Working platforms from which a person may fall more than 2 m should have a guardrail
and end guardrails fixed inside the standards at a height of at least 910 mm above the
level of the decking.
With the guardrails set at 910 mm, a second lower guardrail or higher toe board should
be provided to limit the gap to 470 mm. Suitably added brick guards or retaining boards
are an acceptable alternative to a second or intermediate guardrail.
Toe boards and end toe boards should be suitably fixed. They should be of such a
height that the gap between the top of the toe board and the guardrail does not exceed
470 mm and have minimum height of 150 mm. They should be placed inside the
standards.
Brick guards or other suitable vertical protection are desirable in cases where materials
may fall from the scaffold.
Maintenance Department

Table 2. Access and Working scaffolds of Tube and Couplers

Duty Use of a Distributed Max Commonly Max.

platform load on Number of used widths bay
platforms platforms using 225 length
(kN m2) mm boards (m)
Inspection and Inspection, 0.75 1 working 3 boards 2.7
very light duty painting, stone platform
cleaning, light
cleaning and
access
Light duty Plastering, 1.50 2 working 4 boards 2.4
painting, stone platforms
cleaning, glazing
and pointing
General General building 2.00 2 working 5 boards or 2.1
purpose work, including platforms + 1 at 4 boards +
brick work, window very light duty 1 inside
and mullion, fixing,
rendering,
plastering
Heavy duty Block work, 2.50 2 working 5 boards or 2.0
brickwork, heavy platforms + 1 at 5 boards + 1
cladding very light duty inside
4 boards + 1
inside
Masonry or Masonry work, 3.00 1 working 6 to 8 boards 1.8
special duty concrete block platform + 1 at
work, and very very light duty
heavy cladding

10. Ladders:

Ladders are frequently taken for granted and they are the cause of many serious
accidents.
New ladders should be protected by coating with wood preservative and clear varnish.
Painting is illegal; it can hide defects.
All ladders should be inspected frequently – the following points should be checked:
 The stiles – for splits or cracks. Splintering, warping or bruising. A bruised stile
absorbs moisture which will encourage decay and lead to fracture.
 The rungs – for signs of undue wear. No rungs should be missing.
 The wedges of tie rods – for tightness.
 The feet – splitting and fraying.
If a ladder cannot be properly repaired – scrap it.

Ladders should normally be placed on a firm, level base; on a sloping surface use an
adequate safety foot. They should be equally supported on each stile.
The correct angle for a ladder is about 75 degree to the horizontal, i.e. 1 meter out at the
base for every 4 meters of height.

Regulations state that a ladder over 3 meters in height must be tied or footed before
use. However, it is good practice to tie or foot ladders of any height.
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Ladders should be lashed or secured to some convenient anchorage near the top on
both sides. This helps prevent the base slipping outwards and the top sliding sideways.
Only the stiles should be lashed. Where lashing at the top is not practicable, secure at
the base. If no other means of fixing a ladder to prevent slipping can be found, then
someone must hold it at the base when it is being used.

Where a long ladder is in use, an intermediate tie may be necessary to prevent undue
swaying or sagging.

Ladders should always be placed so that there is space behind each rung for a proper
foothold. Particular care should be taken at this point on the landing platform.

Ladders, when suspended, should be lashed so that they are equally supported on each
stile at top and bottom.

All ladders should extend 1 m above any landing place, or beyond the highest rung from
where a person may be working, to ensure an adequate handhold. If this is not possible
then a nearby handhold of equivalent height must be provided.
Wherever ladders pass through openings, in platforms etc., the opening must be no
larger than necessary for use and not more than 500 mm in width.

Landing places must be provided at maximum of 9 m wherever possible; they must be

provided with guardrails and toe boards.

Erecting Ladders: Do not carry any ladder upright. Carry it horizontally on edge, holding
it under the lower stile to avoid pulling any of the joints.

Before setting up a ladder make sure the footing is secure and firm. Check that it will not
be in contact with any overhead danger such as live cables or lamps.

A ladder left out in the open will soon deteriorate. Store it under cover that is dry and
well ventilated. Lay the ladder flat on a rack supported along its length.

11. Gin Wheels:

Most scaffolds require at least a simple lifting device to raise materials to the necessary
working height. Gin wheels are the most widely used.
The tube supporting the gin wheel should be fixed either to standards which have been
braced, e.g. a ledger braced pair of standards in an independent tied scaffold, or, in the
case of a putlog scaffold, to one standard and braced back to the ledger or putlog tube
at mature brickwork level.
Suspension point of the gin wheel on the supporting tube should not be more than 750
mm beyond its outer support point.
Ring type gin wheels are to be preferred, i.e. gin wheel with swivel eye fitments to slide
over the supporting tube and which can be held in position by couplers.
Ropes should comply with BS 2052. They should fit snugly into the rim of the wheel and
be regularly examined. They should be marked for identification. The most common
diameter for a fall rope is 18 mm.
Maintenance Department

Knots:

The recommended knots to be used when raising or lowering scaffold components are
as shown on this page, i.e. rolling hitch, timber hitch, and figure of eight knot.

6.0 Scaffolding types:

 Independent tied scaffold:

 Scaffold Towers:

Free standing Towers

Free standing structures which are self-supporting and not dependent totally on other
structures for their rigidity or stability. Three classes are generally recognised:
-Light duty access towers: stationary and mobile for use inside buildings (imposed load
not greater than 1.5 kN/m2).
-light duty access towers: stationary and mobile for use in the open (imposed load not
greater than 1.5 kN/m2).
-Heavy duty towers: these are always built to design details.

Mobile Towers only

Joints in standards should only be made with sleeve or parallel couplers.

Wheels or castors not less than 125 mm in diameter and fitted with brakes which cannot
be released accidentally should be locked into the base of the standards. The safe
working load should be marked on the castor wheel.
Ladder should be fixed to narrowest side of the tower, preferably inside the base area. It
may be upright or angled. All usual ladder regulation apply.

Mobile And Static Towers

Dimensions will vary according to need, but standards should never be less than 1.2 m
or more than 2.7 m apart.
Foot ties should be fixed approximately 150 mm from the bottom of the standards.
Except for the working platform, ledgers and transoms should be fixed to standards with
right angle couplers.
Lifts should not exceed 2.7 m or be greater than the smallest base dimension.
Bracing is in two forms:
1. Plan bracing at the base, the working platform and at alternate
lifts.
2. Diagonal bracing to the full height of the scaffold on all four sides.

Plan bracing should be fixed to the standards with right angle couplers. Diagonal
bracing should be fixed to the ledgers and transoms by right angle or swivel couplers.

The recommended maximum freestanding height for static towers is 10.8 m, except that
this may be increased to 50 m if it is tied to s structure at 6 m intervals.
The working platform should be fully and closely boarded to an area of at least 1.2 m x
1.2 m.
Maintenance Department

Transoms should be spaced at no more than 1.5 m intervals.

A distributed load on the platform of a light duty tower should not exceed 1.5 kN/m2.
Guardrails and toe boards will be necessary on all four sided, and the toe boards must
rise at least 150 mm above platform level. Guardrails must be at least 910 mm above
the platform with the distance between the top of the toe board and the guard rail not
exceeding 470 mm.

 Access Birdcage Scaffold

The birdcage scaffold consists of a mass of standards arranged at regular intervals in

parallel lines, usually evenly spaced apart. These standards are laced together with a
grid of ledgers and transoms at every lift height. The top lift is boarded to form the
access platform for work on ceilings and soffits, e.g. to fix lighting, ventilation or
sprinklers over an inside area.

7.0 Dismantling Scaffolds:

During dismantling, no component should be removed which endangers the stability of

the remaining structure.
If dismantling has reached the stage at which a critical member has to be removed, e.g.
a tie or a brace, the stability of the structure should be assured by fixing a similar or
otherwise adequate member in place, lower down, before the critical member is
removed.

Because of the changes which are made in a scaffold structure during its working life, it
is not safe to assume that dismantling can be carried out in the reverse order to the
erection. The scaffold, especially its tying and bracing, should be inspected prior to
dismantling.

If the scaffold is defective, it should be made good before dismantling commences.

The procedure of dismantling should be orderly and planned and should proceed
generally from the top in horizontal sections.

Scaffolds should not be dismantled in vertical sections from one end towards the other,
especially in cases where a hoist tower, which apparently gives support to the scaffold,
is to be left standing, unless special considerations is given to ties and bracings.

The following precautions should be observed:

 Do not remove all the ties.

 Do not remove all the bracing first
 Do not remove all the intermediate and board end transoms.
 Do not remove all intermediate guard rails.
Maintenance Department

8.0 Contractors Competency Requirements:

It is the responsibility of all contractors to provide BG Tunisia with competent scaffold

erectors as part of their contracts. The contractor is responsible to provide his scaffold
erectors with all scaffolding equipment required for erection, dismantling, and working at
height safety devices:

 Scaffold belt
 Level
 Frogs
 7/16” scaffold spanner
 ½” scaffold spanner
 Podger
 3ft tape
 Full body harness
 Fall arrester gear (when required)

These scaffold erectors, once on BGT Hannibal Gas Treatment Plant, will be required to
undertake a theoretical and practical test on erection and dismantling scaffold prior to
start work on the plant. The certified BG Tunisia Scaffold Supervisor, designated by the
Maintenance Manager, will decide of the design of the scaffold to be erected, and
decide about the competency of each scaffold erector. Training scaffold erectors is not
the responsibility of BG Tunisia.

The BG Tunisia designated Scaffold Supervisor responsible for the job must ensure that
the performing authority and the scaffolding erectors are made fully aware of the
scaffold requirements prior to execution. He should include details of the scaffold on the
PTW Request Form with any special requirements. Scaffold requirements shall be
discussed and agreed with the issuing authority when the PTW Request Form is
submitted.
When the scaffold is erected, the BG Tunisia designated Scaffolding Supervisor will
inspect and certify the scaffold for the job to start. A scaffold tag is used to indicate that
the scaffold is safe for use when green, and not safe for use or still under construction
when red.

If any change to the scaffold structure is required, then the Scaffold Supervisor should
be informed immediately to designate scaffold erecter(s) to do the necessary changes
on the structure.

9.0 Scaffold Inspection and Certification:

 The certified BG Scaffold Supervisor shall inspect the erected scaffold every 7
days.
 The standing life of an erected scaffold is three months. If more than three
months, then all scaffold components shall be inspected for distortion and or
looseness, i.e. Scaffold Boards, Joints, Braces, Ties, Fittings etc.
 During the erection of a scaffold a red scafftag shall be fixed indicating ‘ DO NOT
USE SCAFFOLD’.
Maintenance Department

 When the scaffold erection is completed, the BG Scaffold Supervisor shall

inspect and certify the scaffold using a green scafftag. The Green Scafftag shall
indicate the following:
. Location
. Requested by
. Built by
. Date of erection
. Signature
. Structure to be used for
. Inspector name and signature
 If any hazard or risk that can impede the scaffold structure is noticed, then the
green scafftag shall be removed and the BG Scaffold Supervisor informed.
 Interference with or removal of a scaffold component shall only be conducted by
competent scaffolders. Any tempering with an erected and certified scaffold may
cause a collapse of the structure or falling of persons working on the platform.

10.0 Offshore scaffold erection & dismantling Requirement:

Erection and dismantling scaffolding requirements within the Miskar Platforms

structure are the same as Onshore requirements.

When erecting or dismantling a scaffold overboard, then special procedure is

required as follows:

 A PTW Request Form involving a risk assessment and method statement

shall be submitted to the Platform Superintendent 48 hrs in advance, as
per the PTW Procedure Requirements.
 Set up a meeting with the Platform Superintendent to discuss details of
scaffold erection and dismantling method.
 Before starting the job, special precautions shall be in place:
- No less than two scaffolders are accepted to conduct the job (Body
System).
- All scaffolders and helpers shall be briefed on the different
precautions stated on the Permit To Work prior to start the job.
- Work vests to be worn
- Safety harness and fall arrester gears shall be attached to the
existing structure of the Platform.
- Safety net to be installed under the working area no less than
(1.8 m) and to be secured to the existing structure of the Platform.
- A stand by man with radio in constant contact with the control room
during the job.
- Supply Boat to be stand by during the work.
Maintenance Department

11.0 Associated Procedures:

 Working At Height (SHE-SAF-011)

 Permit To Work Procedure (SHE-SAF-002)
 Basic Scaffolding Requirements (Module One)