BS 5975: 2019

Temporary Works update

Thursday, 21 November 2019

BS 5975:2019
Code of practice for temporary works procedures and the permissible
stress design of falsework.
Update and replaces
BS 5975:2008 + A1: 2011 BS 5975:2019
BS 5975:2019
• On the 30th of May 2019, the latest version of BS 5975 (the code of practice for temporary
works) was released.
• So, this was really only available from the 1st of June.
• The standard has been updated to take account of the Construction (Design and
Management) Regulations 2015, particularly in respect of the interface between the design of
permanent works and the design of temporary works.
What’s changed?
• The new document revises Sections 1 and 2 of the 2011 version.
• The principal changes are:
• Details about the procedures which clients, permanent works designers and temporary works
designers should adopt have been added.
• Terms and definitions have been updated.
• The principal contractor’s temporary works coordinator (PC’s TWC) retains overall
responsibility for the temporary works on the site, but where another contractor manages
their own temporary works within that site, they have their own procedures and appoint their
own TWC.
BS 5975:2019
• The document reiterates the need for permanent works designers to consider the
‘buildability’ of their designs.
• BS 5975 recommends that designers consider and pass on information about, proposed
construction methods and sequences, space requirements and the potential impact of the
project on adjacent structures.
• BS 5975 also asks designers to identify where temporary works are needed, or if temporary
instability or loads during the construction phase might be a concern and how they could be
managed.
• The person who selects products for use in construction is a designer and must take account
of health and safety issues arising from their use. If a product is purpose-built, the person
who prepares the specification is a designer and so are manufacturers, if they develop a
detailed design.
Regulation 9 – CDM-15
Who is a designer?
Paragraph 72; A designer is an organisation or
individual, who:
• (a) prepares or modifies a design for a
construction project (including the design
of temporary works); or
• (b) arranges for, or instructs someone else
to do so.
Regulation 9, 10 Guidance – CDM-15
• The term ‘design’ includes drawings, design details, specifications, bills of quantity and
calculations prepared for the purpose of a design.
• Designers include architects, architectural technologists, consulting engineers, quantity
surveyors, interior designers, temporary work engineers, chartered surveyors, technicians or
anyone who specifies or alters a design.
• They can include others if they carry out design work, such as principal contractors, and
specialist contractors, e.g an engineering contractor providing design, procurement and
construction management services.
• Where commercial clients become actively involved in designing in relation to their project,
they may also be considered to be designers.
BS 5975:2019
• The role of the Principal Designer (PD) is also clarified.
• Essentially PDs are reminded that their core duties, such as providing pre-construction
information and verifying that designers are fulfilling their own duties, extends to temporary
works design.
• A key message is for the PD to identify who the ‘temporary works co-ordinator’ is and make
sure that flow of information and design details to and from temporary works designers.

As with all updates it would be sensible for organisations to review their processes and
procedures to check that they support the effective management of temporary works.
Bragg Report 1975
• The Health & Safety Executive launched an investigation into the reasons for collapses in
falsework which led to the publication of the BS Code of Practice in 1982.

Principal Recommendation No. 17:

• “ On all sites the Contractor must appoint a properly qualified Temporary Works Co-
ordinator/ Structural Engineer Qualification whose duties are to ensure all procedures are
followed, all checks and inspections carried out, and any changes authorised. Falsework may
not be loaded or struck without the written permission of the Temporary Works Co-
ordinator”
Roles & Responsibilities
Designated Individual
Designated Individual has responsibility for:

• Appointing the temporary works designer and the temporary works co-ordinator
• Procedures for control of temporary works
• Ensuring sub contractors have suitable procedures
• Responsibilities clearly defined & allocated
• All instructions clear & complete
• Documented records maintained from site minutes, drawing’s & calculations specific to the works.

See Clause 6.2.1 for the full list of responsibilities.

Temporary Works Co-ordinator
• Responsible to “designated individual” • Satisfactory design carried out
• 1st point of contact between Temporary • Design brief is prepared
Works designer & site team • Design fully issued to Site Supervisors and
• To ensure design implemented in Temporary Works Supervisors
accordance with drawings & specifications • Design check carried out & further checks
• Has authority to stop work if not made at appropriate stages
satisfactory • Any changes approved by designer & main
• Temporary Works register is established & contractor
maintained • All appropriate maintenance carried out
• Maintain register of drawings, calculations, • Issue permit to load / unload
etc.
• Safe system of work in place for
• Site responsibilities are allocated, accepted, dismantling
undertaken and compliant
Temporary Works Supervisor
Site Monitoring & Observation Site Reporting & Recording
• At all stages during construction/erection, • Any changes on the requirements of the
use and dismantling it is necessary to design brief should be recorded and
carryout monitoring and observations confirmed in writing to the Temporary
Works Co-ordinator and Temporary Works
Designer / Contractor PRIOR to any
• The frequency and detail of the monitoring alterations taking place.
will be dictated to you by the Temporary
Works Co-ordinator
• The frequency and detail of the reporting
process will be dictated to by the
Temporary Works Co-ordinator
Loading & Unloading Temporary Works
Loading Unloading or Dismantling
• Loading (bringing) the temporary works • When the structure being supported by the
(into service) temporary works has become self
• A formal procedure for giving permission supporting, or the excavation has been
to load, or progress to the next stage in the backfilled or other condition, the temporary
implementation sequence should be works may be dismantled (removed) whilst
established. satisfying the integrity of the structure.
• The contractor should prepare for
inspection, temp works coordinator • This must be done in accordance with the
approval and hand over to designated procedure and may require a ‘permit to
Individual representative of client for dismantle/unload’
acceptance.
• This will normally be done by ‘permit to
load’
What are Temporary
Works?
Parts of the works that allow or enable
construction of, protect, support or provide
access to, the permanent works and which may
or may not remain in place at completion of
the works.
Scaffolding
• There are two main types of scaffolding:
• Freestanding scaffolds, such as
Independent towers,
• Independent tied scaffolds, such as
independent towers tied to an adjacent
structure.
Scaffolding
Scaffold types Wind Loading
• Scaffolding is usually designed for its self- • The wind load applied to scaffolding will
weight. (the weight of the boards, tubes, change depending on whether sheeting or
guardrails, toe-boards etc. and imposed loads debris nets are used.
such as wind). The imposed load applied to the • When scaffolding is tied to a building it uses the
scaffolding depends on its use. permanent structure of the building to provide
stability.
• Four classes of loading are available: • Erection and dismantling of scaffolding must
• Service Class 1 - 0.75 kN/m2 – Inspection and be undertaken by competent persons.
very light duty access
• Service Class 2 - 1.50 kN/m2 – Light duty such as
painting and cleaning
• Service Class 3 - 2.00 kN/m2 – General building
work, brickwork, etc.
• Service Class 4 - 3.00 kN/m2 – Heavy duty such
as masonry and heavy cladding
Façade retention

• This involves supporting existing façades

or party walls for renovation and is often
used for works to listed buildings.
• The temporary works involved in façade
retention can be significant structures in their
own right.
• Site constraints (such as available space) may
also affect the location and design of
the temporary works.
Retention types
• Types of retention include:
• Scaffolding, suitable for low level facades
between 3 and 4 storeys, with sufficient space at
their base for installation.
• Proprietary retention, involving props, ties and
bracing suitable for higher facades as the general
quantity of components are reduced.
• Fabricated steelwork, used when cost of hiring
proprietary equipment over long periods of time
outweigh the cost of fabricating a structure
• Combinations of fabricated and
proprietary retention systems.
 • The support system must be stiff
enough to prevent excessive
movement, which could cause
cracking to the façade. By pre-
loading the façade with a series of
flat jacks the likelihood of
movement can be reduced and
deflection limited. The overall
stability of the system must be
maintained in all directions taking
into consideration wind loads and
impact loads. The system must also
resist the overturning moment as
well as moments generated by
eccentric dead load. Kentledges can
be incorporated into the design to
counteract these moments.

Counter balance
Scaffold Collapse, Reading
Scaffold Collapse, Nuneaton
BS 5975:2019
BS 5975:2019 is available from the
British Standards Institute
Approximately £340
Any questions before
the practical section?
• The question mark derived from the Latin word
”Quaestio” meaning “I ask”