Industry Voice: Clive Dickin on a major rethink for the sector
The Government’s recent clarification that scaffolding and temporary works do not fall within the remit of the Building Safety Act, unless they become a permanent part of a completed building, is undoubtedly welcome news for our members. It provides certainty and removes unnecessary confusion. Perhaps most importantly, it helps ensure that legislation is applied as it was intended.
But I believe this clarification also presents an opportunity to address something much bigger.
For too long, scaffolding has been viewed almost exclusively through the lens of construction. That is entirely understandable. Construction remains a significant market for our industry. Every major building project, from housing developments to commercial towers, depends on safe, professionally designed access solutions.
Construction is only part of the story
Recent research among the 20 largest NASC member companies revealed that, on average, just 30% of their turnover comes from traditional construction activity. That statistic demonstrates that modern scaffolding is no longer simply a construction trade. It is a specialist engineering service that supports some of the UK’s most important industries, often working behind the scenes on projects that keep the country moving.
Look around the UK and you’ll find scaffolding wherever people need to work safely at height or access difficult environments.
Our members help maintain critical energy infrastructure, from offshore platforms battling the conditions of the North Sea to refineries, power stations, nuclear facilities and renewable energy assets that keep homes and businesses supplied with power.
They work across manufacturing, providing complex access solutions inside factories, processing plants and industrial facilities, where production can’t simply stop. They support the aviation sector, erecting intricate scaffolding and access systems inside aircraft hangars that allow engineers to inspect, repair and maintain all forms of aircraft.
They play a vital role in defence, delivering secure access solutions on Ministry of Defence sites, naval dockyards and strategic infrastructure projects where precision, planning and security are paramount. They also help preserve Britain’s heritage, providing access to the cathedrals, castles, historic bridges and listed buildings that define our national landscape, often not for construction or renovation, but for access, maintenance or even for event lighting. Members support rail, highways, ports and utilities, enabling the maintenance and renewal of the infrastructure millions of people rely on every day.
And sometimes their work captures the public imagination in ways few realise. For example, the spectacular film sets that transport cinema audiences to imaginary worlds often rely on scaffolding long before the cameras begin rolling. NASC members have provided access solutions for productions at studios across the country, including the extraordinary sets built for Wonka. From blockbuster films and television productions to live events, theatres and major sporting venues, scaffolding quietly underpins some of Britain’s most creative industries.
This extraordinary diversity is one of the great strengths of our sector
This diversity explains why recent discussions around the Building Safety Act have sometimes overlooked the practical reality of what our members do. The legislation was designed to strengthen standards for permanent buildings, particularly higher-risk residential buildings. It was never intended to regulate every temporary access structure erected across every sector of the UK economy.
The Minister’s recent letter confirms that distinction. Importantly, it does not diminish the industry’s commitment to competence. Competence has always been at the heart of NASC membership. Long before the Building Safety Act, our members were investing in training, technical standards, independent auditing and continuous improvement. Whether a scaffold is erected around a new apartment block, inside an aircraft hangar, on an offshore installation or around a medieval cathedral, the expectation remains the same. It must be designed to a compliant design and then erected and inspected by competent professionals working to the highest standards.
That commitment has never depended on legislation
Scaffolding and access has an excellent reputation for quality in the UK, thanks in no small part to NASC guidance and careful auditing of members, as the latest Safety Report showed. We must not consider this separation of scaffolding and building and the clarification of responsibilities under the Building Safety Act as an opportunity to reduce standards. The scaffolding and access sector is already well served with quality guidance from NASC, as recognised by the Health and Safety Executive and which underpins corporate competence in this area.
This commitment is just part of our industry’s culture. As Build UK now reviews the Common Assessment Standard in light of the Government’s clarification, there is an opportunity for clients and procurement teams to rethink how scaffolding is viewed. Rather than trying to fit specialist scaffolding contractors into regulatory frameworks designed for permanent building work, procurement should recognise the unique nature of our sector and assess companies against the competencies and standards that genuinely reflect the work they do.
This will benefit everyone
It will reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, improve consistency across procurement and ensure clients are asking the right questions of the right specialists. But it will also allow scaffolding contractors to focus on what they do best, which is delivering safe, expertly engineered access solutions across an incredibly diverse range of industries.
Construction will always remain central to the scaffolding sector. It is where many of our members began, and it continues to represent a significant proportion of our work. But if this latest clarification encourages the wider industry to see scaffolding as the specialist access engineering profession it truly is, then its impact will extend far beyond the Building Safety Act.
