NASC and CISRS Sign New Agreement with Malaysia
NASC, the UK's leading trade body for scaffolding and access, and the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) have signed the first-ever National Licensing Agreement with an entire country. It marks a major milestone in the global development of scaffolding and access standards.
The agreement follows Malaysia’s formal adoption of NASC TG20 guidance into law in 2024, reinforcing the country’s commitment to internationally recognised best practice in scaffolding safety. Malaysia’s Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) also formally recognises NASC standards, providing a strong regulatory foundation for the implementation of this landmark partnership.
The agreement follows Malaysia’s formal adoption of NASC TG20 guidance into law in 2024, reinforcing the country’s commitment to internationally recognised best practice in scaffolding safety. Malaysia’s Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) also formally recognises NASC standards, providing a strong regulatory foundation for the implementation of this landmark partnership.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Clive Dickin, Group CEO of NASC, explained that the agreement had come about after lots of work on both sides since NASC and MOSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2025. “We are absolutely delighted to formalise this partnership with MOSA and to extend NASC and CISRS standards into Malaysia under our first national licensing arrangement," he said.
"We will look to emulate this arrangement potentially in the future, with our current CISRS delivery model continuing. The fact that TG20 has already been written into Malaysian law, and that DOSH recognises NASC standards, speaks volumes about the credibility of our guidance. This agreement reflects the strength of our systems, the international confidence in TG20, TG30 and CISRS, and our shared commitment to raising scaffolding and access standards globally.”
Dato’ Dr. Saravanan Karrupayah, representing MOSA, added: “NASC is internationally recognised as the gold standard for scaffolding guidance and governance, and CISRS remains the world’s most respected scaffolder training and certification scheme. This partnership recognises both the supremacy of NASC standards and MOSA’s leadership position within Malaysia. We are proud to work alongside NASC and CISRS to elevate safety, competence, and professionalism across our industry.”
Under the agreement, the Malaysian Occupational Scaffolding Association (MOSA), the recognised trade association for scaffolding contractors in Malaysia, will deliver the NASC TG20 and TG30 ePortal, alongside CISRS training and certification, under licence across Malaysia.
NASC and CISRS will retain full oversight of the arrangement through a robust audit and assurance regime, maintaining constant vigilance as MOSA targets to develop up to 40 licensed centres within Malaysia. This will ensure the continued integrity, quality, and consistency of standards delivery in line with UK best practice.
This framework will enable Malaysian asset owners, principal contractors and scaffolding providers to operate under a single, auditable national standard for scaffold design, erection, inspection and training, aligned with UK best practice. The inclusion of TG20 further strengthens technical governance for tube-and-fitting scaffolds, complementing TG30’s system scaffold compliance methodology. It provides a structured pathway for competence assurance across complex access works.
Members of NASC, CISRS and MOSA will benefit from preferential access and pricing arrangements under the licence, while non-members will still be able to access the services at significantly higher commercial rates, reinforcing the value of trade association membership.
