Temporary Works, Site Security and Working In The Heat – July 2026

Temporary Works – Planning, Control and Competence

Temporary works include scaffolds, falsework and formwork, propping and shoring, working platforms, temporary haul roads, earthworks, hoardings and cabins – everything needed to build the permanent works safely. They are often altered or removed as the job progresses, which is why HSE and BS 5975 place so much emphasis on planning, design, checks and clear responsibilities.

Planning and identifying temporary works

• Identify all significant temporary works at design and pre‑construction stage, not just “obvious” scaffolds or large propping schemes.
• Record temporary works items on drawings and in risk assessments/method statements so they are visible to supervisors and operatives.
• Consider interactions: for example, how haul roads and stockpiles will load underlying structures, and how adjacent excavations or propping lines might affect each other.

 

Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) and procedures

• BS 5975 and HSE guidance expect a competent TWC to be formally appointed by the principal contractor to coordinate temporary works procedures.
• The TWC should maintain a register of temporary works, check that designs and independent design reviews are in place where required, and operate permit‑to‑load and permit‑to‑strike systems for higher‑risk items.
• Site managers and engineers must understand that changes to temporary works – removal of components, extra loading, alterations to foundations – should go back through design and TWC checks, not be made informally.

Inspection, monitoring and change control

• Inspect temporary works at key stages: after erection, before first use, after significant loading, after any incident or severe weather, and before alteration or dismantling.
• Record inspections, defects and repairs clearly, so the TWC and supervisors can see trends and recurring issues.
• Treat “temporary” as “critical”: failures of working platforms, shoring or scaffolds can be catastrophic even though they are not part of the finished building.

 

Case study – Temporary platform collapse during refurbishment

In February 2024, a drilling operative was working on a refurbishment project in the City of London, cutting openings through concrete floors to form a new riser shaft. To catch concrete cores and debris, carpenters had built temporary timber platforms beneath each opening. The operative was working below one of these platforms when it suddenly gave way, collapsing on top of him along with the accumulated concrete. He sustained fractures to his neck and back and has been unable to return to construction work.

What went wrong?

A subsequent HSE investigation found that:

• There was no formal design for the temporary timber platforms and no calculation of safe loading.
• An inspection form had been completed, but the person who signed it was not a competent Temporary Works Coordinator and the inspection did not identify fundamental design issues.
• Workers had been told verbally not to overload the platforms and to clear concrete regularly, but no one knew the actual safe load, and there was no effective monitoring of how much debris was left in place.
• Overall planning, managing and monitoring of the temporary works and drilling operations were deficient.

 

Two companies – the principal contractor and the specialist drilling firm – were prosecuted under CDM 2015 for failing to plan, manage and monitor the work so it could be carried out safely, and for failing to control the temporary arrangements on site. Between them they received fines totalling over £30,000 plus costs.

 

Key learning points for your sites

• Treat even “small” temporary works (such as timber decks or work platforms) as engineered structures that require design, load assessment and competent checks.
• Make sure a suitably competent Temporary Works Coordinator (or supervisor for simple items) is appointed and that inspection forms are more than a tick‑box exercise.
• Define and communicate safe loading limits in practical terms (e.g. maximum number of cores or skips of debris) and build this into method statements rather than relying on informal verbal instructions.

Plan housekeeping: if platforms or decks are designed to collect debris, arrangements for regular clearance and visual checks should be part of the temporary works procedure, not left to chance.

Site Security and Children – School Holiday Focus

With school holidays starting, HSE has issued a reminder to construction companies to strengthen site security to keep children out of construction sites this summer. Children are often attracted by mud, machinery and structures to climb, and past incidents have involved falls, crush injuries and drowning in open excavations.

Legal duties and expectations

• Those in control of construction sites must prevent unauthorised access under CDM 2015 and health and safety law, including by children.
• HSE’s recent communication highlights that duty holders must “do everything they can” to keep children out of sites and away from danger.

Practical site security steps for July–August

• Provide suitable perimeter fencing or hoarding that matches the site risk and local environment and keep it in good repair.
• At the end of each shift, secure the site: barrier or cover excavations and pits, isolate and immobilise plant and vehicles, and lock them in compounds where possible.
• Remove access ladders from scaffolds and excavations so they cannot be easily climbed.
• Store pipes, manhole rings and other large materials so they cannot roll or topple and do not resemble play structures.
• Lock away hazardous substances and secure cabins, offices and welfare areas.

 

Working at Height – Summer Refresher

Falls from height remain one of the biggest causes of fatalities and serious injuries in construction, and the Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply regardless of season. Summer is a sensible time to remind teams of the hierarchy and some common pitfalls.

 

Work at height hierarchy (INDG401 / HSE guidance)

• Avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so – can tasks be done from the ground or with pre‑assembled components?
• Where work at height cannot be avoided, prevent falls by using safe places of work or appropriate equipment, such as properly designed platforms or scaffold with edge protection.
• Where the risk of a fall cannot be eliminated, minimise the distance and consequences using nets, airbags or harness systems.

 

Common issues seen by HSE

• Over‑reliance on ladders and stepladders for tasks that are not short‑duration or low‑risk.
• Working on or near fragile surfaces (for example certain roof coverings) without adequate precautions.
• Inadequate inspection and maintenance of work at height equipment.

Supervisor checklist – work at height

• Can this task be avoided or done from the ground?
• Has the team followed the hierarchy: avoid, prevent, then minimise?
• Is the right equipment being used for the job, rather than the quickest option?
• Have edges, openings, fragile surfaces and ground conditions been checked?
• Are inspections complete and recorded for scaffolds, towers, platforms or MEWPs?
• Are collective measures in place first, with harnesses only where justified?
• Are workers competent, briefed and following the method statement?
• If fall-arrest is used, is there a genuine rescue plan?

A good supervisor check is often the difference between a controlled job and a routine task drifting into unsafe improvisation.

 

Welfare and Heat – Making Facilities Work

Welfare on construction sites – toilets, washing, changing, eating and rest areas – is a basic legal requirement and a key control in its own right. Hot weather puts extra pressure on welfare arrangements, especially for hydration and rest.

Core welfare duties (CDM 2015 and HSE guidance)

• Everyone who works on a construction site must have access to toilets and washing facilities, as well as areas for changing, eating and rest.
• Welfare provision must be suitable for the size and nature of the work, and clients must ensure contractors actually provide it.
• Additional facilities (e.g. showers) may be needed where hazardous substances or contamination risks are present (cement, lead, micro‑organisms).

 

Adapting welfare for hot conditions

 

• Ensure adequate drinking water is always available, clearly identified, and easily accessible; mains supply is preferred, but stored/bottled water must not be allowed to go stale or become contaminated.
• Provide shaded, ventilated rest areas with enough seating, and encourage workers to remove PPE during breaks so they can cool down.
• Check that welfare spaces remain clean, tidy and not used for storage, so people are actually willing to use them.

 

 Heatwave update – July 2026

HSE states there is no fixed maximum workplace temperature, but employers must manage the risks from heat stress and thermal discomfort. For outdoor construction work, recommended controls include:

• Rescheduling heavier or more exposed tasks for cooler parts of the day and allowing more frequent rest breaks.
• Providing shade and free access to cool drinking water, encouraging regular small drinks rather than occasional large ones.
• Briefing workers and supervisors on the signs of heat stress (e.g. headache, dizziness, confusion, cramps, heavy sweating or cessation of sweating) and clear steps to take if someone becomes unwell.

Supervisor welfare audit – site check

• Toilets clean, stocked and adequate?
• Washing facilities with warm water, soap and drying?
• Drinking water available, marked and uncontaminated?
• Rest area clean, usable and not full of stored kit?
• Enough seating and tables for breaks?
• Changing/storage facilities available where needed?
• Extra welfare controls in place for dirty work or hazardous substances?
• In hot weather, are shade, cool water and extra breaks actually being provided?