Health and safety is paramount when working on construction sites, as these places are inherently dangerous and accidents can and do happen.

When it comes to scaffolding in Cambridge and elsewhere, it’s vital that all the necessary precautions are taken in order to prevent any unauthorised personnel from accessing the systems in place, particularly in residential areas where children could potentially decide to try and play on the scaffolding itself.

Clients and contractors both have to make sure that unauthorised access is prevented at all times – outside working hours but also when staff members are present but out of sight.

Children will always be tempted to climb on scaffolding and bear in mind that they may be too young to read or understand warning signs that have been put up.

You’ll need to carry out a site assessment to work out the level of security required, taking into account the likes of proximity to schools, residential areas and public venues, the number of access points onto the scaffold, the level of privacy, the level of lighting and so on.

Site perimeter fencing should be used to prevent unauthorised access to the site as a whole where reasonably practical, with fencing continuous and fixed in place.

Where the risk of unauthorised access is high, appropriate controls to prevent or deter access should be implemented, such as CCTV with active monitoring and loudspeakers that allow for remote security monitoring and verbal intervention, or perhaps security personnel either on site or a visiting patrol.

If you need further help or advice, get in touch with us today.