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How to become a scaffolder

In the UK almost every scaffolder follows one ladder of CISRS cards, from labourer to advanced scaffolder. In the US there is no national licence, but OSHA requires trained crews under a competent person. Here is each route step by step, from the official sources.

By Ole Emil Frikstad Urstad · How the numbers are computed ·

Close-up of the corner where the long wall and the gable wall meet, with Jamax standards, decks, guardrails and toe boards in the ScaFix 3D model
The corner: the bays of the two walls meet, with deck, guardrail and toe board on each lift.

How do you become a scaffolder in the UK?

Start as a scaffolding labourer: pass the CITB health, safety and environment test and the one-day COTS course to get the CISRS labourer card. After at least three months on site you can take CISRS Part 1, then Part 2, an NVQ Level 2 and a one-day skills test. That earns the CISRS Scaffolder card.

What does a scaffolder do?

The National Careers Service describes a job built around putting up, altering and taking down temporary structures so other trades can work at height, with a typical week of about 40 to 50 hours (National Careers Service). The apprenticeship standard adds that the work spans construction, rail and oil and gas (Skills England, ST0359 v1.0). In practice that means reading a scaffold design or a TG20 compliance sheet, setting out base plates and sole boards, building lift by lift, fixing ties and handing the structure over for inspection.

The trade is organised around one card scheme. CISRS, the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme, reports more than 70,000 cardholders in the UK and over 100,000 worldwide (CISRS).

What are the steps from labourer to scaffolder?

The usual UK route has five steps:

  1. CITB HS&E test and COTS. The CISRS Operative Training Scheme is a one-day course covering scaffold terminology, servicing tube, fittings and boards, manual handling, gin-wheel lifting and site hazards. You need an HS&E test pass from the last 23 months, a moderate level of fitness and good spoken and written English (CITB: COTS).
  2. Labourer card. COTS leads to the CISRS Scaffolding Labourer card, valid for five years. Labourers may work only from a secure position and support the gang with labouring and driving; they are not permitted to erect, alter or dismantle scaffolding (CISRS: Labourer).
  3. Trainee card and Part 1. After holding the labourer card for at least three months and gaining site experience, you can attend CISRS Part 1. The Trainee Scaffolder card runs for 18 months, and the whole training must fit within two such cards. A trainee must work under the direct supervision of a qualified scaffolder (CISRS: Trainee Scaffolder).
  4. Part 2, NVQ and skills test. Part 2 follows, then an NVQ Level 2 (SCQF Level 5) and the one-day CISRS skills test.
  5. Scaffolder card. The CISRS Scaffolder card is valid for five years and renewed with a two-day refresher course. A holder can lead a gang in basic scaffold operations as defined in TG20 (CISRS: Scaffolder, tube and fitting).

There are two versions of the scaffolder card. The tube and fitting card is the traditional one. The system card is endorsed for a named system scaffold such as HAKI, and its holder is not deemed competent on tube and fitting structures (CISRS: Scaffolder, system).

HAKI Ram scaffolding around a house of 11.4 × 5.3 m with a gabled roof (eaves 4.5 m, ridge 6 m), drawn by the ScaFix 3D model
HAKI Ram around the example house, as ScaFix draws it in 3D.

Is there a scaffolding apprenticeship?

Yes. The Scaffolder apprenticeship standard (ST0359) is a Level 2 apprenticeship designed with CISRS among the employers involved. The retired version 1.0 gave a typical duration of 18 months before assessment and stated that a successful apprentice can apply for a CISRS Scaffolder card; version 1.2 has been the current version since 29 June 2023 (Skills England, ST0359 v1.2). The National Careers Service says the intermediate apprenticeship can take up to two years and usually asks for some GCSEs, including English and maths. College courses in construction operations or scaffolding, and skills bootcamps, are other ways in.

What comes after the scaffolder card?

The card ladder continues:

CardEntry requirementTraining
Advanced ScaffolderScaffolder (tube and fitting) card held for at least 12 monthsCISRS Advanced course, NVQ Level 3, two-day skills test
Basic Scaffold InspectionCurrent Scaffolder, Advanced or Supervisor cardThree-day inspection course
Manager / SupervisorFor supervisors, foremen and contract managersFive-day CISRS Supervisor course

Sources: CISRS: Advanced Scaffolder, CISRS: Basic Scaffold Inspection, CISRS: Manager and Supervisor. The National Careers Service lists the next jobs as advanced scaffolder supervising a team, scaffold designer, site safety inspector and contracts co-ordinator. Inspectors need to know the inspection rules inside out; our scaffold inspection checklist shows what is checked, and the UK regulations guide covers the legal frame.

How do you become a scaffolder in the US?

There is no national scaffolder licence in the US. The federal rule is about who supervises and how crews are trained:

  • OSHA requires that scaffolds be erected, moved, dismantled or altered only under the supervision and direction of a competent person qualified in that work, by experienced and trained employees selected by that person (29 CFR 1926.451(f)(7)).
  • A competent person is one capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards and with the authority to take prompt corrective measures (29 CFR 1926.450).
  • Employees involved in erecting, disassembling, moving, operating, repairing, maintaining or inspecting a scaffold must be trained by a competent person, covering hazards, correct procedures, design criteria and maximum intended load, and retrained when they lack the skill (29 CFR 1926.454).

New York City is the main exception to the no-licence picture, and the credential most US job ads ask for. Under 2022 NYC Building Code §3314.4.5.1, workers who install, adjust, repair, maintain or remove a supported scaffold 40 feet (12.2 m) or more in height, and the people supervising them, must complete a Department of Buildings-approved course of at least 32 hours, then an 8-hour refresher every four years. The rule also covers sidewalk sheds that form the base of such a scaffold. The DOB course requirements say the hands-on part must be taught in person, and on-demand self-study modules are not allowed (NYC DOB: 32-hour supported scaffold installer and remover; NYC DOB: 8-hour refresher).

Many employers use the NCCER Scaffolding curriculum to meet that duty. It is a one-level programme with 155 recommended hours including the Core, and modules on trade safety, tools, trade math for scaffold loads, supported scaffolds (32.5 hours), mobile scaffolds and suspension scaffolds; a journey-level assessment for scaffold builders is available (NCCER Scaffolding). The federal occupational database O*NET files scaffold work under construction laborers, with erecting and dismantling scaffolding listed as a task, and projects growth of 7 % or more for 2025–2035 (O*NET 47-2061.00). The detailed OSHA rules are in our OSHA scaffolding guide.

What do you need to be good at?

The official descriptions keep coming back to the same things: a head for heights, physical fitness, care with manual handling, and the ability to read drawings and count parts. It helps to know the components by name before your first day; our guide to scaffold parts explains standards, ledgers, transoms, ties and decks. Apprentices who want to see how bays, lifts and ties fit together can open a 3D model in ScaFix, which builds a scaffold and its parts list from wall dimensions.

This page describes training routes, not legal requirements for a particular site. In the UK, the HSE and the Work at Height Regulations set the duties and CISRS sets the card rules; in the US, OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L applies. Check current requirements with CISRS or your employer before booking a course.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become a qualified scaffolder?

CISRS requires the trainee route to be completed within two 18-month trainee cards, so up to three years after starting Part 1. The Level 2 apprenticeship takes up to two years.

Can a scaffolding labourer put up scaffolding?

No. CISRS says holders of the labourer card are not permitted to erect, alter or dismantle scaffolding; they support the gang from a secure position.

How long is a CISRS card valid?

Labourer and Scaffolder cards are valid for five years. The scaffolder card is renewed with a two-day refresher course.

Do you need a licence to be a scaffolder in the US?

There is no federal licence. OSHA requires training by a competent person and supervision by a competent person during erection, and some employers ask for NCCER credentials. New York City adds a 32-hour DOB-approved course for supported scaffolds 40 feet or higher.

What is the difference between a tube and fitting card and a system card?

The tube and fitting card covers traditional scaffolds. The system card is endorsed for a named system such as HAKI and does not cover tube and fitting work.

Sources

Primary sources used for this article, with the date each was read.