ScaFixShort answer
What should a scaffold handover certificate contain?
There is no statutory handover certificate in the UK. NASC recommends one for every scaffold, with the tie test records, the compliance sheet or design, the first inspection and both signatures; the legal record is the inspection report with the particulars of Schedule 7.
By Ole Emil Frikstad Urstad · How the numbers are computed ·
What must a scaffold handover certificate show?
No law prescribes it. The NASC FAQ recommends a handover certificate for every scaffold, with tie test records, the TG20:21 compliance sheet or design, the first inspection details and signatures from both sides. The legal document is the inspection report under regulation 12, with the eight particulars of Schedule 7.
What does the law require at handover?
An inspection, not a certificate. Under regulation 12 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, a working platform from which a person could fall 2 m or more may not be used until it has been inspected after installation, and it is inspected again at least every 7 days and after anything that may have affected its safety. The person who inspects writes a report with the particulars of Schedule 7:
| Schedule 7 particular | What it means on a scaffold |
|---|---|
| 1. Name and address of the person for whom the inspection was carried out | The client or user’s employer |
| 2. Location of the work equipment inspected | Site and elevation, for example "north elevation, lifts 1–4" |
| 3. Description of the work equipment inspected | Type, lifts, boarded lifts, loading bays, sheeting |
| 4. Date and time of the inspection | When it was checked |
| 5. Details of any matter that could give rise to a risk | Missing rails, loose ties, overloading |
| 6. Details of any action taken as a result | What was fixed on the spot |
| 7. Details of any further action considered necessary | What still has to be done, and by whom |
| 8. Name and position of the person making the report | The competent inspector |
What does NASC recommend for the handover certificate?
The NASC FAQ says every scaffold should be handed over with a certificate and that clients should ask for it at tender. It suggests including:
- tie test records;
- the TG20:21 or TG30 compliance sheet, or the design;
- the first inspection details;
- signatures from both sides, the erector and the user.
NASC’s SG35:21 covers the handover itself: completion checks, documentation, safe-use information and the first statutory inspection that follows it. A useful certificate also states the load class and the maximum load per bay, the lifts that are boarded, any restrictions such as "no sheeting", and who to call before altering the scaffold. Load classes are explained in scaffold load classes.
Is the handover certificate the same as the scaffold tag?
No. The certificate is a one-off transfer of responsibility from the erector to the user. The tag at the ladder stays on the scaffold and records the later inspections; why it is industry practice, not law, is covered in scaffold tag requirements. Until the handover, an incomplete scaffold carries warning signs and is physically barred, as Schedule 3, Part 2, paragraph 11 requires.
Who does what after the handover?
From then on, the user’s employer must make sure the statutory inspections happen, often by contracting the scaffolder to do them. How often is set out in how often scaffolding must be inspected, and the walk-round itself in the inspection checklist. Whether the scaffold needed a design before any of this is answered in when a scaffold needs a design.
ScaFix produces the 3D plan and parts list for a scaffold, which can be attached to the handover pack; it does not issue the certificate or the inspection report.
Planning information, not legal advice or structural approval. Regulation 12 and Schedule 7 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 set the inspection report; NASC guidance sets the handover practice, and a competent person inspects the scaffold before first use.
Frequently asked questions
Is a scaffold handover certificate a legal requirement?
No. The legal requirement is the inspection before first use and the written report under regulation 12 and Schedule 7. NASC recommends a handover certificate as good practice.
Who signs the handover certificate?
Both sides: the scaffold contractor handing over and the user or principal contractor accepting it, according to the NASC FAQ.
What is the difference between a handover certificate and an inspection report?
The certificate records the transfer and the paperwork behind the scaffold; the inspection report records a competent person’s check with the eight particulars of Schedule 7.
How long must inspection reports be kept?
Regulation 12 requires the report to be kept at the site until the construction work is completed and then at an office for three months.
Sources
Primary sources used for this article, with the date each was read.
- Work at Height Regulations 2005, Schedule 7 (particulars to be included in a report of inspection) (read 24 October 2026)
- Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 12 (inspection of work equipment) (read 24 October 2026)
- NASC: FAQs (handover certificates, bespoke design, compliance sheets) (read 24 October 2026)
- NASC: SG35:21 Handover of Scaffold Structures and First Scaffold Inspection (product page) (read 24 October 2026)
- HSE: Scaffolding (inspection reports, warning signs, incomplete scaffolds) (read 24 October 2026)
- Work at Height Regulations 2005, Schedule 3 (Part 2 scaffolding: incomplete scaffolds, paragraph 11) (read 24 October 2026)