ScaFixRegulations
Working on Dutch scaffolds: the posting notice, the A-sheet and what inspectors stop
A scaffold crew posted to the Netherlands meets two layers of rules: the posting paperwork that must be in order before anyone travels, and a scaffold regime that sits partly in law and partly in a sector agreement. This guide covers what a firm from abroad usually gets wrong, with the source for each point.
By Ole Emil Frikstad Urstad · How the numbers are computed ·
What does a foreign scaffolding firm need to work in the Netherlands?
Notify the posting at postedworkers.nl before the crew arrives, and keep contracts, payslips, hours and A1 forms on file for five years. On site, the Arbobesluit asks for specifically trained erectors under a competent supervisor (art. 7.23b), guardrails to at least 1 m (art. 3.16) and an expert check before use (art. 7.34).
What must be filed before the crew travels?
The Netherlands runs a notification portal, the meldloket on postedworkers.nl. The process has three steps: the Dutch client tells the foreign employer or self-employed person about the duty, the foreign party files the notification, and the Dutch client checks it. The English employer page says to submit the notification for the assignment and the workers before you come to the Netherlands, to report any change in the portal, and warns that both you and the client risk a fine if you do not notify. The Netherlands Labour Authority checks it.
Construction gets no shortcut. The exceptions page exempts certain transport, postal and public-sector work and some short occasional activities, but the exception for initial assembly or installation of supplied goods expressly does not apply to work related to the construction sector, and none of the exceptions applies to workers who are not EU, EEA or Swiss nationals.
Which documents must you be able to show?
According to the rights and duties page, keep these available, on paper or electronically:
- employment contracts,
- payslips,
- an overview of working hours,
- A1 forms,
- proof that wages were paid.
They must be kept for five years after the work ends, handed over within four weeks if the Labour Authority asks, and available in Dutch, English, German or French. Posted workers are entitled to Dutch statutory conditions such as the minimum wage and working-hour rules; where a universally binding collective agreement (cao) applies, its key terms apply for the first 12 months, and after 12 months (18 with one extension) nearly all Dutch employment terms apply.
How does Dutch scaffold law work, in one paragraph?
The Working Conditions Act is a framework act. The Arbobesluit sets goals, and employers and unions agree how to meet them in an arbocatalogus. The Labour Authority reviews these catalogues and treats them as the reference for enforcement. For scaffolds the reference is the A-blad Steigerbouwen published by Volandis, which forms one whole with the Richtlijn Steigers. In practice, a crew that works to the A-sheet is working to what the inspector expects.
Which Dutch words will you meet on the site?
| Dutch | English | Where it matters |
|---|---|---|
| steiger | scaffold | Arbobesluit art. 7.23b and 7.34 |
| staander | standard | spacing above 2.60 m makes a configuration complex (A-sheet) |
| ligger | ledger | part of every bay |
| vloer / werkvloer | deck / working platform | gap to the facade at most 15 cm (A-sheet checklist) |
| leuning | guardrail | protection up to at least 1 m (art. 3.16) |
| kantplank | toe board | must be present at handover (A-sheet) |
| verankering | tie / anchoring | to drawing or standard configuration |
| slaghoogte | lift height | above 2.20 m needs an auxiliary deck during erection |
| bevoegd persoon | competent person who leads erection | art. 7.23b(9) |
| ter zake deskundige | expert who inspects | art. 7.34 |
| steigerkaart / scafftag | scaffold tag | in a holder at each ladder access |
| V&G-plan | health and safety plan | art. 2.28 |
The A-sheet calls the top rail heupleuning and the knee rail knieleuning; our glossary explains the guardrail, toe board and wall tie.
Will a foreign scaffolding card be accepted?
The Arbobesluit names no diploma. Article 7.23b(9) requires that scaffolds are erected, dismantled or substantially altered only under the lead of a competent person, by workers with adequate and specific training on six topics: reading the erection scheme, safe erection and dismantling, preventing falls of people and objects, changing weather, permissible loads, and any other risk of the job. Article 7.23b(10) adds that the supervisor and the crew must have the scheme and its instructions with them.
The sector sets the bar higher. Since 1 January 2017 the A-sheet expects everyone who erects scaffolds to hold a government- and sector-recognised diploma at secondary vocational (mbo) level or a sector certificate under personal certification, with separate roles from assistant through erector, first erector and foreman to scaffold inspector. The A-sheet adds that a first erector (eerste monteur) is always present while scaffolding is erected. The Dutch mbo qualifications are Monteur steigerbouw at level 2 and Eerste monteur steigerbouw at level 3 (EQF 3). Neither the Arbobesluit nor the A-sheet lists a foreign scheme as equivalent, so a foreign firm must be able to show that its own training covers the six topics of 7.23b(9), and should send its leading hand with a qualification that matches the first-erector role. SBB's certificate supplement states that the occupation of first erector is not regulated in the Netherlands (only the training is regulated under Directive 2005/36/EC), so there is no Dutch procedure that converts a foreign card; what counts is whether your training covers the six topics.
Many Dutch main contractors also ask for a VCA safety diploma. It is not a legal requirement; SSVV, which runs the VCA scheme, says B-VCA is usually needed to work for a contractor and that a diploma is valid for ten years.
When does a configuration need an engineer?
Article 7.23b(1) requires a strength and stability calculation unless the scaffold follows a generally recognised standard configuration. The A-sheet treats as complex, and therefore for an engineer of at least bachelor (hbo) level, among others: a deck height above 24 m, a lift height above 2.20 m, standard spacing above 2.60 m, bracket extensions, a facade scaffold wider than 1.60 m without brackets, and deck loads above 3 kN/m². A crew used to building wide bays on its own system should check these limits before the material ships; our guide to scaffold load classes explains the kN/m² figures.
What does a Dutch inspector stop first?
The Labour Authority's page on mobile towers gives the pattern it sees: missing guardrails, people climbing up the outside, towers that are not stable, instructions not followed. Where it finds a fall risk during a visit, it says a fine follows without exception and the work is stopped. The legal basis is article 28 of the Working Conditions Act, which lets an inspector halt work that in his reasonable judgement poses serious danger; after a warning, article 28a allows a stoppage of up to three months for a repeat offence.
A 2020 case shows how this lands on a firm from abroad. A metal construction company from Hoogstraten in Belgium was prosecuted after a worker fell about four metres and died while dismantling a scaffold in Heusden. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the Labour Authority found that the scaffold had not been erected by authorised and trained workers, not according to the instructions, and had no guardrails or similar protection. The prosecutor also asked for a long probation period during which the company could expect inspections of its Dutch work.
What must be reported after an accident?
An accident that leads to hospital admission, permanent injury or death must be reported to the Labour Authority immediately; even a day admission of a few hours counts. Reports can be made around the clock on 0800-5151 or online, and the inspector asks for the scene to be left as intact as possible (accident reporting page). The employer must also keep a register of reported accidents and of accidents causing more than three days of absence.
Which Dutch limits catch foreign crews out?
| Rule | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fall risk exists | from 2.5 m, or lower at openings | Arbobesluit 3.16(2) |
| Guardrail protects | up to at least 1 m above the deck | Arbobesluit 3.16(3) |
| Gap deck to facade | at most 15 cm | A-sheet handover checklist |
| Advance guardrail weight | 23 kg for one person, 46 kg for two | A-sheet |
| Re-inspection after wind | above Beaufort 8 (from 20.8 m/s) | A-sheet |
| Complex configuration | above 24 m deck height | A-sheet |
| Leave the scaffold | Beaufort 8 or more, thunderstorm, heavy snow, hail, ice | A-sheet |
How ScaFix fits in
ScaFix shows the lifts, decks and guardrail runs of a Dutch facade job on many systems before the crew leaves home, which helps you spot a bay above 2.60 m or a lift above 2.20 m early; it does not replace the erection scheme of 7.23b(2) or the expert check of 7.34.
Planning information, not structural approval and not legal advice. In the Netherlands the Arbobesluit text on wetten.overheid.nl, the A-blad Steigerbouwen with the Richtlijn Steigers and the manufacturer's assembly instructions decide, an engineer's calculation is needed outside the standard configuration, and an expert (ter zake deskundige) checks the scaffold before first use. Check the posting rules on postedworkers.nl before each assignment.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to notify the posting of scaffolders to the Netherlands?
Yes. File the notification at postedworkers.nl before the crew arrives; the Dutch client must check it. Construction work is not covered by the assembly exception.
Is a CISRS or other foreign scaffolding card valid in the Netherlands?
Dutch law asks for adequate, specific training on six listed topics rather than a named card. The sector's A-sheet expects a recognised Dutch-level diploma or certificate and lists no foreign equivalent, so be ready to show what your training covered.
How often must a scaffold be inspected in the Netherlands?
Article 7.34 sets no fixed interval: an expert checks before first use, after every change, after disuse and after abnormal weather. The A-sheet adds wind above Beaufort 8.
In which languages must posting documents be available?
Dutch, English, German or French, according to the posted workers portal, on paper or electronically.
When must work on a Dutch scaffold stop for wind?
The A-sheet says to leave the scaffold as soon as possible from wind force 8 Beaufort (above 17.2 m/s), and also in thunderstorms, heavy snow, hail or ice. Article 7.23(11) of the Arbobesluit allows work at height only when the weather does not endanger safety.
Can the Labour Authority stop a scaffold job?
Yes. Article 28 of the Working Conditions Act allows an immediate stop for serious danger, and the authority says a fall risk found on a visit leads to a fine and a stoppage.
Sources
Primary sources used for this article, with the date each was read.
- Postedworkers.nl: Over de meldplicht (read 23 October 2026)
- Posted Workers (English): Employer and the duty to notify (read 23 October 2026)
- Posted Workers (English): Exceptions to the duty to notify (read 23 October 2026)
- Posted Workers (English): Rights and duties, documents to keep (read 23 October 2026)
- Wetten.overheid.nl: Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit (geldend vanaf 1 augustus 2026), art. 2.27, 2.28, 3.16, 7.23–7.23d en 7.34 (read 23 October 2026)
- Wetten.overheid.nl: Arbeidsomstandighedenwet, art. 28 en 28a (stillegging van het werk) (read 23 October 2026)
- Volandis: A-blad Steigerbouwen (pdf, november 2020) (read 23 October 2026)
- SBB: certificaatsupplement Monteur steigerbouw (crebo 25127, pdf) (read 23 October 2026)
- SBB: certificaatsupplement Eerste monteur steigerbouw (crebo 25126, pdf) (read 23 October 2026)
- Stichting Samenwerken Voor Veiligheid (SSVV): VCA en persoonscertificering (read 23 October 2026)
- Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie: Rolsteigers (read 23 October 2026)
- Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie: Toetsing arbocatalogus (read 23 October 2026)
- Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie: Arbeidsongevallen (read 23 October 2026)
- Openbaar Ministerie: Onveilig werken in de bouw schering en inslag (27 maart 2023) (read 23 October 2026)