Can You Put Sheeting on a Mobile Scaffold Tower? Lessons from a New HSE Prosecution

by admin | Jul 17, 2026 | Consultancy Services, Health and Safety, Safety Update

Sheeting is sometimes added to scaffold towers to contain dust, protect materials or provide limited weather protection. However, it can dramatically increase wind loading and turn a normally stable tower into a large sail.

A recent Health and Safety Executive prosecution followed an incident in which a sheeted mobile scaffold tower overturned onto a busy London high street, seriously injuring two members of the public.

There is no simple rule stating that sheeting can always—or never—be fitted to a mobile tower. The configuration must be permitted by the manufacturer or supported by a competent design assessment. Wind conditions, stabilisers, foundations, public access, inspection and emergency arrangements must all be properly controlled.

What Happened on Putney High Street?

On 10 July 2026, the ⁠Health and Safety Executive reported the prosecution of a construction company and its sole director after a mobile scaffold tower overturned on Putney High Street.

The incident occurred on 19 July 2023. Operatives had assembled the tower while working on a commercial-to-residential conversion. It was assembled incorrectly, insufficiently separated from the public and subsequently covered with sheeting.

The sheeting acted as a sail in windy conditions. The tower overturned, striking and trapping two members of the public and causing serious injuries.

HSE found that the temporary structure had not been designed, installed and maintained to withstand foreseeable loads, including wind acting on the sheeting. It had also not been erected or inspected by adequately trained and competent people or in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £7,000 in costs for breaching regulation 19(2)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Its sole director was convicted under section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and received a separate fine and costs order.

Can Sheeting Be Fitted to a Mobile Scaffold Tower?

Sheeting a mobile access tower is not automatically prohibited by a single blanket regulation. However, it must not be treated as a minor site adjustment.

A standard tower has an open structure through which much of the wind can pass. Adding impermeable or semi-permeable sheeting significantly increases the area exposed to wind. This creates additional overturning forces that may exceed the capacity of the tower, its stabilisers, its ballast or the ground supporting it.

Our professional recommendation

Do not attach sheeting, debris netting, banners, signs or other coverings to a mobile scaffold tower unless:

• The manufacturer’s instructions expressly permit the proposed configuration.
• The supplier or manufacturer has confirmed any additional stabiliser, ballast or tying requirements.
• The expected wind loading has been assessed by someone competent to do so.
• The tower can be installed exactly as specified.
• Suitable weather-monitoring and stop-work arrangements are in place.
• The effect on the public, workers and surrounding property has been assessed.

Where the original tower instructions do not cover sheeting, the safest decision will normally be to use a different access or containment system that has been designed for the intended purpose.

This is a professional recommendation based on the foreseeable change in loading. It should not be interpreted as a substitute for the manufacturer’s instructions or an engineering assessment.

What Does the Law Require?

Stability under CDM 2015

The ⁠Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 require construction work to be planned and managed so that temporary structures remain stable and do not create danger.

The recent prosecution was brought under regulation 19(2)(a). HSE concluded that the tower had not been designed, installed or maintained to withstand foreseeable loads.

Wind is foreseeable. If sheeting is added, the additional wind loading is also foreseeable and must be considered before the tower is used—not after it begins moving.

Work at Height Regulations

The ⁠Work at Height Regulations 2005 require work at height to be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out safely by competent people using suitable equipment.

HSE’s ⁠guidance on the law relating to work at height confirms that those controlling the work must assess the risks and select the right type of equipment.

A mobile tower may be suitable for straightforward short-duration work. It does not automatically remain suitable after its height, location, loading or configuration has changed.

Protecting members of the public

Construction dutyholders must consider people who are not employed on the project but may be affected by the work. On high streets, pavements, schools, occupied premises and shared access routes, the potential consequences extend beyond the workforce.

The fact that a tower is within a nominal work area does not make the public safe. The control measures must reflect the distance a structure or falling materials could travel if something fails.

Follow the Manufacturer’s Instructions

HSE’s ⁠tower scaffold guidance states that the manufacturer, supplier or hirer should provide an instruction manual explaining the erection sequence, bracing requirements and permitted height.

The manual must be available to the person erecting the tower and the person supervising the work.

HSE also advises that:

• Towers must stand on firm, level ground.
• Castors or base plates must be properly supported.
• Stabilisers or outriggers must be installed where required.
• Towers must not exceed the manufacturer’s permitted height.
• All required components must be fitted.
• Towers must never be used in strong winds.
• Towers must not be moved in windy conditions.

Omitting components or introducing incompatible equipment can undermine the designed strength and stability of the system.

The ⁠PASMA Operator’s Code of Practice provides recognised industry good-practice guidance on assembling, using, altering and dismantling mobile access towers. However, general training or guidance does not authorise an unapproved site modification.

Who Is Competent to Erect and Inspect the Tower?

HSE states that towers should be erected and dismantled by trained and competent people. Users must also understand the hazards and precautions associated with the equipment.

Competence should relate to the actual task. Someone may be competent to assemble a standard tower in accordance with an instruction manual but not competent to calculate wind loading or approve a sheeted configuration.

Where the proposed arrangement falls outside the manufacturer’s instructions, the matter may require input from:

• The tower manufacturer or supplier.
• A competent temporary works designer.
• A temporary works coordinator.
• A structural engineer with appropriate experience.
• A competent health and safety adviser working alongside the designer.

Managers can strengthen their broader risk-management and supervisory skills through ⁠IOSH Managing Safely training. Experienced construction managers and supervisors may also demonstrate their occupational competence through appropriate ⁠Supervisory and Management NVQs.

Neither qualification removes the need for specialist design input where the technical limits of a tower are being changed.

How Often Must a Mobile Tower Be Inspected?

All towers must be inspected by a competent person after assembly and at suitable intervals.

Where a tower is used for construction work and a person could fall two metres or more from the working platform, HSE states that it must be inspected:

• After assembly.
• Every seven days.
• Following substantial alteration.
• After adverse weather or any event likely to affect its stability.
• Before further use where its safety is in doubt.

The findings must be recorded, and work must stop if the tower is not safe.

A scaffold tagging system can be useful, but HSE confirms that tags are not themselves a legal requirement. The legally important elements are a competent inspection, an appropriate report and action where defects are identified.

Managing Towers Beside Roads and Pavements

Where a tower is positioned near members of the public, planning should include:

• A properly defined exclusion area based on the possible collapse zone.
• Suitable pedestrian diversion routes.
• Barriers appropriate to the location and risk.
• Protection from falling tools and materials.
• Local authority pavement or highway permissions where applicable.
• Traffic-management arrangements where roads or parking areas are affected.
• Secure arrangements when the site is unattended.
• A process for monitoring weather conditions.
• Clear authority to stop work and remove sheeting.
• Emergency arrangements if the structure becomes unstable.

Cones or lightweight barriers immediately around the tower will not necessarily protect someone if the entire structure overturns.

For related guidance, see our earlier article on ⁠temporary works and traffic-management safety.

What Should Contractors Do Now?

Contractors and principal contractors should identify every mobile tower under their control and check whether anything has been attached that was not included in its original design.

Particular attention should be given to:

• Sheeting and debris netting.
• Advertising banners and signs.
• Temporary roofs.
• Hoarding panels.
• Waste chutes.
• Fans, ducts and extraction equipment.
• Lifting devices or material-loading arrangements.
• Ties, ballast or stabilisers added without approval.

Where there is doubt, stop using the tower until the manufacturer, supplier or another suitably competent person has confirmed that the arrangement is safe.

Businesses requiring assistance with site inspections, work-at-height arrangements, RAMS or contractor controls can obtain support through our ⁠health and safety consultancy service.

Action Checklist

• Identify all mobile scaffold towers currently in use.
• Confirm that the manufacturer’s instructions are available.
• Check that every component is compatible and correctly installed.
• Remove unauthorised sheeting, banners or attachments.
• Verify the competence of erectors, users and inspectors.
• Check ground conditions, castors, outriggers and stabilisers.
• Establish weather-monitoring and stop-work arrangements.
• Review pedestrian and vehicle separation.
• Confirm that inspections are completed and recorded.
• Reinspect following alteration or adverse weather.
• Check applicable pavement or highway permissions.
• Replace the tower with a purpose-designed system where necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to put sheeting on a mobile scaffold tower?

There is no universal blanket prohibition. However, the tower must remain stable under foreseeable loads. Sheeting should not be fitted unless the configuration is permitted by the manufacturer or supported by a competent design assessment.

Is PASMA training enough to approve a sheeted tower?

PASMA training can help demonstrate competence in standard tower assembly and use. It does not automatically qualify someone to calculate wind loading or approve a modification outside the manufacturer’s instructions.

What wind speed is safe for a scaffold tower?

There is no single figure that can safely be applied to every tower and configuration. Follow the manufacturer’s limits and any project-specific design. HSE’s general instruction is never to use a tower in strong winds.

Does a mobile tower require a weekly inspection?

Where it is being used for construction work and a person could fall two metres or more, it must be inspected after assembly and every seven days. It must also be inspected following events that may affect its safety.

Is a scaffold tag legally required?

No. HSE confirms that a tag system is not a specific legal requirement. However, the required inspections and reports must still be completed by a competent person.

“Adding sheeting to a mobile tower is not decoration—it changes the loading on the entire structure.”

“A competent tower erector is not automatically competent to approve a non-standard wind-loaded configuration.”

“The collapse zone must be based on where the tower could fall, not simply where the barriers are convenient to position.”

Firms Urged to Prioritise Safety After Rise in Construction Site Incidents

by admin | May 8, 2025 | Consultancy Services, Health and Safety, Safety Update

Industry Faces Rising Site Safety Concerns as HSE and Industry Bodies Call for Action

Contractors across the UK are being urged to prioritise site safety following a noticeable increase in reportable incidents on construction sites. As reported by Construction Enquirer, both the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and leading industry bodies have expressed concern that the pace of project delivery is overtaking safety planning, leading to shortcuts and oversight failures—particularly on working at height, lifting operations, and vehicle movement risks.

The HSE has warned that enforcement action will increase unless contractors show evidence of proactive safety management and workforce competency across all site levels.

Why Competency and Training Are Central to Risk Prevention

Many of the reported incidents could have been avoided through better planning, supervision, and training. Key failings identified include:

• Inadequate site inductions and task-specific training

• Lack of RAMS or non-compliance with existing procedures

• Unqualified staff carrying out high-risk work (e.g. plant operation, lifting tasks)

• Poor communication between supervisors and subcontractors

These issues point to a need for construction businesses to embed competency-based training, ensure all staff have the appropriate CSCS, CPCS or NPORS cards, and verify their workforce through recognised qualifications.

NVQs That Help Strengthen On-Site Safety

At All Star Safety, we provide a range of NVQ qualifications that help employers prove compliance and upskill their teams:

• Level 2 NVQs in Plant Operations, General Construction, and Lifting

• Level 4 NVQ in Construction Site Supervision

• Level 5 and 6 NVQs in Lifting Operations and Site Management

• Level 6 and 7 NVQs in Occupational Health and Safety Practice or Senior Construction Leadership

These qualifications not only help prevent incidents but also align with HSE expectations during site inspections or audits.

How All Star Safety Can Support Your Workforce

✔ NVQ assessments delivered nationwide via remote or in-person formats

✔ Health and safety consultancy tailored to HSE compliance expectations

✔ Site audits and documentation support for risk management

✔ Guidance for CSCS, CPCS and NPORS applications linked to NVQs

Contact us to see how we can assist you in staying safe and compliant.

📞 0330 133 0402

📞 01473 561 402

📩 info@allstarsafety.co.uk

🌐 Visit our contact page