Falls Are Still the Biggest Killer
Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of serious injury and death in the New Zealand construction industry. Despite decades of safety campaigns, regulatory attention, and improved equipment, working at height continues to claim lives and cause life-changing injuries on New Zealand construction sites every year.
Scaffolding — when properly designed, erected, and used — is one of the most effective means of protecting workers from fall hazards. When it’s done badly, it becomes a hazard in itself. Understanding what the regulations require and what best practice looks like is essential knowledge for any construction business owner or site supervisor.
The Regulatory Framework
Scaffolding in New Zealand is governed by the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and the associated regulations, along with AS/NZS 4576:2020 (Guidelines for scaffolding) and WorkSafe’s guidance documents. Scaffolding that meets the threshold for licensed scaffolding — generally tube and coupler scaffolding over 5 metres, and all suspended scaffolding — must be erected, altered, and dismantled by a licensed scaffolder holding a current Certificate of Competence.
PCBUs have a duty to ensure that any scaffolding on their worksites is appropriate for the work being done, is erected by competent people, is inspected before use and at regular intervals, and is used within its design parameters.
Scaffolding Handover and Inspection
Before scaffolding is used, it should be formally handed over by the scaffolding contractor with documentation confirming that it has been erected to the design specification and is fit for use. After erection, regular inspections — at least every 30 days and after any event that might have affected the integrity of the scaffold (storm, impact, alteration) — should be conducted and documented.
Common Scaffolding Failures
WorkSafe investigations of scaffolding incidents reveal common failure patterns: overloading beyond the scaffold’s design capacity; removal or damage of planking, guardrails, or ties; failure to use properly secured access ladders; and the use of improvised scaffolding (ladders propped on planks, for example) as a substitute for proper erected scaffolding. Each of these is preventable, and each has contributed to serious injuries and fatalities on New Zealand sites.