Scaffold Sheeting

In the construction industry, BS 7955 is a widely accepted standard covering containment nets and sheets. This standard outlines requirements for tensile strength, as well as the strength of eyelets and attachment fasteners. Compliance with BS 7955 is considered a reliable benchmark for these specific performance aspects.

However, when it comes to fire retardancy, compliance is far less straightforward. Unlike tensile strength, which has clear guidelines under BS 7955, fire retardancy lacks a singular, universally accepted industry standard. This means that products marketed as "compliant" in terms of fire resistance may not meet consistent or rigorous criteria.

For example, some scaffold sheeting products claim compliance with BS 8410. However, BS 8410 relates to installation methods rather than performance characteristics. As such, referencing compliance with BS 8410 can be misleading when interpreted as an indicator of a product’s fire-retardant properties.

To ensure genuine fire safety, it is advisable to select scaffold sheeting with third-party certifications specific to fire performance. TS 62 and TS 63, developed by Warringtonfire Certifire, define reaction-to-fire performance requirements for materials used in scaffold cladding and temporary protective coverings. Similarly, LPS 1207 and LPS 1215 standards, established by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB), set out fire performance requirements for protective covering materials and scaffold cladding materials, respectively.

Products that have obtained these certifications undergo rigorous testing to verify their fire-retardant capabilities. Using such certified materials significantly enhances safety on construction sites by reducing the risk of fire spread associated with non-compliant or inadequately tested sheeting.

It's essential to choose products with recognised third-party fire performance certifications to ensure safety and effectively mitigate fire risks. Beyond the immediate concerns of fire prevention and improved Health & Safety on day-to-day site activities, failure to use certified scaffold sheeting on contracts valued over £2.5m (or part of a larger contract valued over £20m) has wider implications, potentially causing the ceasing or withdrawal of insurance in relation to the Joint Code of Practice on the Protection from Fire of Construction Sites and Buildings Undergoing Renovation (JCC). Many insurance policies include this Code of Practice, making it vital to ensure third party certification when required by the criteria set by JCC.

BEST PRACTICE

• Scaffold sheeting and debris netting should be installed strictly to the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
• For safety considerations, scaffold sheeting and netting should never be installed during windy conditions and whenever elastic fastening ties are used, appropriate eye protection should be worn when installing ties.
• It should be noted that where scaffold sheeting is installed on the inside of scaffolds, it is unable to detach whenever suction forces are experienced. This may put excessive forces on the scaffold structure leading to its collapse.
• In windy conditions, an inadequate number of fastening ties will inevitably result in the sheeting detaching prematurely and too many ties may put excessive forces on the scaffold structure leading to its collapse.
• In high winds, the scaffold sheeting should be regarded as sacrificial in order to maintain the integrity of the scaffold structure.
• Scaffold sheeting and netting should be inspected at regular intervals (or immediately after windy conditions) to ensure that it is securely tied. Any broken ties or torn scaffold sheeting should be replaced as further damage and tearing will inevitably result if it is allowed to flap unnecessarily.