Temporary works are clearly defined in BS 5975. The standard refers to them as an engineered solution and explains their purpose. They are used to provide support and protection in several instances, including during excavation and construction on existing structures. Additionally they may be employed to account for the additional loads placed on a building due to the presence of plant equipment or machinery.
Perhaps more surprisingly temporary works are also utilised to provide safer access to parts of structures. They can be installed to prevent people from disturbing the structure while they are accessing it, maintaining stability at all times. This is crucial and helps to drive down the risks.
Alongside describing what they are BS 5975 also provides directions for ensuring that competencies of temporary works are observed. This guidance is crucial because simply having supports in place is not enough; they need to be designed properly, fitted correctly, and maintained to the right standards.
The main thing that the standard highlights is that temporary works and engineered solutions must be provided by a competent person. They must have the right training and knowledge to ensure the system chosen is appropriate and delivers the required support and protection.
Alongside this it sets out that how important it is to conduct checks on the temporary works. They must be checked in the design phase as well as during installation. The latter is particularly important because they must coincide with the designs that have been signed off on.
A final thing the standard sets out is the importance of communication and coordination. This is vital to improving safety on projects. There should be a dedicated individual to take care of both, ensuring that everybody on the site has the correct knowledge.
At Denon Construction we have great knowledge of the competencies of temporary works. We have been involved with their design, installation and maintenance for many years, becoming a leader in our field in that time. We always strive to hit the highest standards because we understand how vital stability and safety is whenever an engineered solution is needed.
If you have any questions you can contact us to speak to a member of our team.