Plan the access. Understand the scaffold.
Scaffolding Guides for Planning, Safety & Access
Plain-English guidance for customers, contractors and property teams: scaffold types, design routes, permits, inspections, RAMS, temporary roofs, access stairs, loading bays and more.
Illustrative access overview. Actual scaffold arrangements are project-specific.
Before you hire
Clear answers to the questions that shape your project
Choose a starting point below. Each guide explains a practical decision and connects it to the access, planning or safety information your project may need.
Which scaffold suits the job?
Start with the work you need to reach. Compare scaffold types for rooflines, internal spaces, restricted support and regular movement between levels.
Scaffold systems explained
Find the guide that fits your access requirement
Explore the illustrated system guides to understand the arrangement being discussed, the work it supports and the questions to raise before the scaffold is planned.
Working inside & between levels
Understand the working platform and access route needed for the space.
- Birdcage scaffoldsBroad internal working platforms for ceilings, halls and high-level internal tasks.
- Stairwell accessWorking access in stair voids and constrained internal spaces.
- Lift shaft scaffoldsPlatforms and access within lift shafts and vertical voids.
- HAKI stair towersPurpose-built stair access for repeated movement through the scaffold.
Rooflines & restricted access
Explore protection and support where the work is exposed or the ground is constrained.
Site use & scaffold planning
Connect the arrangement to material movement, public routes and the work method.
- Gantry scaffoldsProtected access or work above pedestrian and operational routes.
- Loading bay scaffoldsPlatforms planned around the movement and temporary storage of materials.
- TG20:21 guidanceRecognised configuration guidance for applicable tube-and-fitting scaffolds.
- RAMSRisk assessments and method statements in the context of planned site work.
Use the guidance together
From first enquiry to a controlled working scaffold
Start with the scaffold type and project scope, then check whether design input, permits or public-highway planning may be required. Once erected, handover and inspection responsibilities need to remain clear throughout the hire period.
Describe the access you need
Send the address, photographs, working area, trades and preferred dates. Include entrances, loading constraints and occupied parts of the building.
Explore BlackFox scaffolding servicesConnect the scaffold to the site
Review the configuration, any design input and the practical permissions before the scaffold is erected.
View BlackFox project photographyKeep the next steps clear
Confirm handover, inspection responsibilities, permitted use and how changes are requested throughout the hire period.
Read our Health & Safety informationNeed guidance for a real scaffold project?
Send the address, photographs, work scope and site constraints. BlackFox can review the practical access requirement and direct you to the appropriate service or technical route.