A serious scaffolding accident in Tapiola in May 2023 raised questions about the level of scaffolding safety in Finland. How many incidents or injuries must occur on scaffolding without sufficient attention being paid to the matter?
Read the summary of the state of scaffolding safety in Finland
Janne Parantainen, senior scaffolding safety expert at Patera, believes that many more accidents related to scaffolding occur than expected, but there is no reliable data on the number of accidents.
The Regional State Administrative Agency AVI monitors compliance with legislation and obligates the main implementers and employers of the construction site in this matter. “Inspections have also shown good implementations that exceed the legal requirements”, says Mikko Koivisto, senior inspector of occupational safety and health at the Regional State Administrative Agency for Western and Inland Finland.
- The main contractor of the construction site must ensure that the scaffolding’s structural plan and usage plan are prepared by a sufficiently qualified person.
- According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 738/2002, anyone commissioned to install scaffolding on a construction site must observe the manufacturer’s instructions and other instructions on installation and also otherwise ensure that the scaffolding and its protective equipment are maintained in proper condition.
- The client must have strict requirements already when purchasing scaffolding. Documented information on the competence of those working on the scaffolding site is required. Parantainen suggests that the person in charge of the commissioning inspection should be a professional independent of the scaffolding supplier.
- The decree on construction work will be reformed in 2026.
Scaffolding accidents are likely to occur much more than expected in Finland, but even the Finnish Workers’ Compensation Center does not have reliable information about the number of accidents. Janne Parantainen, Patera’s senior scaffolding safety specialist, emphasises that companies ordering scaffolding must have strict safety requirements at the time of purchase.
“The site gate may only be opened for qualified personnel. The weekly scaffolding inspections must also be as comprehensive as the commissioning inspection”, he points out.
In Finland, it is estimated that tens of thousands of people work on or near scaffolding. Parantainen, who will soon have trained 2,000 scaffolding clients, has too often heard what has been dropped from the scaffolding, ‘from tools to people’, due to scaffolding shortages.
“If it was really required that people with sufficient training were in charge of the scaffolding, there would be much fewer problems”, he says.
Who is allowed to design, manufacture and erect scaffolding?
“Scaffolding installation is a high-risk job, which is why the training requirement has been recorded in the law. Scaffolding may be designed for the construction site by a person with sufficient training and familiarity with scaffolding”, says Parantainen.
If the height of the scaffolding is more than ten metres, or the stability of the scaffolding is based on anchoring, or the design of the scaffolding structure is demanding due to its covering or for other reasons, the person preparing the structure plan must have at least a degree from a university of applied sciences or equivalent, and familiarity with scaffolding, says
Mikko Koivisto, senior inspector of occupational safety and health at the Regional State Administrative Agency for Western and Inland Finland.
The Decree on the Safety of Construction Work 205/2009 regulates occupational safety in the construction industry and obliges the developer to appoint a project supervisor for the joint construction site. It is the responsibility of the project supervisor to ensure that the project has a competent designer. According to the law, scaffolding must also be erected under qualified supervision.
“Unless a project supervisor has been appointed, the developer is responsible for the project supervisor’s obligations”, Parantainen points out.
The regulation stipulates that scaffolding may only be erected, dismantled and modified under the supervision of a qualified person who has received special instructions, as well as instructions regarding the planned tasks and specific hazards.
The safety of scaffolding must be checked every week
According to the decree, scaffolding commissioning inspections and equally extensive weekly maintenance inspections must be carried out by the person appointed to the task by the scaffolding client or the client company. In addition, the site’s occupational safety representative must be given the opportunity to be present during inspections.
“Although no qualification requirement has been set, it goes without saying that the person carrying out the scaffolding commissioning inspection on the construction site and the person carrying out the weekly maintenance inspection on the construction site must have sufficient ability and skills to carry out the task. Scaffolding inspections must also take into account the scaffolding’s operating instructions”, Mikko Koivisto adds.
Janne Parantainen says that clients are often unfamiliar with the legislation and guidelines of the industry. “The scaffolding manufacturer’s instructions are not always followed, either, which really increases the challenge of the client’s responsibility for supervision”, he says from experience.
The problem in scaffolding work is the definition of qualifications
Parantainen considers the definition of qualifications to be problematic, because according to current practice, the company decides the matter itself and no party verifies compliance with the requirements. He estimates that in practice, the majority of those who do this work lack the familiarity provided by training.
“Employees without training in the field are accepted for scaffolding work. They are not given proper orientation, even though it is required by scaffolding manufacturers’ instructions and legislation”, he continues.
How does supervision work?
“The regional administrative authority supervises the industry as a whole. The authorities’ supervision does not resolve this, but the scaffolding client is responsible for safety on their own site”, says Parantainen.
When providing the scaffolding to employees, the client also decides whether it is safe to use. The client is also responsible for maintaining the safety of the scaffolding throughout its use.
According to law, scaffolding may only be erected, modified and dismantled by trained personnel. There are no separate requirements for companies supplying scaffolding.
“A risk assessment must be conducted to determine whether one’s competence is sufficient for the assessment or whether a qualified person must be used to inspect the scaffolding”, says Parantainen.
Site gates only opened to qualified scaffolding safety experts
How can a responsible client ensure scaffolding safety on their site? According to Parantainen, the company that orders the scaffolding must have strict requirements already at the time of purchase. The site gate may only be opened for qualified personnel.
The scaffolding company’s qualified professional should inspect the scaffolding and fill in the scaffolding commissioning report before handing over the scaffolding to the client.
“Too often, the scaffolding supplier inspects their own work. The handover inspection is often the same as commissioning, and the client does not always carry out the commissioning on site”, Parantainen explains.
However, the client is ultimately responsible for commissioning, even if they have not been trained in this.
“When you buy a service, you need to know the legal responsibilities and competence requirements. You need to have qualified employees with documentation of their competence”, says the experienced instructor.
The manufacturer’s instructions are not enough, but the whole must be compiled from many different instructions: standards, manufacturer’s instructions, legislation and the Regional State Administrative Agency’s instructions. The necessary up-to-date knowledge can be ensured through appropriate training. The use of an external expert does not involve any unreasonable costs either.
“The strictest regulation must always be complied with, and the client can demand an even higher level of safety”, Parantainen points out.
A third party to resolve scaffolding safety issues
Janne Parantainen considers a third, independent party a possible solution to the scaffolding safety industry’s specification and disqualification problems.
“The decree on construction work is being reformed, and the proposal is expected within about a year, but we do not comment on future changes at this point”, says Senior Inspector Mikko Koivisto.
“However, as a representative of the occupational safety and health authority, I note that really good performance is sometimes encountered in inspections in which the level of legislation is exceeded. As inspectors, we value that.”
Scaffolding inspectors at Patera, which offers this service to its customers, are required to have four years of experience in scaffolding installation and working as a supervisor. Scaffolding inspectors’ knowledge of the statutory requirements is kept up to date through training at least twice a year or whenever the legislation changes.
Consequences of occupational safety offences are probation and fines
In the event of an accident, the authorities investigate where the process went wrong. Has the client demanded and supervised the scaffolders’ qualifications and documentation? According to Parantainen, if the matter has been taken to court, persons from both parties have usually been convicted.
An occupational safety violation or crime may result in probation if the court considers that the accident was caused intentionally or through negligence. The consequence can also be fines or a corporate fine for the company.
In Janne Parantainen’s opinion, however, unreasonable liability requirements should not be imposed on an individual employee, as the right to supervise work is typically respected in Finland and the assigned tasks are performed. The employee’s threshold for reporting shortcomings in their own competence to work management is high.
