Guide
Manage temporary works on construction projects
How to manage temporary works safely on construction projects. Covers the temporary works coordinator role, BS 5975 procedures, design checking, permit to load and strike, and handover requirements for formwork, propping, falsework, and shoring.
If your construction project involves formwork, falsework, propping, shoring, cofferdams, or any other temporary structure that supports permanent works during construction, you must manage those temporary works through a formal process. Failure to do so is a criminal offence under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
Temporary works failures cause deaths and serious injuries on UK construction sites. Collapses of falsework, formwork, and propping systems happen when temporary works are not properly designed, checked, erected, or removed. HSE investigates every serious incident and prosecutes where duties have been breached.
This guide explains the procedures you must follow to manage temporary works safely, including appointing a Temporary Works Coordinator, following BS 5975, and operating permit-to-load and permit-to-strike systems.
When this applies
You need a formal temporary works management process whenever your project involves any of the following:
- Formwork - moulds for casting in-situ concrete (walls, columns, slabs, beams)
- Falsework - temporary structures supporting formwork or permanent works during construction (e.g. supporting a bridge deck while concrete cures)
- Propping - vertical support to floors, beams, or slabs during alteration, demolition, or construction
- Shoring - lateral or raking support to walls or structures at risk of movement or collapse
- Cofferdams - watertight enclosures for below-water or below-ground construction
- Ground support - trench sheets, sheet piling, and ground anchors
- Temporary access structures - heavy-duty access platforms or working platforms for plant
Even simple propping during wall removal in a refurbishment project requires formal temporary works management. The scale of the process should be proportionate to the risk, but the core steps always apply.
Appoint a Temporary Works Coordinator
The principal contractor must appoint a Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) for every project that involves temporary works. This appointment should be made in writing and recorded in the construction phase plan.
What the TWC does
The TWC is the single point of responsibility for all temporary works on the project. Their duties include:
- Establishing and maintaining the temporary works register
- Issuing design briefs to temporary works designers
- Ensuring all designs are independently checked before erection begins
- Issuing permits to load before any loading is applied
- Issuing permits to strike before any temporary works are removed
- Arranging inspections and monitoring during use
- Recording all decisions and approvals
On smaller projects, the site manager or project manager may act as TWC provided they have the required competence. On larger or more complex projects, the TWC should be a dedicated role held by a chartered or incorporated engineer with temporary works experience.
Follow the BS 5975 process
BS 5975:2019 sets out the standard process for managing temporary works. Although BS 5975 is not itself legislation, following it demonstrates compliance with CDM 2015 duties. HSE expects contractors to follow BS 5975 or an equivalent systematic approach.
The five key steps
The BS 5975 process follows a structured sequence that must not be shortcut:
- Design brief - The TWC issues a written brief to the temporary works designer specifying loadings, ground conditions, interfaces with permanent works, sequencing constraints, and any access or environmental restrictions.
- Design and independent checking - The designer produces calculations, drawings, and specifications. A separate competent Design Checker then independently verifies the design. The checker must not be the same person who produced the design, and should not be from the same organisation unless a rigorous internal checking procedure is documented and in place.
- Permit to load - Before any load is applied to the temporary works (for example, pouring concrete onto falsework), the TWC inspects the erected structure, confirms it matches the design, and issues a written permit to load. No concrete pour, structural loading, or other use may proceed without this permit.
- Inspection and monitoring - The temporary works must be inspected before first use, at regular intervals during use, and after any event that could affect stability such as high winds, impact, or adjacent excavation. Any movement, deformation, or damage must be reported to the TWC immediately.
- Permit to strike - Before any temporary works are removed or dismantled, the TWC confirms the permanent works have gained sufficient strength to be self-supporting and issues a written permit to strike. Premature removal of temporary works before the permanent structure can carry its own weight is a common cause of collapse.
Maintain the temporary works register
The TWC must maintain a temporary works register listing every item of temporary works on the project. For each entry, the register should record:
- Description and location of the temporary works
- Name of the designer and design checker
- Current status (designed, checked, erected, loaded, struck)
- Dates of permits issued (permit to load, permit to strike)
- Inspection dates and findings
- Name of the responsible person on site
The register is a live document that must be updated as temporary works progress through the project. It forms part of the project health and safety records and should be available for HSE inspection at any time.
Temporary works involving particular risks under CDM 2015 Schedule 3 require specific risk control measures in the construction phase plan. Work near unstable structures, heavy prefabricated elements, and operations with risk of burial are all Schedule 3 categories that commonly overlap with temporary works. The TWC should coordinate with the principal contractor to ensure these measures are documented and communicated to all relevant personnel.
When temporary works support a structure during alteration or partial demolition, the structural stability requirements are especially important. The TWC must work closely with the structural engineer to ensure the temporary support scheme accounts for the actual load path through the building at every stage of the works, not just the final condition.
Handover and striking procedures
Handover of temporary works between trades or contractors is a high-risk point. Many temporary works failures occur when one contractor erects temporary support and another contractor later modifies or removes it without understanding the design intent.
To manage handover safely:
- Document the handover - Record in writing which contractor is taking responsibility for the temporary works, what condition they are in, and any restrictions on modification or loading
- Brief the receiving contractor - Ensure they understand what the temporary works are supporting, what loads they can carry, and what must not be altered without the TWC's approval
- Update the register - Record the handover in the temporary works register with signatures from both parties
- Control striking - No temporary works may be struck without a permit to strike from the TWC, regardless of which contractor erected them
Common mistakes to avoid
- Removing props to make room for follow-on trades without a permit to strike
- Assuming concrete has reached sufficient strength without testing or waiting the specified curing period
- Partially dismantling falsework to reuse materials elsewhere on site
- Failing to communicate the temporary works design to subcontractors working in the area
- Not reinstating temporary works that have been disturbed by other trades
What to do next
Before starting any work involving temporary works:
- Appoint a competent TWC in writing and record the appointment in the construction phase plan
- Set up the temporary works register before the first item of temporary works is designed
- Ensure all temporary works designs are independently checked before erection
- Brief all site personnel on the permit-to-load and permit-to-strike procedures
- Include temporary works management in site inductions for all trades
If you are unsure whether your project requires formal temporary works management, it almost certainly does. Any work involving structural support during construction falls within the scope of BS 5975. Seek advice from a chartered engineer with temporary works experience if needed.