- Primary legislation (temporary works duty)
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Regulations 8 (general duties), 13 (duties of principal contractor), 15 (duties of contractors)
- Code of practice for temporary works
- BS 5975:2019 Code of Practice for Temporary Works Procedures and the Permissible Stress Design of Falsework (4th edition)
- Definition of temporary works
- Engineering works used to assist in the construction of permanent works but which do not form part of the permanent works themselves, including formwork, falsework, propping, shoring, cofferdams, ground support, temporary access structures, and temporary works platforms
- Types of temporary works covered by BS 5975
- Formwork: moulds for in-situ concrete. Falsework: temporary structures supporting formwork or permanent works during construction. Propping: vertical support to floors, beams, or slabs. Shoring: lateral or raking support to walls or structures. Cofferdams: watertight enclosures for below-water construction. Ground support: trench sheets, sheet piling, ground anchors.
- Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) role
- Person appointed to coordinate the design, checking, use, and removal of all temporary works on a project. The TWC ensures a temporary works register is maintained, design briefs are issued, designs are checked by an independent competent person, and permits to load and strike are issued before use or removal
- Temporary Works Designer role
- Competent person responsible for producing the temporary works design, including calculations, drawings, and specifications. The design must be checked by an independent Design Checker before the temporary works are erected
- BS 5975 process step 1: Design brief
- The TWC issues a design brief to the temporary works designer specifying loadings, ground conditions, interfaces with permanent works, sequence constraints, and any environmental or access restrictions
- BS 5975 process step 2: Design and checking
- The designer prepares the temporary works design, which must then be independently checked by a competent Design Checker. The checker must not be the same person or organisation as the designer unless a rigorous internal checking procedure is in place
- BS 5975 process step 3: Permit to load
- Before any load is applied to the temporary works (e.g. pouring concrete onto falsework), the TWC must issue a permit to load confirming the structure has been erected in accordance with the design, inspected, and is safe to receive the intended loading
- BS 5975 process step 4: Inspection and monitoring
- Temporary works must be inspected before use, at regular intervals during use, after any event likely to affect stability (e.g. high winds, impact), and before each concrete pour. Any movement, deformation, or damage must be reported immediately to the TWC
- BS 5975 process step 5: Permit to strike or dismantle
- The TWC must issue a permit to strike before any temporary works are removed or dismantled, confirming the permanent works have achieved adequate strength and stability to be self-supporting and that removal can proceed safely
- TWC competency requirements
- The TWC must be a chartered engineer, incorporated engineer, or engineering technician with relevant experience, or hold an equivalent professional qualification demonstrating competence in temporary works coordination. They must have specific knowledge of the types of temporary works used on the project
- CDM relationship to temporary works
- Under CDM 2015, the principal contractor has a duty to plan, manage, and monitor the construction phase (Reg 13), which includes ensuring adequate arrangements for temporary works. All contractors have a duty to plan, manage, and monitor their own work (Reg 15). Temporary works involving particular risks (e.g. heavy lifting, work near unstable structures) fall under CDM Schedule 3
- Temporary works register
- The TWC must maintain a temporary works register listing all temporary works on the project, their current status (designed, checked, erected, loaded, struck), the responsible persons, and dates of permits issued
- CIRIA guidance references
- CIRIA C580: Embedded Retaining Walls. CIRIA C760: Guidance on Embedded Retaining Wall Design. CIRIA Report 97: Trenching Practice. These supplement BS 5975 for specific temporary works applications.
- Maximum penalty for temporary works failure
- Unlimited fine and up to 2 years imprisonment on indictment for serious breaches causing risk of death or serious injury