General Scaffold Inspection Checklist

Scaffolds are temporary structures that can shift, settle, or be altered during use, so the components that keep people safe need checking at regular intervals and before each use. The checklist reflects this by requiring verification that components are present, aligned, tightly fitted, and secure; that planking is cleated and tied down to prevent displacement; that guardrails, mid-rails, and toe boards are in place; and that the structure is square, straight, and plumb. Documenting each check with photo evidence creates a record you can act on.

Start with the scaffold as a whole. Confirm erection was coordinated and supervised by a designated competent person, that it is square, straight, and plumb, and that it is built to certified engineering specifications and approved drawings. Then work through every component: check base plates and screw jacks are firmly supported on mudsills or bearing pads, leveling screws are extended less than 0.3 meters (12 inches) and lock nuts tightened, tubes are not over-extended, ties to rigid supports are in place horizontally and vertically, planking is cleated and tied down within the spans of 2.4 meters for heavy-duty and 3.0 meters for light-duty, and access ladders are fastened with safety cages where height requires them. For moving platforms, confirm wheel brakes are engaged, outriggers extended, and the height-to-base ratio does not exceed 3:1. Log each item as you go and note what needs correcting.

Walk the scaffold and work through the checklist item by item, recording Yes, No, or N/A for each entry. Inspect the components named in the list—base plates, guardrails, platforms, ties, and access—and any others the scaffold uses. Where you find a defect or damage, document it with photo evidence so the issue is unambiguous. Check the protection around the worksite too: warning devices and signage where the scaffold sits over walkways or roadways, and minimum safe clearance from overhead power lines. Any corrective action should then be delegated to qualified personnel, and the inspection signed off when complete.

The checklist requires scaffold ties to rigid structural supports both horizontally and vertically in accordance with regulatory requirements, and free-standing tower scaffolds to be stabilized with guy wires in compliance with height-based regulatory requirements. Toe boards, mid-rail guardrails, and safety cages around ladders are all required at heights meeting regulatory compliance standards, and clearance from overhead power lines must comply with Occupational Health and Safety Legislation. Read the checklist items against the regulations that apply to your site rather than relying on a single figure, because the thresholds depend on jurisdiction and scaffold type.

Record each item using the Yes, No, and N/A options across the checklist. Fill in the inspection details—date conducted, who prepared it, and location—so the record is traceable. For every defect you identify, attach photo evidence and note what corrective action is needed. Once the actions are delegated to qualified personnel and the inspection is complete, the checklist is signed and the finishing time is recorded alongside the actual start and end dates of the inspection.