What are the main parts of a scaffold?
Standards, ledgers, transoms, braces, base plates, boards, guard rails, toe boards and ties. Together they carry the load to the ground, keep the scaffold stable and make the platform safe to work on.
Plain English
Scaffolding terms explained.
The words scaffolders use, from standards and ledgers to putlog and cantilever scaffolds, explained so you can follow a quote or a site conversation. This guide explains terms; it is not a guide to building or altering a scaffold.
Parts of a scaffold
The main parts and what they do
- Standards. The upright tubes that carry the load down to the ground.
- Ledgers. Horizontal tubes running along the length of the scaffold, joining the standards.
- Transoms. Shorter horizontal tubes running across the width, supporting the boards.
- Braces. Diagonal tubes that stiffen the scaffold and stop it swaying.
- Base plates and sole boards. Plates under each standard, often on timber boards, that spread the load into the ground.
- Couplers or fittings. The clamps that join tubes together on tube and fitting scaffolds.
- Boards. The decking that forms the working platform.
- Guard rails and toe boards. The rails and boards along open edges that stop people and materials falling.
- Brick guards. Mesh panels fitted between the guard rail and toe board to stop materials falling through.
- Ties. Fixings that connect the scaffold to the building to keep it stable.
- Lift. One level of the scaffold, or the height between levels.
- Bay. The section between one pair of standards and the next along the length.
Safety terms
Words you may see in safety guidance
HSE scaffold guidance says guard rails should be at least 950 mm above any edge people could fall from, with intermediate rails so the unprotected gap does not exceed 470 mm, plus toe boards. Ties must not be removed except by the scaffold contractor, so ask them if one is in the way. HSE says ties are removed only in stages as a scaffold is taken down, and if one is removed to allow work, an equivalent tie must be provided nearby.
Duty rating describes the load a scaffold platform is designed for. HSE says to assume a scaffold is “general purpose” unless your provider tells you otherwise, and to tell the provider if you plan to load platforms with heavy materials.
TG20 is industry guidance from the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation that sets out standard configurations for tube and fitting scaffolds. A scaffold outside a recognised standard configuration needs a bespoke design.
Types of scaffolding
Common types of scaffolding
- Independent tied scaffold. Two rows of standards that support the platform themselves, tied to the building for stability. A common arrangement on houses.
- Putlog scaffold. A single row of standards, with the inner ends of the cross-pieces resting in the wall. Associated with brickwork.
- Birdcage scaffold. A grid of standards across an area, used to give a working platform at one level, such as under a high ceiling.
- Cantilever scaffold. A scaffold that projects out from a supporting structure, used where standards cannot go down to the ground.
- Tower scaffold. A freestanding tower, often aluminium and on wheels, for shorter tasks. See scaffolding, towers or ladders.
- Tube and fitting or system scaffold. Tube and fitting scaffolds are built from tubes and couplers; system scaffolds use manufactured parts that lock together and must be put up following the manufacturer’s instructions.
HSE lists structures that normally need a bespoke design, including many cantilever scaffolds, complex loading bays and temporary roofs. This guide explains the terms; it does not mean Arkley supplies every type.
Add-ons
Sheeting, netting and other extras
- Debris netting. Mesh fixed to the outside of the scaffold to help contain dust and small debris.
- Sheeting. Plastic sheeting that gives more weather and dust protection than netting.
- Loading bay. A strengthened area for landing materials onto the scaffold.
- Protection fan. A sloping platform that catches falling material above a path or entrance.
Sheeting and netting catch the wind and add load to the scaffold. HSE says never to sheet or net a scaffold without telling the people who designed and put it up, because it must be designed for it. Raise sheeting or netting before the scaffold is planned.
Questions
Scaffolding term questions
What is the difference between scaffold netting and sheeting?
Netting is a mesh that helps contain debris and dust; sheeting is plastic and gives more protection from weather and dust. Both add wind load, so the scaffold must be designed for them.
What is a scaffold tag?
A card at the access point showing whether the scaffold has been inspected and can be used. Read our scaffold tags guide.
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