National Scaffolding Week & World Mental Health Day: Building Strong Foundations Together

October 9, 2024

As we observe National Scaffolding Week, we celebrate not just the physical structures that scaffolding helps build, but the unseen foundations of support and safety that they symbolise. This year, we align our efforts with World Mental Health Day, focusing on how the scaffolding industry can play a vital role in promoting mental well-being.


The scaffolding industry, known for its demanding physical and mental challenges, is often a high-pressure environment. Just like a well-built scaffold provides support for construction, mental health awareness provides the support workers need to stay resilient in their everyday tasks.

National Scaffolding Week & World Mental Health Day: Building Strong Foundations Together

As we observe National Scaffolding Week, we celebrate not just the physical structures that scaffolding helps build, but the unseen foundations of support and safety that they symbolise. This year, we align our efforts with World Mental Health Day, focusing on how the scaffolding industry can play a vital role in promoting mental well-being.

The scaffolding industry, known for its demanding physical and mental challenges, often operates in high-pressure environments. Just like a well-built scaffold provides support for construction, mental health awareness provides the support workers need to stay resilient in their everyday tasks.


Here’s how we can integrate the principles of National Scaffolding Week into mental health support:

Strong Foundations: Just as scaffolding provides essential support for buildings, mental health foundations—such as access to therapy, peer support, and stress management—are vital for personal and professional growth.

Building Connections: The scaffolding community can come together to raise awareness about mental health, sharing experiences and resources that strengthen our mental health support systems.

Safety First: Both mental and physical safety are critical on the job. Promoting open conversations about mental health in the workplace ensures a safe environment where everyone feels valued and supported.

Lifting Each Other Up: Scaffolding enables people to reach new heights. Similarly, mental health advocacy helps lift individuals and communities towards a healthier and more balanced future.


We also recognise the vital work of the following organisations in promoting mental well-being within the industry:

Mates in Mind: A charity focused on raising awareness and addressing mental health in the workplace.

Construction in Sport Charity: Supporting mental health and well-being for those in the construction industry through sports and physical activities.

HSE Working Minds Campaign: An initiative to promote good mental health at work and support businesses in managing stress.

Mental Health Foundation: A charity dedicated to finding and addressing the causes of mental health problems and providing resources for support.


Together, let’s build strong, safe structures—both in our work and in our minds!


Here are the websites for the charities and resources mentioned:

Mates in Mind: https://www.matesinmind.org

Construction in Sport Charity: https://www.constructionsport.com

HSE Working Minds Campaign: https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/working-minds/

Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk

These links provide direct access to resources and support related to mental health in the construction and scaffolding industries.

April 23, 2025
The Construction Skills Shortage and the Scaffolding Sector’s Missing Message The UK’s housing targets are under pressure. The construction sector faces a growing skills shortage, and as the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) recently highlighted, one of the root causes is alarmingly simple: young people aren’t hearing about careers in construction. But this problem runs even deeper than housebuilding. At National Scaffolding Week , we see how the lack of construction-focused careers advice affects the entire scaffolding and access sector. Scaffolding is the backbone of construction — from maintenance on heritage buildings to the delivery of modern megaprojects — yet the pathway into our industry remains under-promoted and often misunderstood. Breaking Down Barriers and Busting Myths Despite offering structured training, clear progression routes, and a wealth of skilled and professional opportunities, scaffolding still suffers from outdated stereotypes. Too many young people, teachers, and even parents see it as just a stopgap job, not the highly technical, safety-critical profession that it is. Scaffolding is so much more than tubes and boards. It's about design ingenuity, engineering precision, safety leadership, and project management excellence. It’s about problem-solving, teamwork, and making a visible difference to the world around us. Why Early Engagement Matters If we’re serious about tackling the skills shortage — and if we want to secure the future of the access and scaffolding sector — we need to start early. Careers advice in schools must reflect the real breadth of opportunities available across construction, including scaffolding. That means: Embedding scaffolding into careers education programmes. Creating engaging, relatable role models who can share their stories with young people. Showing the exciting projects and life-changing infrastructure that scaffolders help to make possible. National Scaffolding Week: Leading the Conversation Our mission at National Scaffolding Week is to make scaffolding visible, accessible, and aspirational. We’re here to champion the essential role our sector plays in building Britain — and to ensure that scaffolding is part of the careers conversation in every school and college. Because if young people can’t see it, they can’t be it. Let’s work together to showcase the skills, passion, and pride that drive the scaffolding industry — and inspire the next generation to help us build the future.
March 25, 2025
The #BeatMyScaffold2025 competition has officially concluded, celebrating some of the most innovative and well-executed scaffold designs from around the world. The contest, which showcased the skills and creativity of industry professionals, saw strong participation from scaffolding experts, judges, and voters alike.
Safe Loading and Vehicle Checks for Scaffolders –
February 13, 2025
Scaffolding transport comes with serious risks and getting it wrong can result in fines, vehicle prohibitions, loss of an operator’s license, and, more tragically, serious injuries or even fatalities. For this reason, the Scaffolding Association and the Road Haulage Association (RHA) have this week launched a brand-new Driver CPC training module, 'Safe Loading and Vehicle Checks for Scaffolders.' This course contributes to the required thirty-five hours of periodic Driver CPC training, mandatory for all professional HGV drivers. Failing to complete this training can result in being unable to legally drive. Robert Candy, Chief Executive of the Scaffolding Association, said: "Scaffolding transport is both high-risk and heavily regulated and getting it wrong can have devastating consequences. Poorly secured scaffolding loads can cause serious injuries, collisions and even fatalities. This new course equips drivers with the knowledge to prevent such incidents, protecting lives and protecting businesses from enforcement action and legal consequences.” Richard Smith, Managing Director of the RHA, said: "Load security is a priority for police and enforcement agencies who actively target non-compliant vehicles. There’s a moral obligation too as unsecured scaffolding and unsafe loads not only lead to penalties, but they also put lives at risk. This DVSA-approved course is designed specifically for scaffolding-related transport and equips drivers and businesses with the essential skills to stay compliant and safe. It arms drivers and businesses with the knowledge they need to prevent accidents, avoid fines, and protect the public." This Course Will Ensure: ● Drivers and operators fully understand the latest legislation ● Scaffolding materials are transported safely, securely, and legally ● Vehicles remain roadworthy and compliant with operator license requirements ● Businesses avoid costly enforcement action, fines, and prohibitions What Delegates Will Learn: ● Load Security – Key updates and who is responsible ● Staying Safe & Compliant – The right way to load scaffolding vehicles ● The Consequences of Getting It Wrong – Prohibitions, fines, and legal action ● Daily Vehicle Checks – What must be checked and how to record defects ● Defect & NIL Defect Reporting – Keeping vehicles roadworthy ● Enforcement Agencies – Their powers, documentation, and what to expect Who Needs to Book This Course? ● All professional HGV drivers transporting scaffolding ● Operators and supervisors responsible for loading & securing scaffolding materials ● Businesses that want to avoid enforcement action and protect their operator’s license For full course details including dates and locations, please visit: https://www.rha.uk.net/Training/England-Wales/Driver-CPC-Courses/-Safe-Loading-and-vehicle-checks-for-Scaffolders
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