BS 5975 Explained: The Contractor's Guide to Temporary Works Procedures

BS 5975 is the British Standard that sets out how temporary works should be controlled on UK construction projects. It is the benchmark used by Principal Contractors, specialist contractors, designers, insurers and the Health and Safety Executive when judging whether temporary works are being properly managed.

This guide explains what the standard covers, what changed in the 2024 edition, the roles it defines, how design check categories work and what a compliant temporary works procedure looks like on site.

What is BS 5975?

BS 5975 is a code of practice for temporary works. Temporary works are the parts of a construction project needed to build the permanent works, which are usually removed once the permanent structure can support itself. Excavation support, falsework, propping, working platforms and scaffolding are all temporary works.

The standard was first published in 1982. It followed the Bragg Report of 1975, which investigated a series of serious falsework collapses and concluded that most were caused by failures of procedure rather than failures of engineering. That principle still sits at the centre of the standard today. Temporary works rarely fail because the calculations were wrong. They fail because the wrong information was used, the design was not checked, the installation did not match the drawing or the works were loaded before anyone confirmed they were ready.

The current version: BS 5975-1:2024 and BS 5975-2:2024

The standard is now published in two parts, which together supersede BS 5975:2019.

BS 5975 Part 1 covers management procedures for the control of temporary works. It sets out the roles, responsibilities and procedures that make sure temporary works are conceived, designed, specified, constructed, used and dismantled in a safe and controlled way. It is intended for construction projects of every size.

BS 5975 Part 2 covers the design and implementation of falsework. It includes updated guidance on wind loading and covers both permissible stress and limit state design of falsework.

For most contractors Part 1 is the document that governs day to day temporary works management. The key themes of the 2024 revision include more detailed guidance on roles and competence, clearer direction on when an independent design check is needed, stronger requirements for records and traceability and new guidance on environmental risks such as flooding, soil erosion and contamination.

If your temporary works procedure still references BS 5975:2019, it should be reviewed against the current parts.

Is BS 5975 a legal requirement?

BS 5975 is not law. It is guidance on good practice. However the legal duties it helps you meet are very real.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 require that all practicable steps are taken to stop any new or existing structure collapsing when it becomes unstable or temporarily weakened during construction work. They also require that any temporary support or temporary structure is designed, installed and maintained to withstand the loads that may be placed on it. It must only be used for the purpose it was designed for.

Following BS 5975 is the recognised way of showing that those duties are being met. A contractor can choose a different approach, but would then need to demonstrate an equivalent standard of control. In practice the standard is written into most Principal Contractor procedures and subcontract requirements.

What counts as temporary works?

Temporary works cover a wide range of activities. Common examples include:

• Excavation support, trench boxes, sheet piling and cofferdams
• Working platforms, piling mats and crane bases
• Falsework, formwork and backpropping
• Temporary propping, needling and shoring to existing structures
• Facade retention schemes
• Temporary stability of steel, concrete and timber frames
• Access scaffolding, loading bays and temporary roofs
• Hoarding, gantries and temporary site structures
• Dewatering and temporary ground stabilisation
• Lifting arrangements and plant foundations

If an item is needed to build the permanent works, supports load or retains ground and will be removed or left redundant, it should be treated as temporary works and entered on the register.

Key roles under BS 5975

BS 5975 is built around clearly defined roles. The names matter less than making sure each responsibility is allocated to a competent person and recorded.

Designated Individual

The Designated Individual is the senior person in an organisation responsible for establishing, implementing and maintaining its procedure for the control of temporary works. They appoint the Temporary Works Coordinators and make sure the organisation has the resources and competence to follow its own procedure.

Principal Contractor's Temporary Works Coordinator

On projects with more than one contractor, the Principal Contractor's TWC has overall responsibility for all temporary works on the site. That includes temporary works designed or installed by contractors appointed directly by the client. This role coordinates the whole project and holds the project register.

Temporary Works Coordinator

A TWC manages the temporary works process for their organisation or package. Duties include maintaining the register, preparing or approving design briefs, confirming the design check category, making sure designs are checked, confirming installations match the design and issuing permits to load and dismantle. The standard is clear that a subcontractor's Temporary Works Supervisor should not be used as a de facto TWC.

Temporary Works Supervisor

The TWS works under the TWC and controls temporary works at the workface. They supervise installation, carry out checks before loading, manage conditions during use and control dismantling. On larger projects there may be several supervisors covering different areas or packages.

Temporary works designer and design checker

The temporary works designer produces the design, calculations and drawings to meet the design brief. The design checker confirms the design is suitable. How independent the checker must be depends on the design check category.

Permanent works designer

The permanent works designer has a duty to consider how the permanent works will be built and to provide information the temporary works designer needs. Loads, stability during construction and any sequence the permanent design relies on should all be communicated.

The temporary works procedure step by step

A compliant procedure follows a consistent sequence for every item:

1. 1Identify the need for temporary works as early as possible, ideally at tender or preconstruction stage.
2. 2Register the item on the temporary works register with an owner and a target date.
3. 3Brief the designer with a written design brief covering loads, ground conditions, constraints, interfaces and programme.
4. 4Categorise the design so the right level of checking is planned from the start.
5. 5Design the temporary works to the brief.
6. 6Check the design at the level required by its category and record the check on a design check certificate.
7. 7Install the works under supervision to the approved design.
8. 8Inspect the installation against the design before any load is applied.
9. 9Permit to load once the TWC or authorised TWS is satisfied the works are ready.
10. 10Monitor the works during use and control any changes.
11. 11Permit to dismantle once the permanent works can take the load or the temporary works are no longer needed.
12. 12Close out the register entry and retain records.

Missing any one of these steps is where most temporary works incidents start.

BS 5975 design check categories

The design check category decides how independent the check must be. It should be set by the TWC at briefing stage and recorded on the register.

Category 0

Standard solutions used within the limits set out by the supplier or a recognised publication. The check confirms the solution is suitable for the specific site conditions and loads.

Category 1

Simple designs such as straightforward propping or excavation support in good ground. The check can be carried out by another competent member of the design team.

Category 2

More complex designs, or designs where failure would have serious consequences. The check must be carried out by a competent person who was not involved in the design.

Category 3

Complex, innovative or high risk designs, including those using new methods or where the consequence of failure is severe. The check must be carried out by a separate organisation.

The higher the category, the greater the independence required. Setting the category too low misses risk. Setting it too high adds cost and delay without improving safety. Getting it right early is one of the most useful things a TWC can do for the programme.

The temporary works register

The register is the backbone of temporary works control. It should list every item with its location, owner, design check category, design status, check status, permit status and dates. On a multi contractor project the Principal Contractor's register should give a single view of all temporary works on site, with contractor registers feeding into it.

A register that is only updated before an audit is not doing its job. It should be reviewed at every temporary works coordination meeting and used to drive the lookahead so designs and checks are ready before the programme needs them.

Permits to load and permits to dismantle

Permits are the point where control on paper becomes control on site.

A permit to load confirms that the installed temporary works have been inspected against the approved design and are ready to take load. Nothing should be loaded until it has been issued.

A permit to dismantle, sometimes called a permit to strike, confirms that the permanent works can support themselves or that the temporary works are no longer needed. Removing temporary works too early is as dangerous as loading them before they are ready.

Permits should be issued by the TWC or by an authorised TWS in line with the project procedure, recorded on the register and retained with the design records.

Common failings in temporary works management

The same issues come up again and again:

• Design briefs that leave out loads, ground information or interfaces with adjacent works
• Categories set without thought, often too low for the risk
• Designs issued to site before the check has been completed
• Installations that differ from the drawing without the designer being consulted
• Permits issued without an inspection, or not issued at all
• Registers that do not reflect what is actually on site
• Supervisors acting as coordinators without the authority or competence to do so

None of these are engineering problems. They are management problems, which is exactly what BS 5975 exists to prevent.

How BS 5975 works alongside CDM 2015

CDM 2015 sets out the legal duties of clients, designers and contractors. BS 5975 sets out a practical process for meeting those duties in relation to temporary works. The two fit together closely.

The Principal Contractor's construction phase plan should describe how temporary works will be managed. Designers, including temporary works designers, have duties under CDM 2015 to eliminate, reduce or control foreseeable risks through their designs. The Principal Designer should make sure temporary works are considered during design coordination in the preconstruction phase. A well run temporary works procedure provides much of the evidence needed to show those duties are being met.

Getting temporary works right

BS 5975 is not complicated. Its strength is that it asks the same questions of every item, every time. Who owns it? What is it designed for? Has it been checked? Does the installation match the design? Is it ready to load? Is it safe to remove?

Matthews & Roberts provides independent temporary works coordination and temporary works design for Principal Contractors and specialist contractors across the UK. Where temporary works need to be integrated with wider CDM arrangements, our CDM advisory service can support both. You can also read how this approach is being applied on a £2bn manufacturing facility.