Inspection & documentation
Signage with a green and red tag
How the scaffold tells you whether it may be used
The sign is the users' most important information: green means ready for use, red means closed. The guide covers when a sign is required, what information the green sign must carry, how the load class is converted to kg/m², and when to switch to red.
Determine whether a sign is required
A fixed scaffold with a deck height over 2 m must have a visible safety sign before use. Below 2 m a sign is not a requirement, but the load limits still apply.
Sign requireddeck height > 2 mUnderstand green versus red
Green sign: the scaffold is erected, inspected and approved for use at the stated load class. Red sign: the scaffold is closed off — it is being erected, altered or dismantled, or a defect has been found. Red means: do not access.
If you see no sign or a red sign — the scaffold is not yours to use.
Fill in the sign's mandatory fields
The green sign must state as a minimum: erection date, load class + permitted load (kg/m²), scaffold type/work purpose, date of the latest inspection, erecting company and signature from a competent person. Without these fields the sign is not adequate.
Min. bays6 items of informationConvert the load class to kg/m²
The permitted load on the sign is derived from the load class's uniformly distributed load with the rule of thumb 1 kN ≈ 102 kg. A class 3 deck (2.0 kN/m²) therefore corresponds to approx. 200 kg/m² evenly distributed. State both the class and kg/m² so that the user can do the maths.
Conversion1 kN ≈ 102 kgClass 32.0 kN/m² ≈ 200 kg/m²Place the tag visibly at the access point
The sign is hung where users will see it — typically at the access route up onto the scaffold. If the scaffold is large, several signs may be needed. The aim is that nobody can go up without having seen what the scaffold is approved for.
Update the tag at every inspection and every change
The sign is updated at every inspection (new inspection date) and whenever anything is changed. If the load class has changed due to an extension or alteration, it is not enough to correct the inspection date — all affected information must be updated, and during the change itself the sign is switched to red.
If you alter the scaffold, you switch to red — and update the WHOLE sign, not just the date.
Remember the erector's responsibility
It is the erector's responsibility that the sign is correct and up to date at handover. The sign is closely linked to the user guide, which the erection company must pass on to the user's employer — both are part of the statutory documentation trail.
Source
Based on BEK nr. 428/2022 on technical equipment, the AT-vejledning on building and construction work and DI Stilladssektionen (danskindustri.dk) and platform.as.