Scaffolding

Confirm the Governing Authority and Revision

A fixed dimension is only a baseline until the project's emirate, plot authority, governing instrument and current revision are confirmed. Abu Dhabi's verified reference is ADOSH-SF CoP 26.0 Scaffolding, Version 4.1, dated 16 February 2026. Dubai Municipality, Trakhees and Dubai Development Authority apply their own instruments and enforcement routes. Older files may still say OSHAD-SF; the framework was renamed ADOSH-SF and moved under ADPHC in v4.0 (15 July 2024). CoP 26.0 V4.1 records minor editorial changes without changing requirements; this does not describe every V4.1 CoP. Check each document's amendment record and the separately published management-system Elements.

• Before using a fixed figure

  Record the emirate, plot authority, governing instrument and revision in force

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• Abu Dhabi reference

  ADOSH-SF CoP 26.0 Scaffolding v4.1 — 16 February 2026

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• DDA-regulated plots

  DDA Circular 656 (16 March 2026): EIAC-accredited third-party inspection, certificate carrying the EIAC logo, a unique QR code linked to a secure record, and validity no longer than one week from inspection

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DDA Circular 339 is a 2019 safe-work-at-height reminder; it does not establish the scaffold dimensions shown on this page. DDA Circular 656 is the current directly relevant certificate instrument identified in this review.

Scaffold Design and Competence

Scaffolds must be erected, altered and dismantled only under competent supervision by trained scaffolders. Under ADOSH-SF CoP 26.0, an engineer's design drawing is required above 10 m and for ladder beams, mesh or shade cloth, freestanding or suspended scaffolds, and non-standard ties or bracing. Other scaffolds must follow the manufacturer's instructions, retained on site. Handover verifies the scaffold as built against that basis; a drawing or TG20 compliance sheet alone does not prove site compliance.

• Scaffolder competence

  Recognised scaffolding certification (e.g. CISRS or equivalent third-party card)

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• Scaffold supervisor

  Named, competent, present during erection, alteration and dismantling

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• Design required when

  Height >10 m, ladder beams, mesh or shade cloth, freestanding or suspended scaffolds, or non-standard ties or bracing — ADOSH-SF CoP 26.0 §3.2.3

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• Design documents on site

  Stamped drawings and calculations available for inspection

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• Standard configuration reference

  Manufacturer's instructions or an applicable recognised design basis. TG20 is NASC good-practice guidance, not a UAE legal instrument, and only applies while the as-built scaffold matches its compliance sheet

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• As-built verification

  Before handover, compare foundations, ties, bracing, loading and the erected arrangement with the approved design or manufacturer's instructions

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• Alteration control

  Consult the designer before alteration; only competent persons may alter the scaffold in accordance with the scaffold plan — §3.4.11

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Dimensional and Component Requirements

The 470 mm figure is the maximum gap between rails and toe board, not a rail height. Earlier versions of this page showed a 300 mm platform-to-structure gap, a 2.0 m lift height and a 50 mm minimum board overhang; none of these appear in CoP 26.0 v4.1 and they have been replaced with the code's own figures. Bay length and tie spacing are not numerically fixed in CoP 26.0; use the applicable design basis.

Load Classes

• Load class displayed

  Stated on the scafftag and design sheet

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• Loaded bays

  Only bays designed for material storage may be loaded

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• Simultaneous loaded lifts

  Per design — commonly one loaded lift per bay

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Scafftag Inspection Regime

A competent person must inspect the scaffold after erection and before first use. The person responsible for erection must provide the handover certificate, retained on site until dismantling; where design drawings were prepared, an engineer signs off against them. The inspection and tag must describe the scaffold actually built, not merely repeat the drawing.

• Inspection before first use

  By a competent inspector, recorded and tagged

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• Routine inspection interval

  Every 7 days maximum — ADOSH-SF CoP 26.0

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• Handover certificate

  Provided by the person responsible for erection and kept on site until dismantling — ADOSH-SF CoP 26.0 §3.14(a)(iv)

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• Additional inspections

  After alteration or repair, and after any event that could affect stability (e.g. strong winds or storms) — §3.14(a)(vi)

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• Record retention

  Inspection records kept on site with location, comments, date and time, specification reference and inspector

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• Tag content

  Date erected, intended use, loading, last inspection and inspector — §3.14(b)

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• Tie effectiveness

  Regularly verify ties remain present and effective; finishing work must not loosen, relocate or remove them without controlled review

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• Incomplete or part-dismantled scaffold

  Access to incomplete sections barred and a warning sign displayed — §3.4.12(a)(v)

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Weather: How Wind, Rain and Storms Change the Rules

ADOSH-SF CoP 26.0 does not publish a single wind speed at which scaffold work must stop. Instead, weather changes the rules in four places: the design must account for wind and rain loads (§3.3.6), the risk assessment must cover high winds and storms (§3.2.2(b)(ix)), erectors must manage strong wind, rain-slick surfaces and glare (§3.6.1(b)), and the scaffold must be re-inspected after any event that could affect its stability before anyone uses it again (§3.14(a)(vi)). Any numerical stop limit therefore comes from the scaffold designer, the system manufacturer, the project's work-at-height procedure or the plot authority — record which one applies.

• Stop-work wind limit

  Not numerically fixed by CoP 26.0 — take it from the design, manufacturer's instructions or project procedure and record the source

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• Sheeting, netting, shade cloth, signs or banners

  Increase wind load: engineer's drawing required for mesh or shade cloth (§3.2.3), additional ties for sheeting or netting (§3.4.4(a)(iii)), designer consulted before adding signs or screens (§3.4.4(a)(v)), wind calculations for containment screening (§3.4.10)

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• After strong wind, sandstorm or storm

  Treat the scaffold as out of use until a competent person re-inspects ties, bracing, base plates/sole boards, boards and edge protection, and records the result

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• Rain

  Slippery platforms are a named fall hazard (§3.6.1(b)(iii)); wet or washed-out ground can undermine sole boards — check ground stability and consult the designer where it changes (§3.4.1(e))

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• Mobile and static towers

  Never move a tower in windy conditions — §3.13(a)(xi)

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• Heat

  MOHRE midday work ban (12:30–15:00, 15 June to 15 September) applies to outdoor scaffold work in direct sun

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• DDA-regulated plots

  Circular 656 certificates are valid for at most one week from inspection; a post-storm inspection does not extend that validity

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Some contractor procedures, client specifications and older guidance quote specific wind speeds for scaffold work. Use them only as the project's own limit, citing that document, not as a UAE legal figure.

Altering the Scaffold From the Approved Design

An alteration means the scaffold no longer matches what was inspected and tagged. Under ADOSH-SF CoP 26.0 the designer must be consulted before any alteration, only a competent person may make it, it must follow the scaffold plan, and it must not compromise structural integrity (§3.4.11). Scaffolds above 10 m must be altered in accordance with the design drawing or manufacturer's instructions (§3.2.3(b)). After the change the scaffold must be inspected again before use (§3.14(a)(vi)). Common triggers: removing or moving ties, removing bracing, adding lifts or bays, adding loading bays, hoists or rubbish chutes, fitting sheeting, signs or screens, changing board widths, or removing guardrails for material passage.

• Before the change

  Consult the scaffold designer; a revised engineer's drawing is needed if the change takes it over 10 m or adds mesh, shade cloth, ladder beams, freestanding/suspended sections or non-standard ties — §3.2.3, §3.4.11

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• During the change

  Competent persons only, following the scaffold plan; take the affected section out of use and bar access

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• Added load or attachments

  Additional ties for loading platforms, lifting appliances and rubbish chutes (§3.4.4(a)(iii)); rubbish chute wind and blockage loads in the design (§3.3.12)

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• Removed guardrails or toe boards

  Replace as soon as reasonably practicable after passage of people or materials — §3.4.7(a)(viii)

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• Ties moved by other trades

  Unauthorised alteration — competent person checks tie existence and effectiveness; systems must detect interference — §3.4.4(a)(iv), §3.4.11(a)(v)

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• After the change

  Re-inspect against the revised design or manufacturer's instructions, update the tag and record; where an engineer designed it, obtain the engineer's sign-off — §3.14(a)(ii), (vi)

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• DDA-regulated plots

  Obtain a fresh Circular 656 certificate from the EIAC-accredited inspection body after the alteration — recommended practice, because the certificate describes the scaffold as inspected

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Sharjah publishes its own scaffolding code, OSHJ-CoP-23 (Version 2, July 2024), with a dedicated 'Scaffolding Modification' clause (§5.5.2). Dubai Municipality, Trakhees and other authorities apply their own instruments; confirm the governing document for the plot before relying on these Abu Dhabi clause numbers.

Mobile Access Towers

Mobile and static towers must be erected to the manufacturer's instructions, which must be retained or provided by the supplier (ADOSH-SF CoP 26.0 §3.13). Erectors must not be exposed to an unguarded edge.

• Assembly method

  Per the manufacturer's instructions, keeping a guardrail ahead of the erector (e.g. advance guardrail or through-the-trap)

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• Height-to-base ratio

  No greater than 3 × minimum base dimension unless the manufacturer, supplier or designer specifies otherwise — §3.13(a)(iii)

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• Stabilisers / outriggers

  Fitted per the manual; left in position and raised no more than 25 mm — §3.13(a)(xiii)

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• Castors

  Locked while erected or in use; never move the tower with a person on it or in windy conditions — §3.13(a)(vii), (x), (xi)

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• Access

  Secure internal ladder with a protected opening (e.g. hinged trap door) — §3.13(a)(iv)

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• Manual on site

  Manufacturer instruction manual retained with the tower — §3.13(a)(ii)

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