Need work doing to your chimney? It’s not likely part of your property you care a whole lot about. Chances are you want to keep costs to a minimum so you may be determining if scaffolding really is necessary for chimney work?
Let’s attempt to answer that question:
What does the law say?
There’s no law saying you need to have scaffolding to work on domestic roofs or chimneys, though health and safely regulation strongly recommends it’s use.
The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) recommends scaffolding for any jobs on larger roofs that take more than a couple of minutes and one person to complete.
The more time, people and materials involved, the increased risk there is of falls.
As a general rule, if there are more than 4 people working at height then health and safety rules almost always stipulate a risk assessment should be carried out. A risk assessment will more often than not conclude that it’s safest to complete the job with scaffolding.
Importance of competency
The HSE states that those working at heights should be competent, appropriately trained for the task at hand and able to take necessary safety precautions as needed.
Safer, easier to do a better job
Scaffolding generally makes it easier to complete roof and chimney repair work. It can help to reduce the risk of falling debris (which can be a danger to those below), it can help to provide more workspace, especially for tools and equipment that may be needed. If more than one person is working on the site then safety is also improved with scaffolding.
Your safety is well worth paying a little extra for. It can be tempting to attempt to do the ob yourself, trying to save money by avoiding hiring a scaffolding company. But ultimately can you really put a price on your life and your health in general, or that of others?
Considering chimney scaffolding in Kent? Contact Blitz Scaffolding; Kent’s #1 rated scaffolding company (based on Google reviews).
