Scaffolding provides access to height that would otherwise be impossible to work from safely. When properly erected, inspected and used, it is one of the safest methods of working at height available. When it fails — through poor erection, inadequate inspection, overloading or misuse — the consequences are typically severe. The UK scaffolding industry has made remarkable safety progress in recent years, with the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) reporting its lowest accident rate in 80 years for 2024. This guide brings together the latest verified data from the NASC Annual Safety Report, the HSE and industry sources.
Key facts & figures
- 2024 saw the lowest accident rate in NASC's 80-year history among its 303 member companies.
- 73 RIDDOR-reportable incidents were recorded among NASC member companies in 2024 — the lowest in its history.
- 0.20 accident frequency rate among NASC members in 2024 — substantially below the construction industry average.
- 19 falls from height were recorded among NASC members in 2024, up 2% from 16 in 2023 (alongside a 22% rise in membership).
- 80% of scaffold accidents across the industry are caused by manual handling, slips, trips and falls.
- 33% of specified non-fatal injuries in construction are caused by falls from height — the leading cause.
The NASC safety data
The NASC Annual Safety Report is the most comprehensive source of data on scaffolding accidents in the UK. Published annually, it compiles accident returns submitted by all NASC contracting members as a mandatory membership requirement. Among its 303 member companies, 2024 produced the lowest accident rate in the confederation's 80-year history.
In 2024 there were 73 incidents recorded among NASC members — comprising 35 specified injuries, 37 over-seven-day injuries and 1 fatality. The accident frequency rate was 0.20 and the accident incident rate was 3.75 per 100,000 workers, both substantially below the wider construction industry. Falls from height (19) and slips and trips (28) accounted for the majority of incidents.
The 2025 report (covering 2024 data)
The latest report covers a workforce of 16,667 scaffolding and access workers across 280+ contracting members. The accident-rate reduction was achieved despite a 22% growth in membership, with 54 new contractors and 2,775 new operatives joining in 2024. There were no fatalities among operatives and no incidents involving members of the public.
The NASC notes that its member accident rates are consistently lower than comparable construction industry rates, reflecting the training, safety management and competence standards that membership requires. However, NASC members represent only a portion of the total UK scaffolding workforce. Non-NASC contractors — particularly small firms and sole traders — may not maintain equivalent standards, and incidents involving non-member companies are not captured in NASC data.
| NASC measure (2024) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Member companies | 303 |
| Total RIDDOR-reportable incidents | 73 |
| Specified injuries | 35 |
| Over-seven-day injuries | 37 |
| Fatalities (operatives) | 1 |
| Falls from height | 19 |
| Slips and trips | 28 |
| Accident frequency rate | 0.20 |
| Accident incident rate (per 100,000) | 3.75 |
Most common scaffolding accident causes
Analysis of UK scaffolding accident reports identifies the following as the primary causes. Across the industry, 80% of scaffold accidents are caused by manual handling, slips, trips and falls.
Falls during erection and dismantling. The highest-risk phases of scaffold work. During erection, edge protection and working platforms are not yet in place; during dismantling, they are progressively removed. Both create conditions where workers are at height without full collective protection.
Falls from the completed scaffold. Workers can fall from open edges, through gaps in boards, or if guardrails have been removed for material access and not replaced. Incomplete boarding, missing guardrails and removed toe boards are the most common contributing factors.
Scaffold collapse. Structural failure from overloading, inadequate ties to the building, unassessed ground conditions, or the removal of structural components. Collapses are relatively rare but typically result in multiple casualties.
Slips on wet or icy scaffold boards. The open, outdoor nature of scaffolding means exposure to all weather conditions, making wet, icy or contaminated boards a persistent hazard.
Manual handling during erection. Handling scaffold tubes, couplers and boards is physically demanding and carries musculoskeletal and struck-by risk. The NASC 2024 report identified manual handling as one of the biggest hazards in the industry.
Legal requirements for scaffold safety
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM), scaffolding must be:
Designed by a competent person. All but the simplest scaffold configurations must be designed or checked by a competent person with appropriate qualifications and experience (typically an Advanced Scaffolder, or a structural engineer for complex structures).
Erected by trained and competent workers. Scaffold erection requires specific competence. CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) training and card is the recognised industry standard, covering Trainee, Part 1, Part 2 and Advanced levels.
Inspected before first use, and at least every 7 days (or after any event likely to have affected its stability, such as a storm). Inspections must be carried out by a competent person and documented, with the report including any matters that could give rise to risk.
Tagged to show inspection status. NASC colour-coded scaffolding tags provide a visible indication of inspection status — green (safe to use), amber (restricted use) and red (do not use).
Prosecution cases
Scaffold-related prosecutions are a regular feature of HSE enforcement activity:
- SSF Construction Limited was fined £48,000 for unsafe working conditions on a flat roof with no edge protection. The HSE issued several prohibition and improvement notices following health and safety breaches, including a fall from the roof in the days before the inspection that failed to trigger remediation.
- Multiple cases feature employers who removed scaffold guardrails for material loading and failed to reinstate them — creating falls risks that resulted in worker injuries and subsequent prosecution.
Sources & references
- NASC — Safety Report 2024 (published 2025)
- Construction News — Scaffolding Accident Rate Hits Record Low (June 2025)
- Building Engineer — 80% of Scaffold Accidents Due to Manual Handling, Slips, Trips and Falls
- HSE — Kind of Accident Statistics in Great Britain 2025
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Mark writes about working at height, workplace safety, compliance and accredited training for Working at Heights Course, part of Online CPD Academy.