Checklist
Scaffolding compliance checklist: what contractors want to see
Everything a principal contractor will check before letting a scaffolding company on site — NASC, CISRS cards, RAMS and more.
By Complys·26 Mar 2026·7 min read
Winning scaffolding contracts increasingly depends on compliance as much as price. Principal contractors, housing associations, local authorities and main contractors all carry out compliance checks before appointing a scaffolding company — and many operate approved supplier lists that you must get onto before you can even quote.
Company documents
Insurance
- Public liability insurance — minimum £5 million, £10 million for some larger clients. Must be current.
- Employers' liability insurance — minimum £5 million, legally required if you employ anyone
- Plant and equipment insurance — covering tubes, fittings, boards and powered access equipment
- Contract works / all risks insurance — required by some clients for larger projects
Accreditation
- NASC membership — the gold standard for scaffolding companies. Many principal contractors require it.
- CHAS or SMAS accreditation — SSIP-recognised health and safety pre-qualification. Complys helps you get and maintain this by keeping all your documents organised and expiry-tracked.
- Constructionline — increasingly required for public sector and housing association work
Health and safety
- Written health and safety policy signed by a director
- Company risk assessment templates for main activities
- Site-specific RAMS for the project
- Toolbox talk records
- Accident and near miss records for the last 3 years
Worker documents
CISRS cards
- Scaffolding Trainee card — for operatives in their first two years
- Scaffolder card — Part 1 and Part 2 completed
- Advanced Scaffolder card — for complex scaffolding
- Supervisor card — for site supervisors
- Contracts Manager card — for contracts managers
CISRS cards expire every five years. Contractors check every card on site, not just on paper.
Other worker cards
- CSCS card for site access
- IPAF card if using MEWPs
- First aid at work certificate — at least one operative on site
Right to work
- Evidence for all employees — passport, BRP or share code check
- Records kept for duration of employment plus two years
Site-specific documents
- Site-specific RAMS — written for this project, not a generic template
- Scaffold design / loading calculations — required for anything beyond standard TG20
- TG20 compliance certificate — eGuide check completed, certificate on site
- SG4 handover certificate — signed by supervisor and client at handover
- Weekly scaffold inspection records — kept on site
Compliance checklist summary
- ✓ Public liability insurance (min £5m, current)
- ✓ Employers' liability insurance (min £5m, current)
- ✓ NASC membership certificate
- ✓ CHAS or SMAS accreditation
- ✓ Health and safety policy
- ✓ Site-specific RAMS
- ✓ CISRS cards for all operatives (correct level, not expired)
- ✓ CSCS cards for all operatives
- ✓ First aid certificate on site
- ✓ Right to work evidence for all employees
- ✓ TG20 compliance certificate or bespoke scaffold design
- ✓ SG4 handover certificate and weekly inspection records
Get your scaffolding compliance sorted with Complys
Store all your NASC membership, insurance, CISRS cards and RAMS in one place. Share your complete compliance profile with any contractor in seconds.