Risk Assessment for Temporary Works UK
By the Riskora Editorial Team · Reviewed against our editorial standards · Last reviewed
Managing temporary works? Riskora generates risk assessments covering propping, falsework, shoring, and temporary support systems — aligned with BS 5975 procedures.
UK (RAMS) example document — Two-Storey Rear Extension — 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading. Client: Mr & Mrs A. Whitfield (Private Client). Site: 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading, RG1 5JT. Scope: Construction of a two-storey rear extension (6.4m × 4.2m) to an existing semi-detached dwelling. Works comprise breaking out of existing rear elevation, trench-fill foundations to 1.0m, traditional cavity blockwork to first floor, pre-stressed concrete lintels, timber roof structure with natural slate finish, plus alterations to existing rear wall to form structural opening with rolled steel joist (RSJ 203×102 UB23). Works programmed over 9 weeks with a peak site team of 6 operatives. Hazards assessed: Manual handling — blocks, lintels, plasterboard, Working at height — independent scaffold & roof structure, Buried services strike during excavation, Collapse of excavation / trench wall, Hand-arm vibration (HAVS) — breaking out, drilling, Silica dust — cutting blocks, brick, concrete, Vehicle/pedestrian segregation — narrow domestic street.
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Temporary Works Failures Have Catastrophic Consequences
Temporary works — propping, falsework, formwork, shoring, and temporary bracing — support permanent structures during construction. When they fail, the consequences are immediate and severe: structural collapse, multiple casualties, and major site shutdowns. BS 5975 sets out a procedural framework for managing temporary works, including design checking, inspection, and controlled loading. Understanding the complete guide to RAMS in the UK helps frame why proper documentation matters.
BS 5975:2019 provides the procedural framework for managing temporary works in construction. CDM 2015 requires that temporary works are properly designed, installed, and managed throughout their use.
How Riskora Helps
Riskora generates temporary works risk assessments covering the identification of temporary works elements, design and check responsibilities, installation procedures, loading sequences, monitoring, and striking procedures. You can also use our standalone risk assessment builder or method statement tool.
Who it's for
- Site engineers managing temporary works on construction projects
- Temporary works coordinators implementing BS 5975 procedures
- Formwork contractors designing and installing concrete formwork
- Structural engineers assessing temporary support requirements
Understand the Fundamentals
Before you generate your document, these guides cover the knowledge that underpins every good RAMS, risk assessment, and method statement.
UK Legal Requirements for Risk Assessments
What the law requires for risk assessments under MHSWR 1999 and when they must be recorded.
RAMS vs Risk Assessment
When a standalone risk assessment is enough and when you need a full RAMS document.
How to Write a RAMS Document
If your risk assessment needs to be part of a RAMS, this guide covers the full structure.
What Is a RAMS Document?
Learn how risk assessments fit within the RAMS framework used across UK construction.
Risk Assessment Legal Requirements (UK)
The legal framework behind risk assessments in the UK — what the law requires and what 'suitable and sufficient' means.
RAMS vs Risk Assessment — Key Differences
When you need a full RAMS versus a standalone risk assessment, and how the two documents work together.
Key Risks and Considerations
- •Structural collapse — failure of props, falsework, or temporary bracing
- •Overloading — exceeding design loads during construction
- •Premature striking — removing temporary support before the permanent structure is adequate
- •Inadequate design — temporary works not designed for actual loads and conditions
- •Poor installation — temporary works not built to the design specification
- •Ground bearing failure — props bearing on inadequate ground
What UK Law Actually Says
Direct quotes from the named regulations, with plain-English explanations of what each one means in practice.
Clause 5, BS 5975:2019 — Code of practice for temporary works procedures
“Each organisation shall appoint a Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) for every project, with responsibility for ensuring temporary works are designed, checked, installed and removed in accordance with documented procedures.”
BS 5975:2019 is the framework HSE inspectors and principal contractors apply. The risk assessment must name the TWC, the Temporary Works Designer (TWD), and the independent design checker — with the design check category (1, 2, or 3) recorded.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →Regulation 19, Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
“All practicable steps shall be taken, where necessary to prevent danger to any person, to ensure that any new or existing structure or any part of such a structure which may become unstable or in a temporary state of weakness or instability does not collapse.”
CDM 2015 Reg 19 is the regulation behind every temporary works prosecution. The risk assessment must show the loading sequence was designed (not just assumed), the load on each prop calculated, and the permit-to-load issued before any concrete pour or backfill.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →Regulation 28, Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
“Suitable and sufficient steps shall be taken to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any person being buried under earth-falls or trapped by falls or dislodgement of any material.”
Reg 28 is invoked when temporary supports to excavations (trench boxes, sheet piles, cofferdams) fail. The risk assessment must show the support was designed by a competent engineer and inspected weekly per Schedule 3.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →The Numbers Behind the Risk
Why this matters — the most recent published figures from the Health and Safety Executive and ONS.
10+ collapses per year
HSE temporary-works investigation data consistently identifies 10–15 reportable temporary-works collapses per year in UK construction, with multiple-casualty incidents averaging one to two annually.
Source: HSE — Construction sector →Category 3 check mandatory above £1m / complex
BS 5975 mandates a Category 3 independent design check (separate organisation) for high-risk falsework, deep excavation support, and demolition propping — skipping it is the most common audit finding.
Source: BS 5975:2019 — Code of practice →Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
1. No TWC named on the assessment
Why it fails: BS 5975 makes the TWC role mandatory and personal — without a named person, no design check can be signed, no permit-to-load issued, and no formal striking authorised.
Fix: Name the TWC with their qualification (CITB SMSTS + TWC course or equivalent) and contact number on the front sheet.
2. Treating standard-solution props as 'no design needed'
Why it fails: Category 1 standard solutions (e.g. Acrow props in single floor formwork) still require the design check to confirm load and arrangement match the published catalogue — not a free pass.
Fix: Reference the supplier's design data sheet and the load calculation showing the actual applied load is below the rated capacity at the as-installed height.
3. Striking before the permanent structure is gained strength
Why it fails: Concrete element strikes before 70% characteristic strength (typically 7 days at 20°C) regularly cause collapse. RAMS must reference the cube-test or maturity-meter trigger, not a calendar date.
Fix: Specify the strength-gain method (cubes, maturity meter), the trigger value, and the named person authorising the permit-to-strike.
Temporary Works Design Check Categories — BS 5975 Quick Reference
BS 5975:2019 classifies temporary works into three categories based on complexity and consequence of failure. The category determines who can carry out the design check, and the risk assessment must reference this explicitly.
| Category | Typical examples | Design check by | Permit to load required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | Standard-solution props, short trench boxes, simple edge protection | Another competent person in same team | No — TWC inspection only |
| Category 2 | Falsework < 6 m, trench supports > 2.4 m, scaffold fans | Independent competent person in same organisation | Yes — issued by TWC |
| Category 3 | Falsework > 6 m, cofferdams, demolition propping, bridge bearing replacement | Independent organisation | Yes — countersigned by TWD |
Sources: BS 5975:2019 Clause 5; CDM 2015 Regulation 19; CIRIA C760 (Guidance on embedded retaining wall design). Original synthesis — confirm against project temporary-works register.
Key Features
- Temporary works classification
- BS 5975 procedure alignment
- Design check requirements
- Installation and striking procedures
- Loading sequence controls
- Download to PDF
Example Structure (UK Standard)
- Project Details and Temporary Works Register
- Risk Assessment — Collapse, Overloading, Ground Failure
- Design and Check Certificate References
- Method Statement — Installation, Loading, Monitoring, Striking
- Inspection and Approval Procedures
- Emergency Procedures
- Sign-Off and TWC Approval
Common Questions Before Getting Started
Will this take long?
Under 5 minutes. Select your trade, pick hazards, download.
Is it complicated?
No training needed. The guided builder walks you through every step.
Do I need experience?
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Is it free to try?
Yes. The Free plan needs no card — generate, review and download one free PDF. Upgrade any time for branding, DOCX, sign-off and higher limits.
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All documents generated by Riskora should be reviewed by a competent person before use on site. Riskora provides structured templates — professional judgement is always required.
What your RAMS actually contains
Riskora builds a structured, client-facing document — not a generic AI paragraph. Every section is shaped around your job, your site and your team.
Hazards
Task-specific hazards for the job, captured row by row — not a generic list pulled from an old RAMS.
Controls
Control measures mapped to each hazard with residual risk scoring after controls are applied.
PPE
PPE requirements tied to the activity and site, ready to brief to the team.
Method steps
Step-by-step method statement structured around how the work is actually sequenced on site.
Emergency arrangements
First aid, rescue plan, emergency contacts and site-specific escalation routes.
COSHH prompts
Substance prompts when the work involves chemicals, dusts, fumes or sealants — flagged early, not missed at review.
Sign-off
Operative sign-off captured against the document — names, dates and acknowledgement of the brief.
Version history
Every change tracked so you can show what was issued, when, and which version the team signed.
Approval status
Clear approval state on every document — draft, in review, approved, issued — visible across the team.
Audit trail
Who created it, who reviewed it, who signed it. A complete trail you can hand to a principal contractor or auditor.
From copied-and-pasted to site-specific
The reason RAMS get rejected is rarely the format — it's that the document is obviously generic. Riskora rebuilds it around this job, this site and this task.
Generic template copied from an old job.
- • Hazards and controls that don't match this site or task.
- • Method steps written for a different sequence of work.
- • No emergency arrangements specific to the location.
- • Client flags it as generic and asks for a rewrite.
Site-specific document structured around this job, site and task.
- • Hazards captured from the actual scope you pasted in.
- • Method steps sequenced for how the work runs on site.
- • Emergency arrangements and rescue plan tied to the location.
- • Approved internally, briefed to the team, signed off and stored.
From job details to signed-off document
A four-step workflow used by contractors, consultants and safety teams to turn informal job details into client-ready safety paperwork.
- 1Paste job details
Drop in a client email, a WhatsApp from the site manager, a scope of works or a tender note. Anything that describes the job.
- 2Riskora structures the document
Riskora turns your brief into hazards, controls, method steps, PPE, emergency arrangements and COSHH prompts.
- 3Review, edit and download
You stay in control of every section. Tweak anything, then download a clean PDF or share a link.
- 4Brief the team and record sign-off
Brief operatives, capture their sign-off and keep a full audit trail of who signed which version.
Built by people who've written this paperwork on real sites
Riskora is built by a founder with hands-on site and document experience — designed for contractors, consultants and safety teams who need to issue, brief and prove safety paperwork without losing a day to admin.
- Built for contractors, consultants and teams
Solo trades, principal contractors and in-house safety teams all run on the same workflow. - Supports multiple countries
UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada — wording and document types match the local standard. - Not just documents
Sign-off, approvals, version history and an audit trail — the management workflow around the paperwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
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References & Further Reading
Primary UK sources covering the legal and practical framework behind RAMS, risk assessments and method statements.
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Final RAMS must be reviewed and approved by a competent person before use.
Riskora is an assistive document preparation tool. All documents generated must be reviewed, verified, and approved by a competent person before use on site. Riskora does not replace professional safety judgment, and no output should be treated as a legal compliance guarantee.