Edge Protection

What Is Edge Protection Scaffolding?

Types of Edge Protection Systems We Offer

• Temporary Guardrail Systems (Collective Protection): Classic scaffold handrail setups with top and mid rails plus toe boards. We use tube-and-fitting guardrails or proprietary clamp-on handrails to create instant barriers on roof edges, slab perimeters, mezzanine floors, and more. Two horizontal rails and a toe board can be quickly clamped to a roof parapet, providing an immediate safe barrier for roofers or solar panel installers. On scaffolding platforms, all open sides have guardrails meeting the 950 mm / 470 mm rule.
• Steel Mesh Barrier Panels: Mesh barrier systems combine guardrails with an infill panel for extra security, preventing not only people but also tools or debris from falling. Engineered per BS EN 13374 class requirements (Class A for low-slope or flat surfaces, Class B/C for steeper situations) to resist dynamic forces and wind loads. We often use mesh panels on the edges of steel frame and concrete frame buildings under construction.
• Adjustable Roof Edge Protection for Pitched Roofs: Adjustable railing systems that adapt to various roof pitches, ensuring the guardrails remain vertical and at the correct height even on an incline. These systems attach to the roof structure via temporary brackets under the eaves or ridge to create a continuous handrail — ideal for roofing works on houses or buildings with pitched roofs, such as re-tiling jobs or solar panel installations.
• Freestanding Rooftop Guardrail Systems: Secured by weights and clever engineering, freestanding rails keep the roof surface intact with no drilling required. Often used for short-term maintenance — HVAC servicing, solar panel installs on flat factories, or gutter cleaning on commercial buildings. Despite not being fixed to the structure, these systems are extremely stable and conform to BS EN 13374 Class A requirements for flat / low-slope roofs.
• Integrated Solutions (Edge Protection with Scaffolds or Nets): For comprehensive fall protection, we integrate edge protection with other access systems — installing temporary guardrail posts that work in tandem with safety netting, extending guardrails one lift higher to act as edge protection for a roof, and providing temporary staircase handrails on scaffold stair towers. We offer scaffolding, access towers, safety netting, and edge protection as a complete package.

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Safety & Compliance — Our Top Priority

• Work at Height Regulations (WAH) 2005: These regulations form the legal backbone for working at height in the UK. We ensure all edge protection work is properly planned, risk-assessed, and supervised by competent personnel. The WAH hierarchy of control is clear: avoid working at height where possible; if you can't, prevent falls with collective measures; only then consider personal fall arrest as backup. Our edge protection scaffolding enables you to eliminate fall hazards so no one relies on a harness as the primary safeguard.
• NASC TG20:21 Scaffold Guidelines: We follow the latest Technical Guidance 20:21 for tube-and-fitting scaffolding design — the industry gold standard for safe scaffold structures. By complying with TG20:21 for any edge protection that is part of a scaffold, we ensure the supporting structure has the necessary bracing, load capacity, and stability. We also use the TG20 e-Guide software to produce compliance sheets for your specific scaffold layout.
• BS EN Standards Compliance: All equipment and methods align with relevant British and European Standards. BS EN 13374:2025 is our benchmark for guardrail performance, with updated testing requirements and clarified usage classes (A, B, and C) for different roof slopes. We only use edge protection components certified to BS EN 13374 — meaning they have passed rigorous tests for impact and wind loads. Other standards include BS EN 12811 for scaffold structures and BS EN 1263 for safety nets.
• Certified, Experienced Personnel: All our scaffolders and safety installers carry CISRS certification — the industry-recognised qualification for scaffolders for over 50 years. Our supervisors are CISRS Advanced Scaffolders or Scaffold Inspectors, qualified to oversee complex setups. Many staff also hold IPAF licenses to operate MEWPs and powered access. Trust Scaffolding is CHAS accredited and registered with SafeContractor and Constructionline.
• Risk Assessments, Method Statements & Inspections: Before any installation we perform a site-specific risk assessment and develop a comprehensive method statement. During installation, our supervisors ensure adherence to SG4:15 guidelines. Once installed, we offer weekly inspections as required by law (every 7 days and after severe weather), providing written inspection reports and scaffold handover certificates.
• Safety by Design and Documentation: For complex requirements we engage our engineering design team to produce bespoke solutions with design drawings and calculations stamped by a competent scaffold design engineer, in compliance with CDM 2015 regulations. All design and installation processes come with full documentation for your CDM file or any HSE inspections.

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Pitched Roof Safety Rails & Construction Site Compliance

Our Experience & Credentials

• New Construction & Multi-Storey Buildings: Edge protection safeguards the open edges of buildings under construction — each level's perimeter is secured so tradespeople can install floors, facades, or M&E services with confidence. We also protect floor openings and elevator shafts by providing guardrail enclosures or sturdy cover platforms as required by HSE guidelines.
• Roofing Work (Flat Roofs & Pitched Roofs): For flat roofs, our freestanding or clamp-on guardrails are an efficient alternative to a full scaffold perimeter, quickly set up on warehouses or office roofs. For sloped roofs, specialised edge protection adjusts to the pitch — a temporary roof-edge guardrail at the eaves provides collective protection right at the work area. Our systems follow the principle that collective protection should be in place regardless of height.
• Commercial Refurbishments & Building Maintenance: We integrate edge protection into access plans for existing buildings — refurbishing plant rooms, replacing cladding, or repairing roofs. In warehouses or industrial facilities, we provide guardrail systems around voids or at mezzanine perimeters to protect maintenance personnel. We work frequently with facility managers for planned maintenance shutdowns.
• Industrial and Infrastructure Projects: Our services extend to industrial sites (factories, power plants, refineries) and infrastructure (bridges, stations). We install edge protection during construction or maintenance — around the perimeter of high-rise scaffolds, along the edges of high bay roofs during re-sheeting, and side protection on bridges and highways work.
• Special Scenarios — Public Protection and More: Edge protection can also protect the public — preventing tiles or tools from sliding off during roof or facade work. Combined with scaffolding fans or covered walkways, this provides a comprehensive public safety scheme. We can also provide guardrail solutions for events, temporary structures, viewing platforms, and stages meeting BS EN 13374 Class A and Building Regulations.

Our Experience & Credentials

• CISRS-Certified Scaffolders: All our scaffolding operatives carry CISRS cards (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme), proving formal training and competency. From base-level Scaffolders to Advanced Scaffolders and Inspectors, our team handles everything from basic edge rail installs to complex scaffold designs. CISRS is the benchmark recognised by NASC, CSCS, and BuildUK.
• Accreditations (CHAS, SSIP, etc.): Trust Scaffolding is a CHAS accredited contractor — our Health & Safety policies and track record have been vetted through the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme. We are also accredited under other SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) members and hold appropriate insurance coverage for all operations.
• IPAF & PASMA Trained Staff: Our team includes IPAF-certified operators for cherry pickers and scissor lifts and PASMA-trained staff for mobile access towers — meaning we can adapt to the site and choose the safest access method to implement edge protection, reducing coordination hassle for you.
• Extensive Portfolio and Local Knowledge: We have successfully delivered edge protection and scaffolding services to numerous projects across South Wales, including Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Neath, Bridgend, and surrounding areas — from city-centre commercial refurbishments to new housing developments in the Valleys to industrial maintenance at Newport's factories.
• Award-Winning Safety and Customer Service: We've maintained an excellent safety record and received positive testimonials for professionalism and efficiency. Our management team includes scaffold inspectors and engineers who are members of professional bodies, ensuring competent oversight at all levels.

Coordinated Approach with Contractors & CDM Compliance

• Early Planning with Principal Contractors & Designers: We get involved at the planning stage, working with the principal contractor and principal designer (under CDM 2015 regulations) to map out edge protection requirements. By discussing the build sequence and potential fall hazards in advance, we ensure edge protection is in place exactly when needed. Under CDM, every project needs a plan for managing risks — we provide expert input to ensure collective fall prevention is properly addressed from the get-go.
• Temporary Works Design and Handover: Our engineers produce design drawings for complex arrangements and submit them to the principal contractor's Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) for approval. Once installed, we formally hand over the edge protection with a handover certificate, confirming it has been erected to the design and is safe to use — important for CDM compliance.
• On-Site Flexibility and Supervision: We always have a supervisor or project lead who interfaces with your site manager to accommodate real-time needs. We conduct toolbox talks with all workers in the area when installing or altering edge protection and schedule our work around critical operations to maintain site safety and productivity.
• Coordination with Other Access Services: Since Trust Scaffolding also provides scaffolding, access towers, safety netting, and powered access hire, we coordinate these services as one package — reducing the need to juggle multiple subcontractors. This holistic approach ensures all measures work together with no gaps or overlaps.
• Communication and Professionalism: We provide detailed proposals outlining recommended edge protection, installation method, and cost. On site, our crew leads check in with your site agent daily. We can also provide user inductions for all site workers covering the edge protection system and safe usage.
• Decommissioning and Follow-up: Once work at height is done, we coordinate safe dismantling at a time that suits the site schedule. Our dismantling team works carefully to avoid damage to finished surfaces or structures, removes all equipment promptly, and can participate in post-project reviews.