scafftag - blame

HI ALL,
Did a job today well out of our normal area and was given a scafftag by supervisor to sign myself and put on it when it was complete .
Didnt think i could sign off my own work so told him so.
He told me i could sign off my own work as i am a competant person.
I always thought it was the supervisors job to do it or at least an independent competant person, not the person who just put the job up!
Surely no one would codemn their own work would they?
Are they becoming another way of shifting blame down the line?
Can anyone tell me the real laws about signing scafftags,, any advice would be much appreciated.
Cheers guys.

Southern i inspect all my own jobs every seven days and charge for it.

There is no legal requirement to use a scafftag.

The requirement is to inspect and to fill out a scaffold inspection report as per the The Work at Height Regulations 2005 Schedule 7. That is a legal requirement.

A scaffold inspected and signed off with a scafftag is still in breach of the WAHR if this document has not been produced, or up to date. A breach of the WAHR is breaking the law, basically.

It is not uncommon for the lead scaffolder to 'sign off' his (or her) own work on completion.

NB. It is the responsibility of the hirer of the scaffold to ensure that these inspections are carried out.

only recommened you do not sign it your self mate

You can tag your own work, and if you put it up yourself.. what you worried about, if you erected the job properly..

All scaffolds should be handed over to the cient

then it is the user who must inspect it

or pay for some one to inspect for them

Scaffold Inspections

I am a scaffold inspector with 40 years on the tools. You can inspect your own work but it is inadvisable. If anything happens or someone gets injured
its all down to whoever inspects the scaffold. What the supervisor should have done was gave the client a handing over certificate and the the inspections are then down to the client who usually get in someone like me. The reason the client gets someone is to shift blame. Lets face it, if a scaffolder puts up a **** job he is hardly going to condemn it is he. Whereas someone like me, it would be in my interest to condemn it as i dont want any comebacks. I hope this clarifies the situation

A scafftag is not a handover doct & should not be treated as such -there are no rules as to who signs them as long as its a competant person.your not signing your life away m8 the tag is only a visible scheme to show the users it has been claimed as fit for purpose.-the legal doct to adhere to the WAH regs is the scaffold register & should be kept on site for the duration of the job +6months after & that should be upkept by the client weather hesighns it himself or has an independant body do it for them.
tbh if you know what your doing are qualified & have a bit of pride in your work i see no conflict of interest in signing ur own work off -ive been doing the same as phil for years.

On completion of a scaffold structure,or major modification/alteration.....

A "Hand-over" certificate should be filled out,the structure should be inspected by the provider and client,when both parties are satisfied that it complies with current legislation both parties sign off the structure as "fit for use"

The client is now responsible for the 7 day inspections and the keeping of the "Scaffold Register".

The client may sub-contract the 7 day inspections and keeping the scaffold register up to date to a third party,such as specialist inspection company, or indeed the company that originally erected the scaffold.

Although the client can sub contract the "actual work" of inspection and register filing, the legal responsibility of providing "safe systems of work and equipment" remains with the client.

All ways good to keep up to date with what is required.

On the subject of Handover Certs, who is supposed to sign them on behalf of the scaff company? I keep telling our Project Manager it shouldn't be the unqualified girl he fancies in the office and away from site but he says anyone can.

if your confident in your job and its a job *you* have erected hands on leading the crew, i would sign it personally under the conditions that you believe the scaffold is fit for purpose and the scaffold is to be used as described on the tag e.g. loading and purpose of scaffold. thats how i would approach the situation. all really depends on the level of scaff experience etc .. for example if your the ticketed advance in the crew the responsibility if any would warrant you to sign it if needed i guess. at the end of the day if in doubt don't do it m8