Hung / Needle Scaffold SWMS

Hung or needle scaffolds are suspended platforms cantilevered off structural needles (steel beams or timber bearers) projecting through a building's openings or over its edge, used where ground-supported scaffold is impossible — over water, voids, basements, atriums, or congested footpaths. The work is High Risk Construction Work under WHS Regulation 2011 r291 because it involves a risk of a person falling more than two metres, work on or adjacent to a structure being altered, and structural attachment to an existing building. A documented SWMS is mandatory before work commences under r299, must be developed in consultation with workers under r294, and must be available at the workplace for the duration of the high risk construction work. This template addresses the specific failure modes of hung scaffolds — needle pull-out, counterweight displacement, tie failure, and fall from the suspended deck — and aligns control measures with AS/NZS 1576 and the Scaffolds and Scaffolding Work Code of Practice.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Elimination — where building geometry permits, redesign access using mast climbers, EWPs or perimeter screens to eliminate suspended needle scaffold entirely from the construction methodology.
2. 2Elimination — prefabricate facade panels at ground level and lift into position to remove the need for an external working platform at height.
3. 3Substitution — substitute hung scaffold with a cantilevered loading bay or hanging-bracket system rated and certified to AS/NZS 1576.3 where loading duties allow.
4. 4Engineering — engage a chartered structural engineer (RPEQ/CPEng) to design needle layout, kentledge mass, tie-back capacity and host-structure load path before erection, with stamped drawings on site.
5. 5Engineering — install permanent guardrails to 900–1100 mm, mid-rails and 150 mm toe boards on all open edges per AS/NZS 4576, plus containment sheeting and catch fans over public areas.
6. 6Engineering — fit needles with positive mechanical restraint (through-bolts, U-bolts or welded stops) against rotation and pull-out, independently verified before deck loading.
7. 7Administrative — only allow erection, alteration and dismantling by a ticketed Advanced Scaffolder under WHS Reg r225, with a Scafftag handover inspection and 30-day re-inspection regime documented.
8. 8Administrative — enforce a written load management plan posted at access point specifying duty rating, maximum persons, material stockpile limits and exclusion of mechanical plant from the deck.
9. 9PPE — full body harness with twin lanyards and energy absorber compliant with AS/NZS 1891.1 anchored to engineer-designated points during erection, alteration and dismantle phases only.
10. 10PPE — Class 1 hard hat with chin strap, Class 5 cut-resistant gloves, steel-cap boots and high-visibility long-sleeve clothing to AS/NZS 4602.1 for all personnel on or below the structure.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On a heritage facade restoration above a tram corridor, the scaffold supervisor opens the pre-start toolbox with this SWMS in hand. Three Advanced Scaffolders are about to extend a hung needle scaffold one bay east to reach a damaged parapet. The supervisor walks the crew through hazard line 1 (needle pull-out) and confirms the engineer's stamped layout drawing pins the new needles into the level 4 slab with U-bolts and 1.2 tonnes of kentledge per needle — matching the SWMS engineering control. He then reviews the fall-from-deck hazard and confirms twin-lanyard harnesses are anchored to the designated overhead static line, not the handrail. Each scaffolder signs onto the SWMS register, noting their Advanced Scaffolding HRWL number. Mid-task, wind picks up to 38 km/h. The leading hand pauses work, opens the SWMS to the wind-uplift control, and applies the documented trigger: cease erection above 35 km/h until anemometer confirms sustained drop. He records the stand-down in the daily diary, photographs the Scafftag amendment, and only resumes once gusts subside. At handover, the completed deck is independently inspected, Scafftagged green, and the SWMS is left in the site office for the following trades to countersign before accessing the platform.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces CoP

Frequently asked questions