Suspended Scaffold (Swing Stage) Rescue SWMS

Suspended scaffold (swing stage) rescue covers the planning and execution of the rescue of workers from a suspended scaffold that has stalled, failed or become unsafe at height. It is high risk construction work under the NSW WHS Regulation 2025 because work on a suspended scaffold involves a risk of a person falling more than 2 m (s291), so a SWMS is mandatory under s299, and Part 4.4 imposes the duty to manage the risk of falls and to provide emergency and rescue procedures. The defining problem is time and access. A swing stage that loses a hoist, fails a suspension rope, or jams leaves workers stranded high on a facade with a tight clock, and a rescue at height cannot be improvised — the secondary support, the descent system and the rescue roles must be established before the platform is ever boarded. Suspension trauma makes the clock unforgiving: a worker left hanging in a harness after a platform failure can deteriorate in minutes. The SWMS therefore treats rescue capability as a precondition of use, not an afterthought: each worker on a secondary fall-arrest line independent of the platform, a planned emergency descent or controlled lowering method, trained rescuers and equipment staged, and a means to relieve suspension quickly. It addresses stalled and failed platforms, primary suspension failure and secondary support to AS/NZS 1576.4 and AS/NZS 1891, with SafeWork NSW as the regulator. The platform is not used unless the rescue plan is in place and rehearsed.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Carry out the facade task from a fixed scaffold, EWP or roof rig instead of a swing stage where the work allows, removing the suspended-platform failure mode
2. 2Substitution — Substitute a twin-rope rope-access system with independent backup for a single-hoist swing stage where appropriate
3. 3Engineering — Independent secondary fall-arrest line for every worker, anchored separately from the platform suspension
4. 4Engineering — Emergency descent / controlled-lowering devices staged on the platform and tested before use
5. 5Engineering — Suspension-relief straps on every harness so a hanging worker can take weight off and delay suspension trauma
6. 6Administrative — A rescue plan established and rehearsed before the platform is boarded, with defined rescue roles and trained rescuers
7. 7Administrative — Pre-use inspection of hoists, ropes and anchors, and wind stop-criteria for platform use and rescue
8. 8Administrative — Communication system between the platform, ground rescue and the building, with emergency contacts briefed
9. 9PPE — Full-body harness with suspension-relief straps connected to the independent secondary line at all times on the platform
10. 10PPE — Helmet, descent device and rescue kit for the trained rescuers

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

At 7:00 am, before a swing stage is boarded on a 15-storey facade, the crew from Skyline Access runs the rescue rehearsal their SWMS makes a precondition of use. Two workers will ride the stage; both clip their harnesses to an independent secondary fall-arrest line anchored to the roof, separate from the platform's own suspension, and both carry suspension-relief straps. A controlled-descent device is staged on the platform and function-tested, and the ground rescuer confirms radio contact with the stage and the building. The crew rehearses the scenario: if a hoist stalls, the workers transfer to the descent device on the secondary line and lower clear of the failed platform. Mid-morning it happens for real — one hoist jams and the stage tilts. The workers immediately weight their secondary lines, deploy suspension-relief straps to stay comfortable, and on the supervisor's call rig the descent device and lower in a controlled manner to a balcony two floors down, where the ground team meets them. No one waited on a crane or improvised. The platform is left isolated for inspection, and work does not resume until the hoist is repaired and re-certified.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice
• AS/NZS 1576.4 Scaffolding — suspended scaffolding

Frequently asked questions