Foreword

The UEG Working Committee European Regulations has set up a working group to draw up a guide/tool for the preparation of risk assessment in connection with the erection, alteration, and dismantling of working and protective scaffolds. This Guideline focuses on effectively reducing risk rather than tolerating or accepting risk. After diligent review of legislation, standards, and other documentation, the UEG agreed that tolerating and accepting risk that can be eliminated or effectively reduced is not acceptable from a social or economic point of view. The UEG agreed to take a fundamental approach to risk assessment that focuses on prevention of harm and protection of workers and can be applied to any type of risk. The focus on hazard identification and elimination and effective control of risk from hazards that cannot be eliminated is the keystone of this Guideline. Eliminating a hazard eliminates risk associated with that hazard. The European Directives on minimum health and safety requirements for the use of work equipment and the proposals from Norway, the UK and Germany will serve as a basis.

The guide was designed and developed in the working group “European Regulations”. A guide can be purchased at a price of 55,-Euro. The price for members is 15,-Euro.