Nothing is more important than your safety.

Please take precautions to stay safe on any scaffolding you use.

Here is the number to keep in mind: 5.

Is your scaffold over or under 5m high?

In New Zealand, if you are building a scaffold 5m or more in height (measuring to the highest component), you must:

1. Notify Work Safe (with 24 hours advance notice)
2. Have a certified scaffolder on-site.

But to build a scaffold that does not reach 5m, the only requirement is that you be competent. You neither have to notify Work Safe, nor have a current certificate of competence.

But you do need to have the “knowledge and skills” to build a scaffold – which, according to Work Safe, “may be acquired through training, qualification, experience, or a combination of these.”

For more information, please visit worksafe.govt.nz