Safety Critical · 9 checks

Temporary Works
QA inspection checklist

Temporary works inspection quality audit.

Every check below carries what good looks like, when it passes, the standard it comes from and the defects that usually fail it. That guidance is what turns a tick-box into an inspection.

Design & Documentation

  1. 1.
    Temporary works design checked by TWC
    What to look forTemporary Works design (formwork, falsework, propping, façade retention, excavation support, tower craneage) issued by competent designer. Design check by independent Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) per CDM and BS 5975. Check Category (CC1-CC3) per complexity.
    Acceptable whenPer BS 5975:2019 / CDM 2015: TW design checked at appropriate Check Category — CC1 (similar to designer), CC2 (independent within organisation), CC3 (independent organisation, complex / high-risk). TWC approves before installation.
    StandardBS 5975:2019 — Code of practice for temporary works procedures. CDM Regulations 2015. CIRIA C654 (Temporary Works).
    Common defectsNo independent check — designer marks own homeworkWrong Check Category for complexityTWC not appointed — no responsible personCheck by un-qualified personCheck made after install instead of before
  2. 2.
    Design brief and drawings available on site
    What to look forLatest revision of TW design, design brief, and risk assessment held on site. Cross-checked against the installed works. Construction sequence drawings present. As-installed deviations recorded.
    Acceptable whenPer BS 5975:2019: TW design package on site — drawings, calc summary, sequence, risk assessment, method statement. Latest revision. Deviations recorded and approved.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. CDM 2015 reg 12 (construction phase plan).
    Common defectsOld revision on site — works built to wrong designNo design package — only verbal instructionsMethod statement out of dateDeviations from design not recorded / approvedDrawings not signed by TWC
  3. 3.
    Permit to load issued (if required)
    What to look forPermit to Load (or "Permit to Strike" for removal) issued by TWC after pre-loading inspection. Permit names the works, the design, the inspector, and the load condition. No load applied without permit.
    Acceptable whenPer BS 5975:2019 / project TW procedure: Permit to Load issued before any load applied to falsework, propping, or temporary structure. Permit linked to design check. Issued by TWC.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. CIRIA C654.
    Common defectsNo permit — works loaded without TWC sign-offPermit issued before completion of TWPermit signed by non-TWCPermit covers wrong worksNo record kept

Installation

  1. 4.
    Installed in accordance with design
    What to look forInstalled temporary works match the design — member sizes, spacing, connections, bracing, fixings. Cross-checked by TWC inspection. Photographic record.
    Acceptable whenPer BS 5975:2019: pre-loading inspection by TWC; installation matches design within tolerance; deviations notified to designer for approval.
    StandardBS 5975:2019.
    Common defectsMember size substituted on site without re-checkSpacing different from designBracing omittedConnection method changedNo pre-loading inspection
  2. 5.
    Foundations adequate
    What to look forTemporary works bearing on adequate substrate per design — concrete slab, compacted granular, or pre-cast spreader. Bearing pressure within design. No standing water. Spreader plates / sleepers used where required.
    Acceptable whenPer BS 5975:2019 / TW design: bearing pressure ≤ design allowable; substrate verified competent; spreader plates per design distribute load. CBR / plate bearing tests where soil-bearing.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. BS 6031:2009 (earthworks). CIRIA C654.
    Common defectsBearing on soft ground without spreader — settlementStanding water at foundation — softensSpreader plate undersizedNo plate bearing test where design demandedFoundation not as designed
  3. 6.
    Bracing complete and secure
    What to look forAll bracing per design installed — diagonal, knee, plan bracing. Connections tight, no missing fittings. No bracing removed by following trades without permit. Bracing remains until temporary works decommissioned.
    Acceptable whenPer BS 5975:2019: bracing per design and complete before any loading; not modified without TWC approval; remains until permit to strike issued.
    StandardBS 5975:2019.
    Common defectsBracing missing — temporary works unstableBracing removed by other trades (cleaners, formwork strikers)Connection loose — bracing ineffectivePlan bracing omitted (often forgotten)Bracing removed before strike permit
  4. 7.
    Loading does not exceed design capacity
    What to look forLoading on temporary works (concrete pour, plant load, stack of materials) does not exceed design. Concrete pour rate within design assumption. Plant positions per loading plan. Material stacked safely below limit.
    Acceptable whenPer BS 5975:2019 / TW design: actual loading ≤ design (with implicit safety factor); pour rate per design assumption (typically 1.5-2 m/h for normal falsework); plant positions per loading plan.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. Concrete Society Technical Report 38 (formwork loading).
    Common defectsPour rate exceeded — falsework deflects beyond designPlant on temporary deck not designed for itMaterial stacked higher than designConcentrated loads at cornersLoading plan not enforced

Monitoring & Removal

  1. 8.
    Monitoring regime in place
    What to look forMonitoring regime (visual, deflection, settlement, strain gauges, tilt sensors) per TW design risk. Records taken at design frequency. Trigger actions defined and known to site team. Latest reading on site.
    Acceptable whenPer BS 5975:2019 / risk assessment: monitoring per significant TW (façade retention, deep excavation, heavy formwork); trigger / alarm levels with predefined actions; records up to date.
    StandardBS 5975:2019. CIRIA C654. CIRIA C760 (deep excavations).
    Common defectsMonitoring not in place where design demandedRecords not kept up to dateTrigger actions undefined — no response if exceededSite team unaware of monitoringEquipment uncalibrated
  2. 9.
    Permit to dismantle required before removal
    What to look forPermit to Dismantle (or Permit to Strike) issued by TWC before any removal. Permanent works confirmed at design strength / fully connected. Sequence of strike per design. No premature removal.
    Acceptable whenPer BS 5975:2019: Permit to Strike / Dismantle issued by TWC after confirmation that permanent works can carry the load. Striking sequence per design (typically maintain perimeter / corner props longest).
    StandardBS 5975:2019. Concrete Society Technical Report 67 (movement and cracking).
    Common defectsPermit not issued — props removed prematurelyConcrete strength not verified before strikeWrong striking sequence — slab cracksSingle TW component removed without permit (modifies design)No record of permit

Questions people ask

What is a temporary works QA inspection for?

To record that the work was checked against the specification before it was covered up or handed over: a pass or fail against each item, a measurement where one matters, and a photo where it failed. It is the evidence a client's quantity surveyor or clerk of works asks for, and the thing that settles the argument at final account.

What standards does this checklist check against?

Each item names its reference. On this checklist that includes BS 5975:2019, BS 5975:2019. CDM 2015 reg 12 (construction phase plan)., BS 5975:2019. CIRIA C654., BS 5975:2019., BS 5975:2019. BS 6031:2009 (earthworks). CIRIA C654., BS 5975:2019. Concrete Society Technical Report 38 (formwork loading).. The contract specification and the approved drawings always take precedence over a general standard; where they say something stricter, inspect to that.

Who signs a QA inspection off?

The person who carried out the check, named and dated, and where the contract calls for it the client's representative as a witness. The signature records that the check was done and what was found. It is not a warranty of the work.

How many items are on it, and do I have to use them all?

9 checks across 3 sections. Delete what does not apply to the job and add anything the specification asks for that is not here. A checklist that has plainly been thought about carries more weight than a long one nobody read.

Is this useful for a subcontractor as well as a main contractor?

More so. The subcontractor is the one who gets asked to come back and open something up. A signed inspection sheet with photos at the time is the cheapest insurance on a construction site.

Run this inspection on a phone

The same 9 checks, with the guidance a tap away, photos against each fail, measurements recorded, an NCR raised automatically and a branded PDF at the end. Signed on site. 14 days free.

Start free trial