Scaffold types
What is a chimney scaffold?
A chimney scaffold provides access around a chimney stack at roof level, usually supported off the roof structure or from a scaffold at eaves level.
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<img src="https://scaffoldoptix.co.uk/glossary/chimney-scaffold/diagram.svg" alt="chimney scaffold — scaffold diagram from ScaffoldOptix" width="880" height="620" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>
<a href="https://scaffoldoptix.co.uk/glossary/chimney-scaffold">What is a chimney scaffold?</a> — diagram by
<a href="https://scaffoldoptix.co.uk">ScaffoldOptix</a>
</figcaption>
</figure>The problem is that there is no ground under a chimney. The scaffold is supported from the roof, from a scaffold below, or on a framework spanning the roof, and each option has a different load path to think about.
Roof structures are not designed to carry scaffolds. Spreading load across rafters, and knowing what the roof can take, is the part that needs establishing rather than assuming.
Access is typically via the main scaffold and a ladder or stair through the roof edge, which makes the two structures one arrangement in practice.
What goes wrong on site
- Load applied to a roof without anybody establishing what it can take.
- Supported off a scaffold below that was not designed for the extra load.
- Edge protection at roof level treated as less important because the area is small.