CROSS Safety Report
Unbraced temporary props
This report is over 2 years old
Overview
An alarming photograph has been sent by a contributor.
Key Learning Outcomes
For builders and homeowners:
- Bracing should be provided to temporary props to ensure lateral stability is provided
- Having a competent temporary works designer/adviser in place to supply an engineered solution can ensure all temporary works are carefully considered and planned
- The Building Research Establishment (BRE) provide guidance in their publication – BRE GBG 15: Providing temporary support during work on openings in external walls
Full Report
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An alarming photograph has been sent by a contributor (Figure 1).
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Feedback
The photographs in this report are misleading. It should be pointed out that Strongboys are being used with the Acrows clearly bending. I do not permit Strongboys on site in an attempt to make builders aware of their problems. It is also not clear that the Good Building Guide photo is an example of bad practice not good. It would be useful to have a reference to the particular BRE Guide. How should the props be braced? It is easy to brace them in one direction but not so easy in the other.
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An almost identical photograph from another source is also shown below (Figure 2). Clearly any disturbance of these un-braced props could result in collapse in either case. If these props were erected by a householder, the individual was putting his own family’s lives at risk. If they were erected by a builder, the individual was at risk of a manslaughter charge and custodial sentence, should they have failed and caused death.