Scaffolding for Occupied Buildings: Supporting Safe Access During Refurbishment
Refurbishment does not always happen in an empty building. Residents may still need to reach their homes, staff may be arriving for work and visitors may be unfamiliar with temporary changes around an entrance.
In these environments, scaffolding needs to support the construction work while accounting for the people who continue using the building. Clear routes, coordinated activities and communication with building management all play a part.
At Archis Scaffolding, we provide access solutions for occupied buildings and public-facing environments across London and the Home Counties.
Understand how people use the building
A useful starting point is to understand the building’s normal routine. Which entrances are busiest? Are there deliveries, school-run peaks or particular times when staff and visitors arrive?
The needs of people with reduced mobility, visual impairments or other accessibility requirements should also inform the discussion. A route that appears straightforward on a drawing may present practical difficulties for someone using it every day.
Sharing this information with the scaffold contractor helps the project team assess the layout around actual use, alongside the requirements of the trades carrying out the work.
Separate public access from working areas
People entering an occupied building should not have to find their own way through construction activity. Routes and boundaries need to be clearly defined, with suitable protective measures determined through the project’s risk assessment and design.
Depending on the circumstances, the solution may include protected walkways, barriers or other arrangements to separate building users from the work.
Erection, alteration and dismantling also require careful coordination. HSE guidance states that scaffolding should not be erected or dismantled over people or busy pavements. Any necessary route changes or closures should be planned and communicated before the affected work begins.
Match the scaffold to the refurbishment programme
Different stages of a refurbishment may need different access arrangements. Façade repairs, window replacement and external decoration can involve separate trades, materials and working sequences.
Discussing these requirements together helps establish where working platforms, material access and temporary routes are needed. It also allows the team to consider how later phases could affect entrances or areas already completed.
Archis Scaffolding designs temporary access systems including stair towers, gantries and access platforms, with arrangements developed around site conditions and the construction sequence.
Keep security and escape routes in view
Security requirements continue outside normal working hours. On occupied buildings, the assessment should consider potential access onto scaffolding from the surrounding site and from the building itself.
Measures to prevent unauthorised access must also account for the building’s emergency arrangements. A security measure should not interfere with a designated escape route.
These details need coordination between the contractor, building management and relevant specialists. Responsibilities should be agreed so that everyone understands which arrangements must remain in place during the works.
Communicate changes throughout the project
Even a carefully developed access arrangement can cause confusion if the people using the building do not know what is changing.
Clear information about temporary entrances, restricted areas and the timing of disruptive activities helps residents, staff and visitors understand what to expect. Building managers also need a clear contact for raising access concerns.
As the programme develops, proposed scaffold alterations should be referred to the scaffold team. HSE guidance requires scaffolds to be designed, erected, altered and dismantled by competent people, under competent supervision.
Discuss your occupied-building project with Archis Scaffolding
Working around an occupied property calls for an understanding of both the construction programme and everyday building use.
Archis Scaffolding provides design, erection, dismantling and specialist access solutions for refurbishment and construction projects. We work with project teams to develop arrangements suited to the building, available space and access requirements.
To discuss your project or request a preliminary consultation, call 0800 193 6303 or email info@archisscaffolding.co.uk.