Aluminium Scaffold Inspection – Law and Practice

You buy a new aluminium mobile scaffold tower, assemble it, and get to work. But scaffolding – like any other technical equipment – cannot simply be put into service and forgotten. Czech legislation sets obligations for both employers and those responsible for health and safety, and labour inspectorates can demand evidence of compliance at any time.

This article summarises what the law requires, what you need to have documented, and what a practical inspection of a mobile aluminium scaffold tower looks like.

The Legal Framework in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, the primary legislation is Act No. 309/2006 Coll. on further health and safety requirements at work, supplemented by Government Regulation No. 362/2005 Coll. on work at height (workplaces with a risk of falling from height or into depth).

For scaffolding, the key requirements are:

Government Regulation No. 362/2005 Coll. and the manufacturers' instructions require that scaffolding may only be used if:

• It has been assembled in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions
• It was inspected before first use and that inspection was documented
• It is regularly inspected by a competent person
• It is inspected after any extraordinary event that could have affected its safety (storm, high wind, impact, relocation)

Important note: Government Regulation No. 362/2005 Coll. applies to work at height in every sector, not just construction, and its annex also covers mobile scaffolding. For scaffolding as work equipment, Government Regulation No. 378/2001 Coll. on the safe operation and use of machinery, technical equipment, instruments and tools also applies, together with the manufacturer's instructions.

How Often Must Scaffolding Be Inspected?

Czech law does not specify a fixed interval in days – and this is where companies most often get confused. The obligation is framed as follows: an inspection must take place before first use, and thereafter at intervals specified by the manufacturer in the user manual, but at least once every 12 months (this minimum for technical equipment derives from Government Regulation No. 378/2001 Coll.).

Manufacturers of aluminium mobile scaffolding (COSMOS, METIGO/ALUBERG) typically recommend in their manuals:

• A visual check by the user before every assembly and use
• A professional inspection by a qualified person at least once a year
• An extraordinary inspection after any fall, impact, or significant wear

The annual interval is the minimum. In construction or industrial operations with intensive daily use, increasing the frequency to every six or three months is advisable.

Who Is Authorised to Carry Out an Inspection?

The law distinguishes two levels:

• Routine pre-use check by the operator – this check is carried out by every user before assembling the scaffolding. No special qualification is required – familiarity with the user manual is sufficient. The check covers a visual inspection of components (cracks, deformations, missing joints), functioning of castor brakes, stability after assembly, and condition of the platform deck (grating, toe boards).

• Periodic professional inspection – this inspection must be carried out by a competent person – in practice, an employee with appropriate health and safety qualifications or a technician capable of assessing the technical condition of the scaffolding. In smaller companies this role is typically filled by the person responsible for health and safety, with relevant training. In larger operations, or where there is any doubt about the condition of the equipment, it is advisable to bring in an external specialist.

Note: in Czech practice the word “revize” (a formal statutory test) is often used loosely. Strictly speaking this is an inspection, not a statutory test of reserved technical equipment under Act No. 250/2021 Coll. – mobile aluminium towers are not reserved equipment. The inspection must still be documented.

What Must an Inspection Cover?

A professional inspection of a mobile aluminium scaffold tower should cover at minimum:

Components and structure:

• All load-bearing profiles – visual check for cracks, deformation, corrosion
• Quick-release joints and locking mechanisms – functionality, wear
• Platform decking – fixings, surface condition (slip resistance), toe boards
• Internal ladders and steps – rung integrity, attachment points

Safety features:

• Castors and brakes – locking functionality, tread wear
• Outriggers – condition, correct attachment
• Guardrails and toe boards – integrity and completeness

Markings:

• Presence of the manufacturer's label showing standard, load capacity, and maximum height
• Legibility of all safety warnings

Documentation:

• Conformity of the assembly with the manufacturer's instructions (no missing components, no non-standard additions)
• Comparison with the previous inspection – deterioration, repairs carried out

How to Document an Inspection

The law does not prescribe a specific form, but documentation must exist and must be traceable in the event of an inspection. In practice, a checklist or entry in an equipment log is used, containing:

• Date of inspection
• Name and signature of the person carrying out the inspection
• Identification of the scaffolding (manufacturer, type, inventory number)
• Result of the inspection (no defects / defects found – description)
• Action taken (date defects were remedied, or withdrawal from service if applicable)
• Date of next inspection

We recommend keeping a separate logbook or electronic file for each piece of scaffolding – particularly if you have multiple units or if the scaffolding is shared between job sites.

What to Do When Defects Are Found

If an inspection reveals a defect, the scaffolding must not be put back into service until the defect has been rectified. For damaged load-bearing components:

• Deformed or cracked profile = withdraw from service, replace the component
• Faulty castor brake = must not be used on slopes or uneven surfaces
• Missing platform toe board = cannot be used safely with materials on the deck

Replacing individual components is possible – aluminium scaffolding is modular for precisely this reason. Both COSMOS and METIGO supply spare parts, and as their representative we can arrange procurement.

Never attempt to repair load-bearing aluminium profiles yourself by welding or bending. The manufacturer accepts no responsibility for a structure modified in this way, and the certification ceases to apply.

What Does a Labour Inspectorate Look For?

When inspecting a workplace, health and safety inspectors will look at, among other things:

• Whether the scaffolding is assembled in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions
• Whether users have been trained (training attendance records)
• Whether documentation of inspections carried out exists
• Whether the maximum load capacity and permitted height are visibly displayed on the tower

Missing documentation is the most common failing found – the physical condition of the scaffolding may be perfectly fine, but without records it is impossible to demonstrate that a professional inspection has taken place.

When a Scaffold Fails Inspection: Spare Parts or a New Tower?

The most common findings are worn or damaged castors, cracked plastic components, bent frames and missing guardrails or toe boards. For ALUBERG towers every component can be ordered separately from the METIGO parts list (items AL-001 to AL-021: frames, decks, braces, guardrails, outriggers, castors), so replacing one part does not take the whole tower out of service. Parts lists and a spare-parts inquiry are on the ALUBERG page.

A new tower makes sense when a load-bearing frame is damaged, when the scaffold has no declaration of conformity and no documentation in Czech (typically older or second-hand units), or when documentation has been missing for so long that inspections cannot be evidenced. INTRAPOL sells ALUBERG 770 and 1370 aluminium mobile towers (PN-EN 1004, working height 3–12 m) and COSMOS Marte; stocked configurations ship the next working day after order confirmation, each with the documentation you need to build an inspection plan. Our ALUBERG 770 vs. 1370 article helps with choosing the width, and the article on the most common mobile-scaffold mistakes helps with prevention.

Practical Summary for Company Health and Safety

• Before first use of new scaffolding, carry out and document a professional inspection.
• Set a regular inspection schedule (minimum once a year; twice a year for intensive use).
• Every user must be trained and training records must be maintained.
• Retain inspection checklists for the entire service life of the scaffolding.
• After any incident (fall, impact, storm) carry out an extraordinary inspection before the next use.

Every ALUBERG and COSMOS tower we supply comes with assembly and operating instructions, on the basis of which an inspection plan can be drawn up; the declaration of conformity is available on request. We will confirm the available language versions of the documentation in our quotation. If you have questions about documentation or would like advice on setting up an inspection programme for your operation, get in touch.