The temporary works coordinator role is one of the most important on any construction site, yet it is frequently misunderstood, under-resourced, or bolted onto an already overloaded site manager's workload. Get it wrong and the consequences can be fatal. This guide covers exactly what a TWC is responsible for, how the role works in practice, and how to do it properly under BS 5975.
What Are Temporary Works?
Temporary works are any engineering works that are needed to build the permanent structure but do not form part of it. They are, by definition, temporary. But temporary does not mean unimportant. Temporary works failures cause some of the most catastrophic accidents in construction.
Common examples include:
- Falsework: Temporary structures used to support formwork for concrete pours until the concrete has gained sufficient strength
- Formwork: Moulds into which concrete is poured
- Scaffolding: Access platforms, loading bays, protection fans
- Propping: Temporary support to existing structures during alteration or demolition
- Shoring: Support to excavation faces and adjacent buildings
- Temporary steelwork: Bracing, support frames, and lifting beams
- Ground support: Sheet piling, diaphragm walls, ground anchors
- Crane bases and hard standings: Engineered platforms for crane operations
- Temporary works associated with demolition: Pre-weakening support, catch structures
The HSE's investigation into the 2015 collapse at a building site in London found that inadequate temporary works management was the primary cause. Three workers were seriously injured. The principal contractor was fined over one million pounds.
The TWC Role Explained
BS 5975:2019 (Code of practice for temporary works procedures and the permissible stress design of falsework) defines the temporary works management structure. The key roles are:
- Designated Individual (DI): A senior person in the contractor's organisation who has overall responsibility for temporary works. Usually a contracts manager, operations director, or similar. They appoint the TWC.
- Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC): The person on site (or with regular site access) who manages the temporary works process day-to-day. This is the role we are focused on here.
- Temporary Works Designer: The engineer who designs the temporary works. May be in-house or an external specialist.
- Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS): The person responsible for the physical erection, maintenance, and removal of temporary works on site.
The TWC sits at the centre of this system. They are the bridge between design and site, between management and operatives, between what should happen and what actually happens.
Core Responsibilities of the TWC
These are the responsibilities defined in BS 5975 and expanded by industry best practice:
1. Maintain the Temporary Works Register
The TWC must maintain a register of all temporary works items on the project. Every item of temporary works, no matter how minor, must be logged. The register should include: the item description, its location, the designer, design check status, permit status, erection date, inspection dates, and planned removal date.
This register is a live document. It should be reviewed and updated at least weekly. On busy projects with multiple temporary works items, daily updates may be necessary.
2. Ensure Designs Are Adequate and Checked
Before any temporary works are erected, the TWC must confirm that a design exists and that it has been independently checked. BS 5975 requires that temporary works designs are checked by a competent person who was not involved in producing the design. The TWC does not need to be a designer, but they must ensure the design and check process has been properly completed.
3. Issue Permits to Load and Permits to Dismantle
The permit system is the TWC's primary control mechanism. No temporary works should be loaded (i.e., used for their intended purpose) until the TWC has issued a permit to load, confirming that the temporary works have been erected in accordance with the design and inspected. Similarly, no temporary works should be dismantled until the TWC has issued a permit to dismantle, confirming that the permanent works have achieved adequate strength or that alternative support is in place.
4. Arrange and Review Inspections
The TWC must ensure that temporary works are inspected at defined intervals. This includes: pre-use inspection (before the permit to load is issued), routine inspections during the life of the temporary works, and a final inspection before dismantling. The frequency of routine inspections depends on the type of temporary works and the risk involved.
5. Monitor Changes and Deviations
Temporary works are designed for specific conditions. If those conditions change, the original design may no longer be adequate. The TWC must be alert to changes such as: additional loads being placed on falsework or scaffolding, changes to the construction sequence, adverse weather conditions, ground conditions different from those assumed in the design, and adjacent works that could affect stability.
6. Communicate with All Parties
The TWC must ensure that everyone involved in temporary works, from the designer to the operative removing the last prop, understands what is required. This means clear briefings, written instructions, method statements, and regular dialogue with the TWS, designers, and the site team.
7. Maintain Records
The TWC must keep comprehensive records of all temporary works activities. This includes the register, design documents, check certificates, permits, inspection records, and any correspondence. These records should be kept for the life of the permanent structure they supported, as they may be needed for future investigations or alterations.
The Temporary Works Permit System
The permit system is at the heart of temporary works management. Here is how it works in practice:
- Design brief issued: The TWC issues a brief to the designer specifying the requirements (loads, geometry, ground conditions, access constraints, etc.)
- Design produced and checked: The designer produces the temporary works design. An independent checker reviews it. Both sign off.
- Permit to erect: The TWC authorises erection of the temporary works. The TWS supervises the physical work.
- Pre-use inspection: Once erected, the TWS (or other competent person) inspects the temporary works against the design drawings and reports to the TWC.
- Permit to load: The TWC reviews the inspection report, confirms the temporary works match the design, and issues a permit to load. Only now can the temporary works be used.
- Routine inspections: The temporary works are inspected at defined intervals throughout their life.
- Permit to dismantle: When the temporary works are no longer needed, the TWC confirms that the permanent works have achieved adequate strength (e.g., concrete cube test results) and issues a permit to dismantle.
Critical point: The permit to load must be issued BEFORE any loads are applied. Pouring concrete onto falsework without a permit to load is one of the most dangerous things that can happen on a construction site. It also happens more often than anyone would like to admit.
Competence Requirements for a TWC
BS 5975 states that the TWC must be "suitably qualified and experienced." In practice, this means:
- Training: A recognised TWC training course. CITB offer a two-day course that is widely accepted. The Temporary Works Forum (TWf) also provide training and resources.
- Experience: Sufficient construction experience to understand the types of temporary works on the project. A TWC on a multi-storey concrete frame project needs different experience from one on a highway bridge scheme.
- Technical understanding: The TWC does not need to be a structural engineer, but they must understand the principles of structural stability, loading, and the behaviour of temporary structures.
- Authority: The TWC must have the authority to stop work if temporary works are not compliant. This needs to be clearly communicated by the DI to the entire project team.
- Time: The TWC must have sufficient time to fulfil the role. On complex projects with extensive temporary works, the role can be full-time. Overloading a site manager with TWC duties on a busy project is a recipe for corners being cut.
Common Failures and How to Avoid Them
Based on HSE enforcement notices and industry incident reports, here are the most common temporary works management failures:
- No TWC appointed: Surprisingly common on smaller projects. If there are temporary works, there must be a TWC. No exceptions.
- Register not maintained: The register exists but has not been updated for weeks. Items are missing. Status is unknown. This defeats the entire purpose of the system.
- Designs not checked: The design exists but the independent check has not been done. Or the "check" was done by someone in the same team who produced the design. This is not independent checking.
- Permits not issued before loading: Concrete is poured onto falsework, or scaffolding is loaded, before the TWC has confirmed the temporary works are compliant. This is extremely dangerous.
- Changes not communicated: The construction sequence changes, additional loads are applied, or ground conditions are different from those assumed, but nobody tells the TWC. The design may no longer be adequate.
- Early striking: Formwork or props are removed before the concrete has reached the required strength. This is a common cause of structural collapse and has resulted in multiple fatalities in the UK.
The TWC role requires constant vigilance. It is not a paperwork exercise. It is the system that prevents structures from collapsing during construction.
TWC Practical Checklist
Use this checklist to ensure you are covering all your responsibilities as a TWC:
- Has a temporary works register been established and is it up to date?
- Have all temporary works items been identified and logged?
- Does each item have a design and has that design been independently checked?
- Has a design brief been issued for each item specifying the actual site conditions?
- Are permits to load in place before any loading occurs?
- Are inspection records up to date?
- Have all changes to loads, sequence, or conditions been communicated to the designer?
- Is the TWS briefed and competent for each item?
- Are permits to dismantle issued before removal, with evidence of permanent works adequacy?
- Are all records being maintained and filed properly?
Managing all of this documentation can be time-consuming. Site Manager AI can help by generating temporary works documentation, maintaining registers, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. The system prompts you for the information it needs and produces properly formatted records that satisfy BS 5975 requirements.
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