Temporary works: The risk you can't afford to ignore

As South Africa's industrial and infrastructure sectors deliver increasingly complex capital projects and shutdowns, engineering, construction and safety teams face growing pressure to maintain compliance, manage risk and execute safely within demanding programme constraints. Construction World spoke to Otto Botha, Managing Director of Waco Engineering Services (WES), about why temporary works deserve greater attention, how sound engineering improves project outcomes, and why knowledge sharing is becoming one of the industry's most valuable risk management tools.

When is a drawing sufficient – and when does the law require a fully engineered temporary works design, complete with calculations and professional sign-off ? It is a question that continues to create uncertainty across South Africa's construction industry, often resulting in inconsistent compliance, unnecessary risk and costly project delays.

Knowing where the line is between a simple sketch and a formally engineered temporary works design is not merely a technical consideration – it is a legal, safety and commercial imperative

Temporary works remain one of the most critical yet frequently misunderstood disciplines in engineering and construction. Although essential to the safe execution of construction, maintenance and shutdown activities, they are often regarded as a secondary consideration - introduced late in the planning process or treated simply as a compliance requirement. This approach can have significant consequences. Poorly planned or inadequately engineered temporary works can result in costly redesigns, programme delays, increased project costs, regulatory non-compliance and, most importantly, unnecessary risks to people and assets.

South Africa has a comprehensive regulatory framework governing temporary works. However, the greatest challenge is often not the legislation itself, but the inconsistent interpretation and practical application of its requirements.

Differences in understanding across project teams frequently lead to uncertainty around design responsibility, engineering oversight and inspection requirements. "Temporary works should never be viewed as a box ticking exercise," says Botha. "They are a critical engineering discipline that underpins safe project execution. The earlier they are considered, the greater the opportunity to improve safety, reduce project risk and enhance overall delivery."

Building confidence through knowledge

As projects become more technically demanding, engineering expertise alone is no longer enough. Building industry knowledge and creating a common understanding of temporary works principles are equally important in reducing project risk. Many of the challenges encountered on site originate long before construction begins. Uncertainty around engineering responsibilities, inspection requirements and legislative obligations often leads to avoidable delays and reactive decision-making during execution.

Providing project managers, consulting engineers, temporary works coordinators, contractors and HSE professionals with a clear understanding of temporary works enables better planning, more effective allocation of responsibilities and stronger decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. Knowledge sharing therefore becomes more than an educational exercise - it becomes an important mechanism for strengthening project governance, improving compliance and fostering a proactive safety culture.

Standards that guide engineering decisions

Engineering standards provide far more than minimum compliance requirements; they establish consistent practices that improve quality, safety and accountability across the industry.

A significant recent development has been the publication of SANS 10085:2024 (Scaffolding).

Understanding both the technical requirements and the engineering intent behind the standard is essential if it is to be applied consistently across projects. As a co-author of SANS 10085:2024, Botha believes one of the industry's greatest opportunities lies in involving temporary works specialists much earlier during project planning.

"When higher-risk temporary works are identified during the planning phase, engineering requirements can be defined before construction starts. This reduces redesign, prevents unnecessary delays and provides greater confidence that installations will comply with both legislative and technical requirements."

Understanding the practical application of Construction Regulation 12

Although South Africa's Construction Regulations clearly define responsibilities for temporary works, uncertainty often remains around the practical application of Regulations 12.1, 12.2 and 12.3. Temporary works extend well beyond conventional scaffolding. They include formwork, falsework, temporary support structures, access systems, site establishments and numerous engineered solutions required to facilitate construction, maintenance and shutdown activities safely.

Each regulation establishes specific responsibilities relating to design, supervision, inspection and implementation. Understanding these responsibilities enables organisations to strengthen governance, improve accountability and integrate temporary works into the overall project management process rather than treating them as a final compliance check.

Projects that embed temporary works management into their planning processes are generally better positioned to manage contractor interfaces, improve quality assurance and reduce overall project risk.

Engineering value beyond compliance

One of the most common misconceptions surrounding temporary works is that their primary purpose is to satisfy legislative requirements. In reality, well-engineered temporary works deliver measurable commercial and operational value. Early engineering involvement improves constructability, optimises equipment selection, reduces material usage, minimises unnecessary scaffold quantities, shortens shutdown durations and eliminates costly redesign during execution.

This process, commonly referred to as value engineering, enables project teams to achieve the required safety outcomes while improving efficiency, reducing project costs and enhancing overall productivity.

"Good engineering is about making informed decisions before work begins," says Botha. "When temporary works are properly planned and engineered, projects become safer, more efficient and significantly easier to manage."

The growing importance of specialist temporary works expertise

As industrial facilities become more complex and regulatory expectations continue to increase, organisations are recognising that temporary works require specialist engineering input rather than conventional construction oversight.

Independent design verification, engineering inspections and technical assurance provide project owners, consulting engineers and contractors with greater confidence that temporary works have been designed and implemented in accordance with recognised engineering principles and South African legislation. This reflects a broader shift within the industry.

Temporary works are increasingly recognised not simply as an operational necessity, but as a critical component of project risk management, engineering excellence and successful project delivery.

“Ultimately, temporary works are about far more than legislative compliance," concludes Botha. "By combining sound engineering practice with early planning and continuous knowledge sharing, the industry can improve safety, strengthen compliance and deliver better outcomes across every project.

"The question is no longer whether temporary works require engineering. The question is whether projects can afford to proceed without it."

Source: https://www.crown.co.za/constructio...ary-works-the-risk-you-can-t-afford-to-ignore