Home/Checklists/Bracket (tank builder’s) scaffold

Bracket (tank builder’s) scaffold: inspection checklist

A scaffold carried on brackets hooked into straps welded to a tank or vessel wall. The 24 questions of Saudi Aramco SA Form 9617, then site records.

Send the link on WhatsAppOpen in the free app

Inspection record

Scaffold tag no.
Scaffold description / location
Platform width (m)
Platform length (m)
Inspected by (signature)
Print name
Certificate / badge no.
Date (D/M/Y)
Next inspection due
Scaffold accepted and tagged with:Green tagYellow tag (harness required)Red tag (do not use)

SA Form 9617. Bracket Scaffold Field Inspection Checklist, as used under Saudi Aramco GI 8.001. Tick Yes, No, or NA when the question does not apply to this scaffold.

General requirements

  1. 1
    Are all bracket scaffold components (including brackets, planks and ladders) free from detrimental corrosion, damage or other defects?
  2. 2
    Have all bracket straps been welded to the tank wall by Saudi Aramco certified welder(s)?
  3. 3
    Have the completed bracket strap welds to the tank wall been inspected and approved by a Saudi Aramco certified welding inspector?
  4. 4
    Are bracket straps at least 250 x 75 x 10 mm (10 x 3 x 3/8 in) in size?
  5. 5
    Do brackets fit inside the bracket strap gaps with not more than 3 mm (1/8 in) clearance at the front or back faces?
  6. 6
    Are brackets installed in a vertical and plumb position?
  7. 7
    Are the supports (bearers/board bearers) for 38 mm (1-1/2 in) wood planks not more than 1.5 m (5 ft) apart?
  8. 8
    Are the supports (bearers/board bearers) for 50 mm (2 in) wood planks not more than 2.4 m (8 ft) apart?
  9. 9
    Is a guardrail system (including toprails and midrails) installed along the outside edge of all platforms?
  10. 10
    Is a guardrail system provided along the inside edge of all platforms that are more than 360 mm (14 in) from the face of the tank?
  11. 11
    Are guardrails made from scaffold tubes or wire ropes at least 10 mm (3/8 in) in diameter?
  12. 12
    If toprails are scaffold tubes, are connections made only at support uprights (no mid-span end-to-end connections)?
  13. 13
    If wire rope guardrails are used, are they securely fixed and kept tight?
  14. 14
    Are toprails between 0.95 m and 1.15 m (38 to 45 in) above the platform walking/working surface?
  15. 15
    Are guardrail support uprights made of scaffold-grade tube or structural angle, welded or adequately secured to the brackets?
  16. 16
    If guardrail support uprights are not welded to the brackets, are their support sleeves at least 150 mm (6 in) high and welded in place?
  17. 17
    Is falling object protection provided (toeboards, barricades, wire screen, nets, etc.)?
  18. 18
    Is the working platform between 450 mm and 680 mm (18 to 27 in) wide and fully planked, with no gaps larger than 25 mm (1 in)?
  19. 19
    Are planks or platform units secured to the brackets to prevent movement?
  20. 20
    If plank ends are split, are cracks less than 300 mm (12 in) long when the end is banded, or less than 25 mm (1 in) when not banded?
  21. 21
    Are all wood scaffold planks at least 38 mm (1-1/2 in) thick and at least 225 mm (9 in) wide?
  22. 22
    For solid sawn wood planks, is a “Scaffold Grade” stamp from an accepted lumber grading/inspection association visible?
  23. 23
    For laminated veneer lumber (LVL) planks, are “Proof Tested Scaffold Plank” and “OSHA” continuously embossed along both edges?
  24. 24
    Are planks overlapped in one direction only, with a minimum overlap of 300 mm (12 in)?

Site & records

  1. 25
    Clear of hazardsOverhead power lines, hot surfaces, live lines and traffic as per the work permit
  2. 26
    Red tag holder at every access point with a signed green or yellow insertDate of next inspection written on the tag; valid for two weeks at most (GI 8.001)
  3. 27
    Scaffold plan available and accepted where requiredSpecial scaffolds need an engineering-reviewed plan (see GI 8.001, definition of special scaffold)

Any “No” on the form questions means the scaffold is not accepted: keep or fit the red tag, fix it, then inspect again. A yellow tag allows use only with a properly anchored full-body harness, and never allows an incomplete scaffold to be built on purpose.

Questions and limits follow the Saudi Aramco Bracket Scaffold Field Inspection Checklist (SA Form 9617, GI 8.001). Wording is shortened and every question is asked so that Yes = pass (a few on the printed form are asked the other way round). Independent training aid: not issued, endorsed or approved by Saudi Aramco, and it does not replace the official form, the scaffold tag or your permit. Verify against the latest GI 8.001 and Construction Safety Manual.

AL-YASSIN · alyassinscaffold.com/checklists/bracket-scaffold/ · Check the latest editions and the scaffold design.

Do it on your phone

The same checks in the free field app, with photos, the tag status and a PDF report. In the app, pick scaffold type: Independent tied.

Open in the free app

Other scaffold types

Independent tied scaffoldTwo lines of standards along a building, plant or tank, tied to it.Birdcage scaffoldA grid of standards carrying one deck, often for soffits and ceilings.Cantilever scaffoldA scaffold carried on beams that project from the structure.Loading bayA bay built to land and store materials on the scaffold.Stair access towerA stair tower giving access to the working levels.System scaffold (Ringlock / Cuplok type)Modular scaffold built from one manufacturer's components.Mobile or static towerA free-standing tower, on castors or base plates.Hanging or suspended scaffoldA scaffold hung from the structure above, for example under a pipe rack.

All checklists