Guides / Basics

BS 5975 explained

BS 5975 is the British Standard that sets out good practice for managing temporary works. It is a code of practice. It is not an Act of Parliament, and it is not a regulation.

Where the law comes from

Your legal duties come from the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). Those regulations say that the people running a project must plan, manage and monitor the work so that it is safe. BS 5975 is widely used as the way of showing how you do that for temporary works.

What changed recently

The 2019 edition has been replaced by two parts: BS 5975-1:2024 (management procedures) and BS 5975-2:2024 (falsework). The procedures themselves are essentially the same.

What it asks for

A clear procedure, named people with defined roles, a design that is independently checked at a level that suits the risk, permits before key stages, and records.

Always check the current edition of the standard yourself. This guide is a plain-English introduction, not a substitute for it.