Construction laboratory of temporary building structures

Principles of Certification

Scaffolding structures, more broadly referred to as temporary construction structures, are not classified as construction products, as they do not form a permanent part of a building.

They are included among the regulated products under Government Decree No. 173/1997 Coll. Although the scope of products covered by this regulation has gradually narrowed, scaffolding structures remain within its remit. Compliance with the essential requirements for such products is understood as conformity with the relevant provisions of applicable Czech technical standards. If a manufacturer or importer intends to place on the market a product whose properties are not fully aligned with these standards, compliance with the essential requirements may nevertheless be demonstrated, provided that the level of safety achieved is at least equivalent to the protection level established by the Czech technical standards.

Regulated products under this Decree are divided into two groups according to the conformity assessment procedure, as defined in its annexes. Annex 1 lists products for which the involvement of an authorized body (third party) in the conformity assessment is not required. This group includes all types of scaffolding and scaffolding components. Annex 2 identifies products for which conformity assessment must be carried out by an independent third party, referred to in legislation as an authorized body. In the original wording of the Decree, this category included scaffolding intended for underground use; however, these were later removed from the Annex and their regulation was transferred to the authority of the Czech Mining Office.

The conformity assessment procedure for products in the first group, including scaffolding, is relatively straightforward. The manufacturer or importer must:

1. prepare the relevant technical documentation;
2. carry out a conformity assessment of the product’s properties against safety requirements prior to placing it on the market, based on technical documentation and testing of product samples (either conducted independently or subcontracted), in order to verify that the product meets the essential requirements;
3. implement measures to ensure that all products placed on the market conform to the technical documentation.

As noted above, the required tests may be conducted by the manufacturer or importer, or subcontracted to a third party. For scaffolding, the latter option is generally preferable, as it ensures that conformity with the relevant standards is established through a professional and properly documented process.

Testing is carried out in the RILSA Construction Laboratory. The outcome is a test report, containing all measured and observed data concerning the tested product. On this basis, a final report is prepared, comparing the measured values with the requirements of applicable standards and regulations. If the product complies with these requirements, RILSA issues a certificate of conformity.

Regardless of whether conformity has been assessed by the manufacturer/importer alone or with the involvement of a third party, the manufacturer or importer must issue a Declaration of Conformity before the product is placed on the market. This declaration documents the manufacturer’s responsibility for the product and its safe use, provided that the conditions of use specified in the instructions (e.g., assembly and use manuals) are observed.

As there is currently no European directive establishing essential requirements for scaffolding structures, there is no harmonized European procedure for their conformity assessment. Consequently, scaffolding cannot bear the CE marking, either in the Czech Republic or abroad. Instead, applicable European standards should be used in all EU Member States, supplemented by national regulations (in the Czech Republic, Government Decree No. 173/1997 Coll.) and national standards.