What does a temporary works coordinator do?

Temporary works are the parts of a job that hold things up, hold things back or give people a safe place to work while the permanent works are built. Scaffolding, falsework, formwork, propping, excavation support, hoardings and needling are all temporary works. When they fail, the results can be sudden and serious, which is why someone needs to be in charge of them.

On most sites, that person is the temporary works coordinator, or TWC.

Where the role comes from

The TWC role is set out in BS 5975, the British Standard code of practice for temporary works procedures. The current edition was published in 2024 in two parts, and it's the version CITB's temporary works courses are built around. The law doesn't name the role. What the law does require, under CDM 2015 and wider health and safety law, is that contractors plan, manage and monitor their work so it's carried out safely, and temporary works are a large part of that. Following BS 5975 is the recognised way to show temporary works are properly controlled, and most principal contractors expect it.

What the TWC is responsible for

The coordinator makes sure every item of temporary works on site goes through a controlled process, from the first idea to its removal. In practice that means:

• keeping the temporary works register, a live list of every item of temporary works on site and where it's up to
• making sure a design brief is prepared for each item, so the designer knows the loads, ground conditions and site constraints
• making sure each design is checked to the right level before it's used
• checking the work is built to the design, through inspections on site
• issuing a permit to load once an item has been checked and is ready to take load
• issuing a permit to dismantle, often called a permit to strike, when it's safe to take the item down

The TWC doesn't usually design or build the temporary works. Their job is to coordinate the people who do, and to make sure nothing is loaded or struck without the right checks.

Who else is involved

• The designated individual in the contractor's organisation sets up the temporary works procedure and appoints the TWC.
• The temporary works designer designs each item, and a design checker checks it. BS 5975 sets categories of design check, from standard solutions to complex designs that must be checked by a separate organisation.
• Temporary works supervisors (TWS) look after temporary works day to day, working under the TWC. Where the procedure allows, the coordinator can ask a supervisor to carry out some tasks, but stays responsible for them.

Who should be the TWC?

The TWC must be competent for the scale and complexity of the temporary works on the job. That usually means an experienced site manager, engineer or senior supervisor who understands how the work is built and has the authority to stop it. On a small site, the site manager often takes the role; on a large one, it can be a full-time position.

Whoever it is needs time to do it properly. A TWC who is also running the programme, managing trades and dealing with the client can find temporary works squeezed, which is why many contractors appoint one or more supervisors to help.

Training for the role

The CITB Temporary Works Coordinator course covers the coordinator's role under BS 5975: the register, design briefs and checks, and permits to load and strike. It runs over two days and ends with an exam. CITB is clear that it's a course about coordination rather than technical design.

For supervisors who look after temporary works under a coordinator, the one-day Temporary Works Supervisor course covers their part in the process.

Keeping the certificate in date

Both certificates are valid for five years. Coordinators renew with the one-day Temporary Works Coordinator Refresher, which CITB only allows while your certificate is still valid: let it lapse and you're back on the two-day course. Our guide to renewing CITB certificates has tips on keeping track of expiry dates for a team.

Where to train in South Yorkshire

The coordinator, supervisor and refresher courses all run in the classroom at our Rotherham venue at Bradmarsh Business Park, reached from M1 junctions 33 and 34, and live online with a tutor. For a group from one site, we can also run the course at your own premises. If you're not sure which course fits your role, call us and we'll talk it through.