Safety

Alert

Preventing formwork failures

Information about preventing formwork failure and concrete collapse during concrete pours.

November 2013

Background
There have been several recent incidents where formwork has failed during concrete pours. Formwork failure can result in
concrete blowouts, falling formwork components or structural collapse, and has the potential to cause death or serious injury.
Formwork failures are often caused by:
formwork not being designed by a competent person
formwork not constructed in accordance with the formwork design or specifications
onsite modifications to formwork due to site conditions not addressed in the design
damaged or sub-standard formwork components being used
removal of formwork before the concrete achieves adequate strength
overloading of the formwork during concrete pouring operations.
Formwork can be constructed to meet a custom design produced by a competent person or a proprietary system can be used
in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations.
Safe work method statement
Safe work method statements (SWMS) must be developed for all high risk construction work that forms any part of the
formwork erection, concrete pouring and formwork stripping processes.
SWMS assist employers and employees to consider the hazards and risks associated with the high risk construction work and
choose effective control measures.

Control measures
Erecting formwork
Ensure a competent person produces a formwork design capable of supporting the expected dynamic and static loads.
Where proprietary formwork systems are used, ensure they are erected in accordance with the manufacturers
recommendations.
Where a custom design is used, including when combining different formwork systems or using proprietary systems
outside the manufacturers recommendations, ensure the design is completed by an engineer experienced in formwork
design (note: This does not apply where there is minimal risk to the safety of persons in the event of formwork failure, such
as typical slab on ground formwork).
Inspect formwork components before use, remove defective components from service and tag them out for disposal or
repair. AS 3610 1995: Formwork for concrete provides component inspection criteria.
Before other trades access the formwork or the concrete is poured, ensure the erected formwork is inspected by a
competent person to ensure it has been erected in accordance with the formwork design. The competent person should
document the inspection and sign-off the formwork as ready for use.

If the erected formwork does not comply with the formwork design:
alter the formwork so it does comply with the design, or
ensure the designer inspects the formwork and verifies the changes dont compromise the structural integrity of the
formwork.
Pouring concrete
Ensure the structural integrity of the formwork has been verified before starting the concrete pour.
Establish an appropriate exclusion zone to prevent people accessing the area under the formwork during the concrete
pour and maintain the zone until the concrete reaches adequate strength.
Monitor the formwork during the concrete pour to identify any early signs of failure. The monitors should not access areas
under the formwork unless a risk assessment has been undertaken to determine it is safe to do so.
Ensure the formwork is not overloaded during the concrete pouring operation.
Stripping formwork
Ensure the concrete has achieved minimum strength before formwork removal. This may be achieved by ensuring the
minimum curing time specified in the formwork design has been achieved, or receiving appropriate certification following
concrete specimen testing.

Further information
WorkSafe guidance
Formwork tool - Site prompt and report
Basic formwork and concreting checklist for builders and building trades contractors
Requirements for safe construction of perimeter formwork
Working safely in the general construction industry
Safe work method statement
Australian Standards
AS 3610-1995: Formwork for concrete

Contact Details
Call us on: 1800 136 089
Email us at: info@worksafe.vic.gov.au
For more information on occupational health and safety,
go to WorkSafes website: worksafe.vic.gov.au

Disclaimer:
This Alert contains information following the Victorian WorkCover Authoritys inquiries into incidents at the date of this report.The information contained in
this report does not necessarily reflect the final outcome of the Victorian WorkCover Authoritys action with respect to any incident. The Victorian
WorkCover Authority does not warrant the information in this report is complete or up-to-date, and does not accept any liability to any person for the
information in this report, or its use.