Lack of support This week’s Absolute shocker was found by an inspector during a site visit. As expected, appropriate action was taken to ensure the scaffold was made safe. An essential element of safe scaffolding is the capability of the scaffold to withstand, without structural damage or failure, all the loads to which it may be subjected. Scaffolds are the same as any other building or structure in that no matter how good the finished structure may look, if you get the foundations wrong, it’s all wrong.