Choosing Temporary Equipment with Confidence: Scaffolding and Construction Equipment Association of Japan and the Certification System
Introduction
Construction sites are inherently dangerous, especially when working at heights or handling heavy loads. The temporary equipment used in these environments plays a critical role in supporting the safety of workers.
To maintain and improve the safety and performance of this equipment across the entire industry, the Scaffolding and Construction Equipment Association of Japan operates various certification systems.
This article breaks down the role of the Association and explains the key differences between "Certified Products," "Approved Products," "Individually Approved Products," and "Applicable Factories," terms that are frequently confused on worksites and in the rental industry.
What is the Scaffolding and Construction Equipment Association of Japan?
The Scaffolding and Construction Equipment Association of Japan is an organization composed of manufacturers and related companies that handle temporary equipment used on construction sites, such as scaffolding, work platforms, and temporary staging. The Association's objective is to contribute to the prevention of industrial accidents related to temporary structures and to facilitate smooth construction work.
Its primary activities include establishing and publicizing necessary structural and usage standards for temporary structures and their component equipment used in construction work, as well as conducting testing and providing technical guidance for this temporary equipment.
To objectively evaluate products that meet specific criteria so that users can select them with confidence, the Association has established four certification systems:
What is the Certification System (Certified Products)?
The Certification System is a program that evaluates whether temporary structures, such as temporary scaffolding and formwork shoring, comply with the standards set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, as well as the temporary equipment certification criteria established by the Association.
This system targets temporary equipment manufacturers. Equipment that meets the standards during the manufacturing factory's certification inspection (which includes factory audits and product sampling tests) is recognized as a "Certified Product."
Certified Products mainly consist of standard and general-purpose temporary equipment.
List of Certified Products | Scaffolding and Construction Equipment Association of Japan Website
Examples of eligible equipment handled by our company
● About the Certificate of Approval and the validity period
A Certificate of Approval is issued for Certified Products. The 1-year validity period stated on this certificate does not indicate the expiration date or service life of the equipment itself.
Instead, this period designates the timeframe during which the certified manufacturer is authorized to manufacture products that comply with the certification standards. Therefore, any Certified Product manufactured within that period continues to be treated as a Certified Product, even after that specific manufacturing validity period has expired.
Through inspection, maintenance, and management at an Applicable Factory for Aged Temporary Construction Equipment Management Standards (hereafter referred to as an Applicable Factory), the safety of Certified Products is maintained, allowing them to be used repeatedly over a long period.
What is the Approval System (Approved Products)?
The Approval System is a program targeted at temporary structures assembled as systems that do not fall under the Certification System (such as suspended scaffoldings and shoring systems).
This system targets temporary equipment manufacturers. It verifies the safety of the temporary structure system and its individual components, including the assembly and usage methods, by conducting document reviews, factory investigations, and strength testing as necessary.
Currently, none of the products handled by our company fall under the category of Approved Products.
What is the Individual Approval System (Individually Approved Products)?
The Individual Approval System is a program that evaluates and approves individual pieces of temporary equipment that do not fall under the general certification standards. It assesses whether a single, specific item offers sufficient safety in light of its intended purpose, installation location, and installation method.
This system targets temporary equipment manufacturers. Equipment that meets the standards during the manufacturing factory's approval inspection (which includes factory audits and product sampling tests) is recognized as an "Individually Approved Product."
Examples of eligible equipment handled by our company
What Is the Applicable Factory System?
The Applicable Factory System is a program focused not on the temporary equipment itself, but rather on establishing management frameworks for aged temporary equipment.
To ensure the safety of aged temporary equipment, equipment centers that properly manage the maintenance and repair of equipment in accordance with internal management regulations based on the “Regulations for Applicable Factories for Aged Temporary Construction Equipment Management Standards” are certified under this system.
There are two types of Applicable Factories: "Designated Factories" and "Registered Factories." Both carry a validity period of 3 years.
Designated Factories: Equipment centers managed by lease/rental companies, repair companies, etc.
Registered Factories: Equipment centers managed by construction companies, etc.
● Our Initiatives
All of our equipment centers are certified under this system as Designated Factories. Through routine inspection and maintenance, we have established a framework that allows us to deliver equipment to worksites in a completely safe condition.
Conclusion
The certification systems of the Scaffolding and Construction Equipment Association of Japan provide a framework to verify the quality of temporary equipment and temporary structures based on established standards.
To maintain a level of quality that can withstand repeated use, it is crucial that temporary equipment is properly managed through routine inspections, maintenance, and repairs as necessary.
Our company inspects and maintains all equipment under a rigorous management framework that complies with the Applicable Factory System of the Association.
We remain committed to performing thorough daily maintenance so that our users can always operate with peace of mind.