BrandSafway: access, formwork, and the EPD gap
BrandSafway is everywhere on jobsites, from refinery turnarounds to high‑rise pours. Yet for spec‑driven projects that prioritize environmental transparency, the question is simple, do their core systems come with third‑party verified EPDs that help win work? Here is a crisp look at what they sell and how well those lines are covered today (BrandSafway, 2025).
Who BrandSafway is
BrandSafway positions itself as a global provider of access, specialized services, and forming and shoring across industrial, commercial, and infrastructure markets. The company highlights approximately 340 locations in 25 countries, which means local yards, crews, and gear are rarely far from a project site (BrandSafway, 2025).
What they actually offer
BrandSafway is not a pure play manufacturer. It is a services‑plus‑equipment business built around rental fleets and site labor. Core lines include system and frame scaffolding, swing stages and hoists, mast climbers, forming and shoring systems, and industrial services like insulation, coatings, and refractory. Across these categories, the SKU count is in the hundreds given variations in standards, ledgers, planks, decks, brackets, ties, and specialty accessories.
EPD coverage today
As of December 20, 2025, we could not locate published, third‑party verified product EPDs for BrandSafway‑branded access or formwork systems in the major public registries. That does not mean EPDs are impossible for temporary works. In fact, the International EPD System lists valid EPDs for scaffold steel planks and for tubular scaffolding members from Marcegaglia Buildtech, which demonstrates a workable path for this product family (International EPD System, 2024).
Why this matters commercially
LEED v5 is now ratified, with stronger emphasis on embodied carbon and material transparency. On projects pursuing those points, product‑specific, third‑party verified EPDs remain a recognized pathway that smooths procurement and reduces substitution risk for specifiers (USGBC, 2025). When a contractor or owner must document impacts, choosing a product without an EPD often triggers conservative default factors and extra accounting. That friction can sideline otherwise competitive offers.
Likely best sellers that would benefit first
Two practical starting points stand out. First, steel scaffold planks and modular system components, since these are ubiquitous across commercial and industrial scaffolds. Second, common shoring elements like aluminum stringers, deck panels, and posts that show up on nearly every concrete cycle. Both sit in categories where a clear PCR pathway exists and where competitors have already shown EPDs are doable in practice (International EPD System, 2024).
Where competitors show up
On large jobs, BrandSafway frequently faces PERI, Doka, Layher, ULMA Construction, Altrad RMD Kwikform, and HAKI for like‑kind access, formwork, or shoring solutions. For suspended access and mast climbing, Hydro Mobile and Fraco appear often. Several of these peers market product transparency more visibly. Marcegaglia Buildtech publishes EPDs for scaffold planks and tubes, a useful proxy for access components generally even when product geometries differ (International EPD System, 2024).
How many categories they cover
BrandSafway spans several distinct buying centers. Access and containment for maintenance turnarounds. Structural access and edge protection for commercial cores. Forming and shoring for concrete frames. Plus insulation, coatings, and fireproofing inside industrial services. That breadth is an advantage operationally, yet it also means EPD work should be sequenced, not boiled‑the‑ocean. Pick one high‑velocity line, then expand.
A simple playbook to close the gap
Start with the one or two SKUs that are both high volume and spec‑visible, for example steel planks in system scaffolding, or a go‑to modular decking system used on slabs. Confirm the common PCR and operator used by likely competitors. Gather one clean reference year of plant utilities, material inputs, and waste streams, then standardize transport and reuse assumptions for rental fleets. Publish, socialize with estimators and KAMs, then roll to the next family. It is not glamorous work, but it definately moves win rates where EPDs are preferred.
The bottom line
BrandSafway’s footprint and portfolio are built for scale. EPD coverage, however, lags what spec‑heavy projects increasingly expect. Targeted, product‑specific EPDs on the most frequently rented components would reduce substitution risk and help hold the spec when LEED v5 targets are in play. That is a small lift compared with the revenue unlocked when your gear is the default choice.
BrandSafway, 2025
USGBC, 2025
International EPD System, 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the LEED v5 update still reward product EPDs for building projects?
Yes. LEED v5 continues to emphasize embodied carbon and material transparency. Product‑specific, third‑party verified EPDs remain a recognized path that helps teams document impacts and avoid conservative default factors in specs (USGBC, 2025).
Are EPDs even possible for temporary works like scaffolding and shoring?
Yes. There are published EPDs for scaffolding components in major programs, which shows a workable pathway for these products, for example scaffold planks and tubular members in the International EPD System (International EPD System, 2024).
Where should a large rental‑led provider start with EPDs?
Prioritize high‑volume, spec‑visible items like steel planks or modular deck panels, align to the PCR common in that competitive set, collect one clean reference year of data, and publish. Then expand to adjacent components.
About the Author
Eric works at the intersection of sustainability, regulation, and business strategy, helping manufacturers navigate the evolving landscape of EPDs and LCAs. Having spoken with hundreds of teams across North America, brings a deep understanding of what drives ROI, what regulators are asking for, and how companies can stay ahead with smart, scalable approaches to environmental reporting.
