Does LEED require EPDs for scaffolding, formwork, and shoring systems used temporarily during construction?

No. LEED’s MR credits address permanently installed building products and explicitly exclude temporary items like formwork from credit calculations, so temporary access gear is out of scope (USGBC BD+C Guide, 2024).

Which EPD type helps most with LEED materials credits today?

Product‑specific Type III EPDs with external verification count as 1.5 products toward the 20‑product target in the EPD credit, which helps teams finish the credit with fewer SKUs to track (USGBC Credit Library, 2024).

If a services‑led company begins selling permanent materials, when should they produce EPDs?

Start with high‑volume SKUs that are frequently specified on LEED projects. Confirm PCR fit, pick a program operator, and aim for product‑specific Type III with external verification to maximize LEED value (USGBC Credit Library, 2024).

Safway in focus: do EPDs matter for access gear?

Who they are and what they offer

BrandSafway spans access systems, suspended platforms, mast climbers, hoists, weather enclosures, forming and shoring, and a large services arm that applies insulation, coatings, refractory, and fireproofing. Their footprint is global with about 40,000 employees in 25 countries (BrandSafway, 2025) (BrandSafway, 2025). The product catalog is broad, with dozens of categories and likely hundreds of individual SKUs across modular scaffold components and engineered access gear.

A quick reality check on EPD relevance

LEED’s materials credits focus on permanently installed building products. USGBC explicitly excludes temporary items like formwork and similar construction aids from MR calculations, which is where EPDs earn their keep (USGBC BD+C Guide, 2024) (USGBC BD+C Guide, 2024). For a company centered on rental scaffolding and temporary access, that exclusion is pivotal. It means EPDs are not typically decisive for the core rental offering.

Where EPDs still can move the needle

Several adjacent materials Safway teams touch are permanently installed. Spray‑applied fireproofing, intumescent coatings, and certain insulations stay on the building. Manufacturers in those categories increasingly publish product‑specific Type III EPDs, which help project teams hit the 20‑product threshold in LEED’s EPD path, with product‑specific, externally verified EPDs counting as 1.5 products toward the tally (USGBC Credit Library, 2024) (USGBC Credit Library, 2024). When installers propose materials backed by robust EPDs, owners and GCs avoid penalties from generic assumptions and close out documentation faster.

Safway’s current EPD footprint

As of December 20, 2025, we did not identify product‑specific EPDs publicly posted under the Safway or BrandSafway name in the major registries we monitor. That is not surprising for a rental‑led access portfolio. If there are niche or regional declarations, they were not readily visible, and we are happy to be corrected.

Product coverage and likely gaps

Access systems, frames, decks, clamps, and towers are temporary. These are unlikely to be counted under LEED MR, so EPDs rarely change spec outcomes here (USGBC BD+C Guide, 2024).
Industrial coatings, spray fireproofing, and some insulation materials are permanent. If Safway ever markets own‑brand materials in these categories, the absence of EPDs would be a commercial gap on LEED‑or policy‑driven projects, because competitors’ materials often already come with EPDs.

A concrete example of missed opportunity

Intumescent fireproofing often sits at the crossroads of safety and design. Several leading coating lines publish third‑party EPDs today. When a GC, architect, or owner is targeting the LEED EPD credit with 20 qualifying products, the presence of a product‑specific, externally reviewed EPD counts as 1.5 products, which reduces the number of SKUs they must track and document (USGBC Credit Library, 2024). If a comparable own‑brand coating lacked an EPD, it would face a headwind in specification. That is a quiet loss manufacturers do not always see.

Who Safway meets in the field

On access and formwork scopes, common competitors include Layher, PERI, Altrad, HAKI, Doka, and regional scaffold specialists. On installed protection materials, the brands often specified include Carboline, Isolatek, and others within fireproofing and protective coatings. Different scopes, different rules for EPDs, same pressure to document impacts cleanly.

What to do if EPDs become strategic

If Safway chooses to sell own‑label materials that remain in the building, the play is simple.

Map the product list to LEED’s “permanently installed” definition to confirm eligibility and skip temporary gear outright (USGBC BD+C Guide, 2024).
Prioritize top sellers and high‑volume SKUs for product‑specific Type III EPDs with external verification, because each one is worth 1.5 products in LEED accounting and speeds submittals (USGBC Credit Library, 2024).
Pick a program operator aligned with target markets, and sequence work by PCR stability so renewals are predictable. The ROI shows up when bids avoid generic penalties, and when project teams do not need to hunt for alternates.

Sustainability signals on their site

BrandSafway publishes a short sustainability section that summarizes commitments and policies. It is light on product‑level metrics, which mirrors their services‑heavy model. Still, it is a useful touchpoint for owners, EPCs, and tier‑one contractors reviewing supplier practices (BrandSafway Sustainability).

The takeaway for manufacturers watching Safway

Safway is a diversified access and services leader, not a classic building‑product manufacturer. That is why the EPD question feels fuzzy at first glance. Once we separate temporary from permanent materials, the path is clear. EPDs are a lever where products stay in the building and count toward LEED, and they are usually unnecessary where gear is rented, reused, and removed. Sounds simple, but that nuance saves teams from chasing paperwork that wont change the spec.