Doug Crawford
It is with profound respect and heartfelt gratitude that we honour the life and legacy of Doug Crawford, who passed away in mid‑June 2025. Doug’s remarkable 38-year commitment to scaffolding standards helped shape both our industry and the safety of countless workers across Australia.
From 1987, Doug served as Chair of the BD‑036 Scaffolding Committee—guiding it with unwavering dedication until his recent retirement. Under his leadership for over three decades, the committee matured into a key standard‑setting force, ensuring scaffolding best practices were rigorously developed, updated, and maintained.
In addition to BD‑036, Doug chaired several other critical Standards Australia committees, including BD‑043 (Formwork), BD‑092 (Temporary Edge Protection), and SF‑013 (Platforms, Gangways, Stairways, and Ladders), overseeing the integrity of these complementary standards.
Doug’s leadership earned him multiple accolades:
Standards Award (1999) for his contributions to housing construction standards
The W. R. Hebbelwhite Medal (2022), recognising his outstanding national and international service
Beyond technical expertise, Doug was admired for his mentorship and the respect he commanded among colleagues.
SAA’s Tribute
As the Scaffolding Association Australia (SAA) now holds a participating member seat on the BD‑036 committee and BD-092 committee, we recognise that Doug’s pioneering efforts laid the foundation for our involvement. His foresight, dedication, and championing of safety have inspired the Association and will continue to guide our future work in standardisation.
Doug’s passing is a loss deeply felt across the scaffolding community. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and everyone fortunate to know him professionally. His legacy—steadfast, safety‑focused, and service‑driven—will endure in every scaffold that safely supports Australians.
