Scaffolding Safety
Find out what steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of scaffold-related accidents.
Safety Tips For Scaffolding
It’s no surprise to learn that each year there are 4,500 injuries and 50 deaths
associated with scaffolding accidents. After all, 2.3 million workers, or 65% of the
construction industry, frequently use scaffolds on the job. EMC loss
control specialists offer the following guidelines to protect workers on scaffolds.
When Using Supported Scaffolds:
- Scaffold components should be inspected prior to erection, and defective items should be tagged and removed from service for repair or replacement.
- Scaffolds and scaffold components should not be loaded in excess of their maximum intended loads or rated capacities, whichever is less.
- Employees on scaffolds 10 feet or more above a lower level should be protected from falling through the use of guardrails or a personal fall arrest.
- Employees working below scaffolds should wear hard hats.
- The scaffold should not be moved horizontally while employees are on it, unless specifically designed by an engineer for this use.
- A scaffold should not be erected, used, dismantled, altered or moved such that it, or any conductive material on it, might come close to an exposed and energized power source.
- Employees should not work on scaffolds covered with snow, ice or other slippery materials, or in high wind or storm conditions.
- Makeshift devices (boxes, buckets, etc.) should not be used on scaffold platforms to increase the working height of an employee.
When Using Two-Point Suspended Scaffolding:
- Inspect all rigging and equipment prior to each use and verify it has not been moved or tampered with.
- Inspect wire rope during ascent and descent to check for damage such as bird-caging or broken strands. Lubricate as required and remove from service if damaged.
- Preload wire rope and equipment with the maximum working load before starting work. Retighten wire rope rigging clamps and recheck rigging according to manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Use only approved rigging clamps and the correct number. A minimum of three clamps is required. Never place the dead end of wire rope under the saddle of the bolt. This is commonly stated as “never saddle a dead horse.”
- Use thimbles and shackles at all wire rope suspension terminations.
- Always maintain at least four wraps of wire rope on drum-type hoists.
- Each person working on a scaffold should wear a properly attached fall arrest device. Each person should be tied off to his/her own anchorage point, separate from any rigging of the suspended scaffold.
- When using vertical lifelines in a fall protection system, protect the lifelines at sharp edges and corners, and suspend them freely from the structural members of the scaffold and the building façade.
- Assure that the electrical power source and all power source connections are properly grounded before using electrically operated hoists.
- When welding from suspended scaffolds, ensure all wire rope is insulated above and below the platform and at suspension points, and that the platform is ground to the structure. Always follow manufacturer’s instructions when performing this type of work.
- Do not operate or use suspended scaffolds in high winds or hazardous weather conditions.
Commercial policyholders can refer to the Loss Prevention Information Manual and Technical Information Sheets in the Loss Control section on emcinsurance.com for more safety tips on the proper construction, use and dismantling of scaffolds.
