12/3/2023 0 Comments Define scaffold![]() ![]() Workers should not climb up levels on the scaffold components – a proper ladder should be used, whether it is a ladder placed next to the scaffold or one built into the scaffold’s frame.Īt times, work can be constrained because of the scaffold’s structure. Planking should extend all the way across, Palmer said, and OSHA’s maximum allowable gap between planks is 1 inch. Scaffolds are guyed and tied to the building correctly, and the guys and ties are in good condition. The designer of a scaffold needs to communicate with workers before the structure is designed and built, Palmer added, to ensure the erected scaffold meets the requirements for how it will be used.ĬPWR also states that before scaffolds are used, a competent person – defined by OSHA as someone who is able to identify hazards and has the authority to eliminate them – must check four points:Īccess on and off the scaffold meets OSHA requirements.Īll work areas are fully planked or decked.Īll guardrails are installed properly, or alternative fall protection is provided. Both the base plate and mud sill help spread out the load of the scaffold so the pressure of pounds per square foot on the scaffold legs is reduced, Palmer said. On top of the mud sill is a base plate, which is a 6-inch square steel footing component that goes under the scaffold post. The footing of a scaffold typically consists of a wooden pad (known as a mud sill) that goes directly on top of the floor material – usually dirt or concrete. “It’s important that users understand the risks involved with working at elevation,” said John Palmer, director of the Scaffold Training Institute based in League City, TX.Įxperts say employees need to understand that scaffolds are not permanent structures and care must be taken when working on all stages of scaffolding – from their construction to the work that takes place on them.ĭuring the set-up phase, the structure must be placed on a solid, level base, the Silver Spring, MD-based Center for Construction Research and Training (also known as CPWR) states. ![]() In 2012, 57 workers fell to their deaths from scaffolds or staging platforms, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and thousands more are injured every year during scaffolding activities. Scaffolds are common structures on many jobsites, and the hazards of working on them are as prevalent today as they were 20 years ago. On a November day in 1994, a 60-year-old painter foreman with 20 years of experience was standing more than 35 feet above the ground on a scaffold, working on the window frames and roof eaves of a church in Tennessee.Ī NIOSH report on the incident states that while standing on two 12-inch-wide unsecured boards that left one-third of the scaffold floor uncovered, the worker fell between the boards and the outside rail of the scaffold, plummeting to his death. ![]() Fall protection should be used on scaffolds at all times, regardless of height, experts recommend.įalling objects can take unpredictable paths to the ground, so workers should take every precaution to prevent objects from being dropped or knocked off a scaffold platform.ĭifferent types of scaffolds present different types of hazards. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |