Basics of Scaffold Safety

Consider the following accident: A worker preparing masonry fascia for removal from a building fell from the third level of a tubular welded-frame scaffold. No guarding system was provided for the scaffold. Further, the platform was coated with ice.

Every year in the United States, there are thousands of scaffold-related injuries - many of them very serious - and approximately 40 scaffold-related deaths. Like the one above, many accidents happen when safety guidelines have not been observed.

Know how to work on scaffolds safely by understanding and observing scaffold requirements:

• Every supported scaffold and its components must support, without failure, its own weight and at least four times the intended load. The intended load is the sum of the weights of all personnel, tools, and materials that will be placed on the scaffold. Don't load the scaffold with more weight than it can safely handle.
• On supported scaffolds, working platforms and decks must be planked close to the guardrails. Planks are to be overlapped on a support of at least six inches, but not more than 12 inches.
• Each rope on a suspended scaffold must support the scaffold's weight and at least six times the intended load.
• Scaffold platforms must be at least 18 inches wide, (there are some exceptions), and guardrails and/or personal fall arrest systems must be used for fall protection any time you are working 10 feet or more above ground level.
• OSHA standards require that workers have fall protection when working on a scaffold 10 or more feet above the ground. OSHA also requires the following:
  • The use of a guardrail OR a PFAS when working on a supported scaffold
  • BOTH a guardrail AND a PFAS when working on a single-point or two-point suspended scaffold
  • A personal fall arrest system when working on an aerial lift
• Your lifeline must be tied back to a structural anchorage capable of withstanding 5,000 pounds of dead weight per person tied off to it. Attaching your lifeline to a guardrail, a standpipe, or other piping systems will not meet the 5,000 pounds requirement and is not a safe move.
• Wear hard hats, and make sure there are toeboards, screens, and debris nets in place to protect other people from falling objects.
• Counterweights for suspended scaffolds must be able to resist at least four times the tipping moment, and they must be made of materials that cannot be easily dislocated (such as no sand, no water, no rolls of roofing). This would be calculated by the qualified person who designs the scaffold.
• Scaffold cross-bracing should never be used as a means of access; safe access must be provided by your employer. Ensure that your fall protection equipment is right for the work you are doing and in good condition. Use it properly. Remember that your employer needs to provide you with appropriate worksite fall protection.
• A competent person must be available to direct workers who are constructing or moving scaffolds. The competent person must also train workers and inspect the scaffold and its components before every work shift and after any event that could affect the structural integrity of the scaffold. The competent person must be able to identify unsafe conditions and be authorized by the employer to correct unsafe conditions. In addition, a qualified person, someone who has very specific knowledge or training, must actually design the scaffold and its rigging.

Who is the "competent person?" This term is used in many OSHA standards and documents, and it's important that construction workers understand this designation.

Competent means "having skill or knowledge." Clearly, you have skill and knowledge in construction. However, in the context of OSHA safety regulations, a "competent person" (CP) is an official designation.

An OSHA competent person is someone who understands applicable OSHA standards and regulations, is responsible for identifying existing and predictable hazards at a worksite, and is authorized to promptly correct and eliminate the hazards. Some OSHA standards require the CP to meet additional requirements. The competent person at your worksite is designated by your employer.

An OSHA "qualified person" is also an official designation and refers to someone who has a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who, by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has demonstrated the ability to resolve problems relating to the work.

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