Supported Scaffold Foundations

Supported scaffolds bear the weight of the structure itself, workers, and construction materials. It is therefore crucial that a supported scaffold rest on a foundation suitable for its load.

• Supported scaffold poles, legs, posts, frames, and uprights must rest on base plates, mud sills, or other adequate firm foundation. Such footings must be level, sound, rigid, and capable of supporting the scaffold in a loaded condition without settling or displacement.
• Unstable objects cannot be used to support scaffolds or platform units, nor can they be used as working platforms.
• Scaffold platforms require solid support. Front-end loaders, forklifts, and other such equipment are not generally designed for this purpose. Exceptions include the following:
  • Front-end loaders and similar pieces of equipment must not be used as scaffold supports unless they have been specifically designed by the manufacturer for such use.
  • Fork lifts must not be used to support scaffold platforms unless the entire platform is attached to the fork and the fork lift is not moved horizontally while the platform is occupied.
• Supported scaffold poles, legs, posts, frames, and uprights must be plumb and braced to prevent swaying and displacement.

To learn more about Scaffolding Safety visit our Construction Scaffolding Safety Online Training web page.