Since the industrialization era, scaffolding has become one of the most common techniques in construction building. Apart from the advantages that the platform contributes to our infrastructure, it also brings many potential risks to human safety and health.
To reduce the danger while working with scaffolds, workers must comprehend the safety regulations and inspection in Scaffolding industry. You can find them all in this article! Scroll down to read!
What Is The Scaffold?
A scaffold is an elevated platform in construction; employees built it contemporarily to support their repair and maintenance works. Sometimes, people also apply it to handle materials. Due to Occupational Safety And Health Administration ( OSHA), scaffolds include three groups:
Group 1 (Supported scaffolds): This type has one or more platforms. Workers use rigid frames, outriggers, or poles to keep the scaffolds standing strongly.
Group 2 (Suspended scaffolds): These scaffolds consisted of either one or multiple platforms hung by overhead support or ropes.
Group 3 (the rest types of scaffolds): This group includes personnel hoists, man lifts, and other styles of platforms that support people elevating in building construction.
Safety Regulations And Inspections In Scaffolding Industry
Learning safety regulations and inspections in the Scaffolding industry is mandatory, as it will provide employers and workers with the necessary knowledge to protect themselves from unwanted accidents. Let’s check one by one!
Safety Regulations In Scaffolding Industry
Due to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) study, 72 percent of workers got injured in scaffold accidents due to slipping or stuck by a falling object. In this part, we would tell you safety regulations following OSHA standards :
- The scaffold and its structure must support at least four times the maximum of carried and transmitted load.
- Users should not use the scaffold and its component to load the overly weight stuff.
- Workers ought to deck and plank the platform fully. The space between the platform and uprights must not be larger than 2,5 cm and 24,1 cm when the structure opens wider.
- Timber scaffold should be at least 1500 kilopound per inch square grade lumber.
- OSHA standards require protections on the scaffold for employees by installing guardrails on the open side and around. However, some cases might not require equipping guardrails:
- When the front end of all platforms is less than 36cm from the working surface or the outrigger is 8 cm or less from the front edge.
- When workers are lathing or plastering, 46 cm or less counted from the front edge.
Besides OSHA’s standards, you can also have a look at Using Aerial Lifts. OSHA Fact Sheets (2005) or click here.
Inspections In Scaffolding Industry
Authorities can manage the Scaffolding industry by the law, inspection activities, and inspection reports.
The Law
Based on work and height regulation 2005 covered by HSE (Health and Safety Executive):
- Experts must inspect Scaffolds before using them, then confirm the inspected results either in the inspection report or in a handover certificate.
- The inspection frequency is once every seven days.
- Workers must keep the inspection reports safely to avoid being lost or unauthorized interference.
- Employees must prepare completed inspection reports before the end of the working period and share the document with clients/employers within 24 hours.
- Report receivers need to keep the report to implement the inspection until the construction work finishes. Then they have to keep it at their office for three months.
- An inspection report includes the following information:
- Information of person who carried out the inspection process (name and address)
- The inspection location, date, and time
- A description of the scaffold
- Details of impossible risks to the health and safety of employees
- Details of solution for identified risks
- Details of further action (if any)
- The name and position of the person making the report
Who Is Responsible For Scaffold Inspection?
Parties responsible for Scaffolds Inspection include employers, commercial clients, scaffolders, contractors, and the HSE (Health and Safety Executive).
- Employers: Project employers must evaluate the risks to the safety and health of their employees and residents living around the project (Based on The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999)
- Commercial clients, scaffolders, and contractors: These clients must assure that the scaffolds are well structured and do not affect the health and safety of their employees and members of the public (The Construction Regulation 2015)
- HSE: The HSE responsible for prosecuting contractors, scaffold clients for failure to carry out a complete inspection by a qualified person.
Who Can Inspect Scaffolds?
In the HSE guidance, a person who can inspect scaffolds is “a competent one whose combination of training, experience, and knowledge is suitable for the complexity and type of the scaffold.” Under this statement, a qualified person should hold CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) qualification. Furthermore, to inspect the scaffold system, the individual must pass the scaffold inspection training course and have experience in this field.
Are Scaffold Handover Certificates A Legal Requirement?
Well, the answer is No! However, employees can use the Handover Certificates as a consideration of the first scaffold inspection. Scaffolding companies with a representative who carried out scaffolds implementation can also conduct these documents.
Scafftag
Scafftag is familiar to construction workers. These tags aim to prevent unnecessary physical access like working at height hazards. Although they are not a legal requirement, a scafftag is a helpful tool that helps contractors and scaffold clients better manage their inspection procedures.
The Bottom Line!
Safety training for workers
Scaffolding works are a dangerous place to work. We should do safety training for them before they begin working on dangerous sites.
Providing your workforce with workplace safety training will equip them with knowledge and skills to perform their work in a manner that is safe for them and their coworkers.
Moreover, an effective workplace safety plan includes instructions and guidelines for identifying hazards, reporting them, and dealing with incidents.
To create a safer workplace, you must encourage an incident reporting culture and identify ways your company can continuously improve the work environment.
What’s more, each worker should have the right safety equipment when they begin to work. They must wear the right safety harness and helmet. if you need purchase the right safety equipment, you can visit: https://www.anbusafety.com for more information.
In conclusion, scaffolding works are quite dangerous. Especially when you don’t equip yourselves and your employees with personal protective equipment (PPE), disasters might happen anytime. Knowing safety regulations and inspections in Scaffolding industry will protect you from unwanted risks at work. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to share them with us!
