Qualified or Competent Person for Scaffolding Safety? Let’s turn our attention to some additional considerations dealing with scaffolding preplanning, the erection of a scaffold, and safety training. When workers use personal fall arrest systems, they need to know where to anchor. A personal fall arrest and active restraint system consists of an anchorage point, body belt or body harness, D-rings, and may include a lanyard, lifeline, deceleration device or a combination of these. For scaffold safety, workers should use a personal fall arrest system. Workers frequently reach out beyond fall protection barriers for equipment or to complete tasks. Properly installed guardrails provide fall protection compliance on an appropriately decked or planked scaffold. In addition, workers access the scaffold platform in the form of a secured ladder, stair tower, or ramp. Why? The purpose is to prevent items from falling, and thereby protecting workers on lower levels. OSHA requires toeboard installation on work platforms, screens, nets, or barricades. If any cross brace is used to support the top rail for the guardrail, then cross bracing should reach the height of between 38 and 45 inches. Guardrails are to be between 38 inches and 45 inches in height, and installation of midrails at about half that height. 451 (g)(1)(ii)Įquip scaffolding with toeboards, midrails, and guardrails. Further, “Each employee on a single-point and two-point adjustable suspended scaffold shall be protected by both a personal fall arrest system and a guardrail.”. passive fall protection.Įmployees more than 10 feet above a lower level need protection from falls by guardrails or a fall arrest system, except those on single-point and two-point adjustable suspension scaffolds. The conversation about the responsibility of the worker and protection measures that remain in place is discussed further here: the difference between active vs. So, the result is worker injury and possibly fatality. The lack of guardrails, improperly installed guardrails, or failure to use personal fall arrest systems cause falls.
Scaffolding work and scaffold hazards present various fall prevention concerns. In addition to working height thresholds, there are other OSHA scaffolding requirements to keep workers safe while working on a scaffold. When dealing with scaffolding safety, the vertical standard overrules the horizontal standard. Vertical standards (Subpart L) specifies that for scaffolding safety, fall protection must be present at a threshold of 10 feet. Horizontal standards (Subpart M) specify that in the construction industry, fall protection must be present at 6 feet of height. On the other hand, Subpart L: Scaffolding is a more specific vertical OSHA standard. Regulations such as Subpart M: Fall Protection involve a broad general horizontal standard which applies to any industry. Some OSHA regulations deal with horizontal standards and some deal with vertical standards. Next, let’s examine some OSHA scaffolding requirements for fall protection. Scaffold users can be placed into three groups: scaffold erector/dismantler, user, and designer. Note that other types of equipment such as scissor lifts and aerial lifts can be thought of as other types of supported scaffolds. (See this product for rigid rail fall protection.) Suspended scaffolds: consists of one or more platforms suspended by non-rigid overhead support.Supported scaffold: consists of one or more platforms supported by load-bearing poles, legs, frames, or outriggers.There are two types of scaffolds, which include the following: It’s important to take into consideration the type of scaffolding used at the construction site, industry, or manufacturing environments. Scaffold TypesĪccording to OSHA, a scaffold is defined as “an elevated, temporary work platform”. Scaffolding safety includes dedicated actions when planning, building, inspecting, and using scaffolds.įirst, let’s discuss scaffold types. Yet the main goal is that the scaffolding structure is safe and secure. There are various OSHA regulations which apply to different types of scaffolding systems. There’s little surprise that scaffolding violations makes OSHA’s top ten list of most frequently cited violations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, each year there are about 4,500 injuries and more than 60 fatalities related to scaffolding. The use of scaffolding is one of most common causes of these incidents. Those in construction and general industry see some of the highest injury and fatality rates.
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