Scaffold Safety
for Construction
Scope and application
of
the regulation
 Regulations
on scaffolds in the
construction industry are in
Subpart L of 29 CFR 1926
 The
regulation applies to all
scaffolds used in workplaces
that are covered by OSHA’s
construction regulations
1a
Scope and application
of
the regulation
 It
also applies to temporary
elevated work platforms and
aerial lifts
 It
does not apply to crane or
derrick suspended personnel
platforms
1b
Scope and application
of
the regulation
 General
industry activities are
not covered by the construction
industry requirements
1c
Terms
 Competent
 Exposed
person
power lines
 Guardrail
system
2a
Terms
 Maximum
 Personal
intended load
fall arrest system
 Qualified
2b
Terms
 Rated
load
 Supported
scaffold
 Suspension
scaffold
2c
Training requirements
 Training
will advise you on how
to protect yourself from
• electrical hazards
• fall hazards
• falling object hazards
3a
Training requirements
 You
must know;
• the scaffold’s load capacities
• how to handle materials on the
scaffold
• how to use the
scaffold
3b
Electrical safety
 Clearance
between scaffold
equipment and powerlines is
crucial to worker safety
 Safe
distances
must be kept
between
energized lines
and conductive
material
4a
Electrical safety
 Clearances
must be maintained
when scaffolds are:
•
•
•
•
•
erected
used
dismantled
altered
moved
4b
Electrical safety
 Before
work starts, the utility
company or electrical system
operator can either:
• de-energize the lines
• relocate them
• install protective coverings to
prevent accidental contact with
the lines
4c
Welding safety
 Be
aware of the hazard of
welding current arcing through
the suspension wire rope when
welding from suspended
scaffolds
 Use
an insulated thimble to
attach each suspension wire
rope to its hanging support
4d
Welding safety
 Insulate
any excess suspension
wire rope or other independent
lines
 Insulate
the suspension wire
rope at least 4 feet (1.2 m)
above the hoist
4e
Welding safety
 If
there is a tail line below the
hoist, insulate it to prevent
contact with the platform
 Retain
or guide the portion of
the tail line that hangs free
below the scaffold so that it
does not become grounded
4f
Welding safety
 Use
insulated protective covers
to cover each hoist
 In
addition to a work lead
attachment required by the
welding process, use a
grounding conductor between
the scaffold and the structure
4g
Welding safety
 If
the scaffold grounding lead is
disconnected at any time, the
welding machine must be shut
off
 Keep
active welding rods or
uninsulated welding leads from
contacting the scaffold or its
suspension system
4h
Fall protection
 Each
employee on a scaffold
more than 10 feet above a lower
level must be protected from
falling to that lower level
 The
two types of fall protection
are the:
• Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS)
• guardrail system
5a
Fall protection
 Different
types of scaffolds
require different types of fall
protection
5b
Fall protection
 PFASs
are required for
employees on a:
•
•
•
•
•
boatswains’ chair
caternary scaffold
float scaffold
needle beam scaffold
ladder jack scaffold
5c
Fall protection
 Both
a PFAS and a guardrail
system is required for singlepoint or two-point adjustable
suspension scaffolds
5d
Fall protection
 Crawling
boards (chicken
ladders) need either a:
• PFAS
• guardrail
• 3/4 inch diameter grab line or
equivalent handhold securely
fastened beside the crawling
board
5e
Fall protection
 Self-contained
adjustable
scaffolds that have the platform
supported by the frame require
a guardrail system
 Self-contained
adjustable
scaffolds with the platform
supported by ropes require both
a PFAS and a guardrail system
5f
Fall protection
 Guardrail
systems must be used
to protect walkways within a
scaffold
5g
Fall protection
 When
the front edge of the
platform is more than 14 inches
away from the face of the
structure, this edge requires a
guardrail or workers must use a
PFAS
5h
Personal fall arrest
systems
 The
PFAS must meet the
requirements in the regulation
on Fall Protection (29 CFR
1926.502(d))
 When
used on a scaffold, attach
the PFAS to a vertical or
horizontal lifeline or to a
structural member
6a
Personal fall arrest
systems
 When
vertical lifelines are used,
they must be:
• anchored to a safe fixed point
• independent of the
scaffold
• protected from sharp
edges and abrasion
6b
Personal fall arrest
systems
 Horizontal
lifelines must be:
• secured to two or more structural
members of the scaffold
• looped around both
suspension and
independent suspension
lines above the hoist
and brake
6c
Personal fall arrest
systems
 Vertical
lifelines, independent
support lines, and suspension
ropes:
• must not be attached to
each other
• cannot use the same
anchorage point
6d
Guardrail systems
 Appendix
A of the regulation
gives specifications for building
guardrail systems
 Guardrail
systems must be
installed along all
open sides and ends
of platforms
7a
Guardrail systems

Requirements for how high the
toprail must be above the platform
surface, and for the use of:
• midrails
• screens
• mesh
• intermediate vertical members
• solid panels as part of a guardrail
system
7b
Guardrail systems
 The
guardrail system must be
able to withstand force as
specified in the regulation
7c
Guardrail systems
 Guardrail
components must be
surfaced so they do not cause:
• puncture wounds
• lacerations
• snagged clothing
7d
Protection from falling
objects
 Employees
from:
must be protected
• falling hand tools
• debris
• other small objects
8a
Protection from falling
objects
 Protection
is gained through the
installation of:
•
•
•
•
•
•
toeboards
screens
guardrail systems
debris nets
catch platforms
canopy structures that contain or
deflect the falling objects
8b
Protection from falling
objects
 When
the falling objects are too
large, heavy, or massive to be
contained, keep objects away
from the edge of the surface
8c
Protection from falling
objects
 Barricade
areas to protect the
employees working below from
the hazards of falling:
• tools
• materials
• equipment
8d
Protection from falling
objects
 Install
a toeboard along the
edge of platforms more than 10
feet above lower levels
 Protect
the workers below
when equipment or materials
are piled to a height above the
toprail or toeboard on a
scaffold’s platform
8e
Load capacities
 It
is crucial to stay within the
scaffold’s load limits
 Scaffolds
must be designed by a
qualified person
 Scaffolds
must be constructed
and loaded in accordance with
that design
9a
Load capacities
 Each
scaffold and scaffold
component must be able to
support:
• its own weight
• at least 4 times the maximum
intended load applied or
transmitted to it
9b
Load capacities
 It’s
up to the worker to
understand and stay within the
capacities of the equipment
9c
Load capacities
 Don’t
make arbitrary changes to
a scaffold’s structure
 Any
modifications can affect
the scaffold’s capacity and
stability
9d
Load capacities
 Scaffolds
and scaffold
components must never be
loaded in excess of their
maximum intended loads or
rated capacities, whichever is
less
9e
Materials handling on
scaffolds
 Any
materials taken onto the
platform must be handled
properly
 Do
not allow debris to
accumulate on platforms
10a
Materials handling on
scaffolds
 If
materials start to pile up
above toeboards, the scaffold
may need additional falling
object protection
 Secure
any liquid or powdery
materials to guard against spills
10b
Materials handling on
scaffolds
 Take
extra precautions in windy
conditions
 During
storms or high winds, a
competent person must
determine if it is safe for
employees to be on the scaffold
10c
Materials handling on
scaffolds
 Use
tag lines or equivalent
measures to control any
swinging loads that are being
hoisted onto or near scaffolds
10d
Inspection requirements
 Inspect
scaffolds and scaffold
components for visible defects
before each shift
 Inspect
scaffolds after
any occurrence that
could affect a scaffold’s
structural integrity
11a
Inspection requirements
 Early
detection of structural
defects is important; look for
hairline cracks
11b
Inspection requirements
 Ensure
that structural defects
in platforms are not covered
from view
 Platforms
may not be
covered with opaque
finishes
11c
Inspection requirements
 Platforms
may be coated with:
• wood preservatives
• fire-retardant finishes
• slip-retardant finishes
11d
Inspection requirements
 Platform
edges can be marked
to show identification, grading,
or similar types of marks
 Inspect
ropes for
defects prior to each
workshift and after
every occurrence that
could affect a rope’s
integrity
11e
Inspection requirements
 Before
a suspension scaffold is
used, inspect the direct
connections (bolts)
 Inspect
and retighten
wire rope clips at the
start of each workshift
11f
Handling damaged
components
 Damaged
or weakened
scaffolds must be:
• immediately repaired or replaced
• braced
• removed from service until
repaired
12a
Handling damaged
components
 On
suspension scaffolds, ropes
must be replaced if any of the
following conditions exist:
12b
Handling damaged
components
 Any
physical damage that
impairs the function and
strength of the rope
 Kinks
that might impair the
tracking or wrapping of rope
around the drum(s) or sheave(s)
12c
Handling damaged
components
 Six
randomly distributed broken
wires in one rope lay or three
broken wires in one strand in
one rope lay
12d
Handling damaged
components
 Abrasion,
corrosion, scrubbing,
flattening or peening causing
loss of more than one-third of
the original diameter of the
outside wires
12e
Handling damaged
components
 Heat
damage caused by a torch
or any damage caused by
contact with electrical wires
 Evidence
that the secondary
brake has been activated during
an overspeed condition and has
engaged the suspension rope
12f
Safe access to scaffold
platforms
 When
scaffold platforms are
more than 2 feet above or below
a point of access, means of
access include:
13a
Safe access to scaffold
platforms
 Portable
ladders
 Hook-on
ladders
 Attachable
 Stair
ladders
towers
13b
Safe access to scaffold
platforms
 Stairway-type
ladders
 Ramps
 Walkways
 Integral
access
prefabricated scaffold
13c
Safe access to scaffold
platforms
 Direct
access from another
scaffold, structure, personnel
hoist, or similar surface
 Crossbraces
cannot be used as
a means of access
13d
Hazards of using materials
to increase scaffold height
 Don’t
use makeshift devices,
such as boxes and barrels, to
increase the working level
height
 Ladders
must not be used on
scaffolds to increase the
working level height except on
large area scaffolds
14a
Hazards of using materials
to increase scaffold height
A
large area scaffold is erected
over substantially the entire
work area:
• a pole scaffold
• tube and coupler
scaffold
• systems scaffold
• fabricated frame
scaffold
14b
Hazards of using materials
to increase scaffold height
 Ladders
may be used on large
area scaffolds if the:
14c
Hazards of using materials
to increase scaffold height
 Ladder
is placed against a
structure that is not a part of
the scaffold
 Scaffold
has been secured
against the sideways thrust
exerted by the ladder
14d
Hazards of using materials
to increase scaffold height
 Platform
units are secured to
the scaffold to prevent their
movement
14e
Hazards of using materials
to increase scaffold height
 Ladder
legs are on the same
platform or other means is used
to stabilize the ladder against
unequal platform deflection
 Ladder
legs are secured to
prevent them from slipping or
being pushed off the platform
14f
Moving a scaffold
 Unless
so designed, scaffolds
cannot be moved horizontally
while employees are on them
 Follow
the requirements at
1926.452 for mobile scaffolds
15a
Erecting/dismantling
scaffolds
 Employees
must be trained and
experienced in erecting and
dismantling scaffolds
 Employees
working on
supported scaffolds must be
provided with safe access
16a
Erecting/dismantling
scaffolds
A
competent person must
determine if providing safe
access is feasible based on site
conditions and the type of
scaffold
16b
Erecting/dismantling
scaffolds
 For
employees who are erecting
supported scaffolds, hook-on or
attachable ladders are to be
installed as soon as possible
16c
Erecting/dismantling
scaffolds
 End
frames with horizontal
members that are parallel, level,
and not more than 22 inches
apart vertically may be used as
climbing devices for access
16d
Erecting/dismantling
scaffolds
 Cross
braces on tubular welded
frame scaffolds must not be
used as a means of access or
egress during erecting or
dismantling work
16e
Erecting/dismantling
scaffolds
 Employers
are required to
provide fall protection for
employees erecting or
dismantling supported scaffolds
16f
Erecting/dismantling
scaffolds
A
competent person must
determine the feasibility and
safety of providing fall
protection for employees
16g
Aerial lifts
 29
CFR 1926.453 addresses
both general and specific
requirements
17a
Aerial lifts
 Aerial
lifts include the following
types of vehicle-mounted aerial
devices:
•
•
•
•
Extensible boom platforms
Aerial ladders
Articulating boom platforms
Vertical towers
• A combination of any such devices
17b
Aerial lifts
 Aerial
equipment:
• may be made of metal, wood,
fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP),
or other material
• may be powered or manually
operated
• is considered to be an aerial lift
whether or not it is capable of
rotating about a substantially
vertical axis
17c
Aerial lifts
A
body belt must be worn with a
lanyard attached to the boom or
basket when working from an
aerial lift
 Body
belts that meet the
requirements of 29 CFR
1926.502(e) are acceptable
17d
Aerial lifts
 Do
not belt off to an adjacent
pole, structure, or equipment
while working from an aerial lift
 All
of the training requirements
in 29 CFR 1926.454 apply to the
use of aerial lifts
17e
Aerial lifts
 Only
authorized persons can
operate an aerial lift
 Lift
controls must be tested
each day prior to use
17f
Aerial lifts
 Climbers
must not be worn
when working from an aerial lift
 Unless
so designed, an aerial
lift truck must not be moved
when the boom is elevated in a
working position with workers
in the basket
17g