Scaffold Safety Basics for Employees

Scaffolds serve as support for workers. And so, they should be made as sturdy as possible. When working on scaffolds, workers should prioritize their safety. Scaffolding accidents are often the outcome of their construction being improper or because of negligent maintenance. It has been found that of the half a million injuries that occur each year on construction sites, an estimated ten thousand of those injuries are due to scaffolding accidents.

Scaffold safety may sound difficult to achieve but can be accomplished by observing good safety practices and using the appropriate tools. If you handle a group of workers on a construction site, this article is just right for you to read. Here is what they should be doing to avoid injuries: 

  • Competency of workers. When working on scaffoldings, workers’ danger is doubled compared to working in a regular field. The competencies of those who are handling the tasks need to be ensured. They should be reliable and responsible. The workers need to be able to exercise safety measures every working day.
  • Complete equipment. This refers to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that workers will wear and include equipment that will make the tasks easier and faster.

Examples of personal protective equipment that the management should provide to the workers include hard hats, gloves, non-skid shoes, and a lot more. These clothing and equipment will help to protect the employee from possible harm adequately. Also, when these items are present, the consequences of accidents might be reduced.

  • Level base. The base of the structure is the most important. Workers should be able to start with a base that will be sturdy, strong, and balanced. The location where the base is set will be most important—leveling of the ground is necessary to have a better base for your structure.
  • Sturdy frame. Since the scaffolding will support the workers while working on a project, you will need to make sure that the frame is strong. This can be ensured by choosing the right materials. High-quality and unyielding materials are the best to use. The rail’s strength is also another sub-consideration here.
  • Correct lengths. The proportions of the lengths of the structure’s pieces will be important in ensuring that it can support its other parts and the weights that will be introduced on top of it. The length of overlaps and the number of levels that the scaffold will need should be thought out with great consideration.
  • Measurement of weights. The weight of the person going onto the structure needs to be as light as possible. Too many people can make the structure vulnerable. Also, even if only a few people are on the scaffold but are overweight, the same result can occur.
  • Considering the weather. When there are strong winds, there is a great possibility that the structure will shift. Also, when there are rains or snow, the structure will be too slippery to climb to the top safely. Employers should be able to decide when to call off work and avoid accidents due to these elements.

Finally, it is also important that you do not move the mobile scaffold if someone works on them. Most of the fall accidents involving scaffolding happen due to this mistake.

As you can see, there are many different points to remember when it comes to scaffolding. Using scaffolding incorrectly can be very dangerous and life-threatening to the people utilizing it and working around it. All these safety measures must be adhered to strictly, and a qualified person should always set up the scaffolding.

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