Scaffolding Basics

Real-Life Scenario

A mason was fatally injured when he fell approximately twelve feet from the second level of an unguarded tubular welded scaffold system. It is not known what the victim was doing at the time of the incident; however, a witness saw him walk to the edge of the scaffold and place his foot on a piece of iron scaffold bracing. He either tripped or lost his balance, and fell to the sand covered asphalt below. They transported the victim to the local hospital where he died two hours later.

Investigators concluded that in order to prevent similar future occurrences, employers should:

1. Install guardrails on all open sides of scaffolds more than ten feet above ground.
2. Ensure that scaffolding is properly erected, maintained, moved, dismantled and/or altered only under a competent person's supervision.
3. Develop and implement a comprehensive safety program that includes, but is not limited to, training in fall hazard recognition and the use of fall protection devices.

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• Single-pole wood pole scaffolds
• Independent wood pole scaffolds
• Tube and coupler scaffolds
• Fabricated frame scaffolds
• Plasterers', decorators' and large area scaffolds
• Bricklayers' square scaffolds
• Horse scaffolds
• Form scaffolds and carpenters' bracket scaffolds
• Roof bracket scaffolds
• Outrigger scaffolds (one level)
• Pump jack scaffolds
• Ladder jack scaffolds
• Window jack scaffolds
• Crawling boards (chicken ladders)
• Step, platform and trestle ladder scaffolds
• Single-point adjustable suspension scaffolds
• Two-point adjustable suspension scaffolds
• Stonesetter multi-point adjustable suspension scaffolds
• Masons' multi-point adjustable suspension scaffolds
• Catenary scaffolds
• Float (ship) scaffolds
• Interior hung scaffolds
• Needle beam scaffolds
• Multi-level suspension scaffolds
• Mobile scaffolds
• Repair bracket scaffolds
• Stilts
• Tank builders' scaffolds

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Scaffold Terms

• Adjustable suspension: A secure point of attachment for lifelines, lanyard, deceleration devices, or tiebacks.
• Bearer: A horizontal member of a scaffold upon which the platform unit rests and that may be supported by runners.
• Brace Plate: A device used to distribute vertical load.
• Bearer: A horizontal member of a scaffold upon which the platform unit rests and that may be supported by runners.
• Boatswains' Chair: A suspended seat designed to accommodate one worker in a sitting position.
• Body Harness, Full: Straps that are secured about an employee in a manner that distributes the arresting forces over at least the thighs, shoulders and pelvis with provisions for attaching a lanyard, lifeline or deceleration device.
• Brace: A device that holds one scaffold member in a fixed position with respect to another member.
• Competent Person: A person who can identify existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has the authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate such hazards.
• Cross Braces: Two diagonal scaffold members joined at their center to form an “X.” Used between frames or uprights or both.
• Design Load: The maximum intended load of a scaffold; The total of all loads including the worker(s), material and the equipment placed on the unit.

Tube and Coupler Scaffold Components
• Electrical Ground: A conducting connection between an electrical circuit or equipment and the area, or some conducting body that serves in place of the earth.
• Fall Protection: A system designed to prevent or arrest a person’s fall.
• Guardrail System: A rail system erected along the open sides and ends of platforms. The rail system consists of a toprail and mid-rail and their supports.
• Guy: A rope, chain or cable used to stabilize a vertical object.
• Hoist: A device intended to be used to raise and lower a suspended scaffold. It may be manually operated or power operated.
• Lanyard: A flexible line to secure the wearer of a full body harness to a lifeline, trolley line or a fixed anchor.
• Maximum Intended Load: The total load of all workers, equipment, tools, and materials.
• Midrail: A rail approximately midway between the toprail and platform of a guardrail system.
• Open Sides and Ends: That portion of a scaffold platform unit that is not protected by a guardrail system, cross braces, vertical work surfaces, or stirrups.
• Personal Fall Arrest System: An assembly of components and subsystems used to arrest a person in a fall from a working height.
• Plank: A wood board and fabricated component that serves as a platform unit.
• Plank (Metal): A metal platform united in size to support one or more workers or uniformly distributed loads. Metal planks would be similar dimensions as wood planks.
• Plank (Wood, Laminated): A platform unit of glue-laminated wood whose method of manufacture and assigned design values contemplates flat use in a scaffolding application.
• Plank (Wood, Sawn): A board of sawn lumber whose grading rules and assigned design values contemplate flat use in a scaffolding application.
• Platform: A general term for an elevated work surface composed of one or more platform units.
• Qualified Person: A person who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training or experience has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve or resolve problems related to the subject matter, the work or the project.
• Rated Load: The manufacturer’s recommended maximum load.
• Runner: A horizontal scaffold member that forms a tie between posts and may also support a bearer.
• Safety Screen: A wire or plastic screening that protects the workers and passers-by below from dropped items.
• Scaffold: A temporary elevated or suspended work unit and its supporting structure used for supporting worker(s) or materials, or both.
• Sill: A footing (usually wood) which distributes the vertical loads to the ground or slab below.
• Tie: A device used between scaffold component and the building or structure to enhance lateral stability.
• Toeboard: A barrier secured along the sides and the ends of a platform unit to guard against the falling of material, tools and other loose objects.
• Toprail: The uppermost horizontal rail of a guardrail system.
• Working Load: Load imposed by persons, materials and equipment.

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Competent persons are responsible to:

• Select and direct employees who erect, dismantle, move, or alter scaffolds.
• Determine if it is safe for employees to work on or from a scaffold during storms or high winds and to ensure that a personal fall arrest system or wind screens protect these employees.
• Train employees involved in erecting, disassembling, moving, operating, repairing, maintaining, or inspecting scaffolds to recognize associated work hazards.
• Inspect scaffolds and scaffold components for visible defects before each work shift and after any occurrence which could affect the structural integrity and to authorize prompt corrective actions.
• Inspect ropes on suspended scaffolds prior to each workshift and after every occurrence which could affect the structural integrity and to authorize prompt corrective actions.
• Inspect manila or plastic (or other synthetic) rope being used for toprails or midrails.
• For Suspension Scaffolds: evaluate direct connections to support the load, and evaluate the need to secure two-point and multi-point scaffolds to prevent swaying.
• For Erectors and Dismantlers: determine the feasibility and safety of providing fall protection and access, and train erectors and dismantlers to recognize associated work hazards.
• For Scaffold Components: determine if a scaffold will be structurally sound when intermixing components from different manufacturers, and determine if galvanic action has affected the capacity when using components of dissimilar metals.

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Qualified persons are responsible to:

• Design and load scaffolds in accordance with that design.
• Train employees working on the scaffolds to recognize the associated hazards and understand procedures to control or minimize those hazards.
• Design the rigging for single-point adjustable suspension scaffolds.
• Design platforms on two-point adjustable suspension types that are less than 36 inches (0.9 meters) wide to prevent instability.
• Make swaged attachments or spliced eyes on wire suspension ropes.
• Design scaffold components construction in accordance with the design.

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Registered engineers are responsible to:

• Design the direct connections of masons' multi-point adjustable suspension scaffolds.
• Design scaffolds that are to be moved when employees are on them.
• Design pole scaffolds over 60 feet (18.3 meters) in height.
• Design tube and coupler scaffolds over 125 feet (38 meters) in height.
• Design fabricated frame scaffolds over 125 feet (38 meters) in height above their base plates. 1926.452(c)(6)
• Design brackets on fabricated frame scaffolds used to support cantilevered loads in addition to workers.
• Design outrigger scaffolds and scaffold components.

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Qualified Trainer Criteria:

• adequate practical experience and fully knowledgeable of the topics being taught;
• necessary skills to demonstrate safe procedures and practices;
• adequate skills to train, test, and evaluate student knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs);
• successful evaluation by the employer of the person's training KSAs; and
• certification by the employer as qualified and authorized to conduct training.

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General mandatory training topics include:

• fall hazards and falling object hazards in the work area;
• procedures for dealing with electrical hazards;
• erecting, maintaining, and disassembling the fall protection systems and falling object protection systems being used;
• proper use of the scaffold, and the proper handling of materials on the scaffold;
• the maximum intended load-carrying capacities of the scaffold, and
• any other pertinent requirements of the standard.

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Additional Erector and Dismantler Training Topics

Training for the specific types of scaffolds being erected or dismantled includes:

• erection/dismantling planning
• PPE and proper procedures
• specific fall protection
• materials handling
• components
• parts inspection
• specific safety requirements
• access and platforms
• working platforms
• foundations
• buttresses, cantilevers, & bridges
• guys, ties and braces
• rolling scaffold assembly
• putlogs

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Retraining should be done when the following conditions exist:

• where changes at the worksite present a hazard about which an employee has not been previously trained; or
• where changes in the types of scaffolds, fall protection, falling object protection, or other equipment present a hazard about which an employee has not been previously trained; or
• where inadequacies in an affected employee's work involving scaffolds indicate that the employee has not retained the requisite proficiency.

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