What are the Best Ways to Enhance Scaffolding Safety at a Construction Site?

Falls are the top cause of workplace-related injuries, and also death, within the construction industry. Read on to know about OSHA safety standards, common scaffolding hazards and strategies for workplace safety to protect workers who work on them from accidents and falls!

About Scaffolding

Temporary structure used in building and construction Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man-made structures. It is commonly taken overhead, with elevated or higher grips.

Good quality scaffolding is typically made out of wood, steel or both and is strong enough to support the complete weight of workers on a construction site and all the materials they need.

But according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 70 percent of these construction workers are working at or near heights where their centers of gravity are positioned more than 5 feet off the ground. These workers already are at a risk of being injured if they fall from any other elevated surface. And 3,450 workers were injured by scaffolding in 2023.

Common Scaffolding Hazards

The following are some of the most frequent scaffolding dangers:

• Falls from elevation due to not wearing fall protection gear
• The scaffolding is overloaded or unstable, causing it to tip over.
• Workers being hit by objects falling to the ground from the scaffold, such as tools, materials or debris
• Near overhead electricity lines resulting in the danger of electric shock

Falls are the No. 1 cause of death for construction workers, and of the 86 percent of scaffolding deaths that occur in the construction industry. Why is this number so high? There are many reasons why there seems to be a higher risk of scaffolding falls, these may include:

• Failure to provide the worker with, and implement a fall protection program
  • Unskilled or poorly trained workers who don’t recognize frequent fall hazards
  • Unanchored platforms with no railings or loose wheels when a worker climbs on the platform
  • High-rise workers abandoned on scaffolds after hours

OSHA Regulations and Employee Training

OSHA has long had a regulation concerning safety with scaffolds, since 1971, with several revisions over the years.

This rule provides guidelines to protect the safety of persons in the development, installation and use of scaffolds in construction work. It defines fall protection systems and details the training all employees using scaffolds must have before they are allowed to work on them.

It’s important to understand that it is the employer’s responsibility for ensuring workers are in compliance with OSHA regulations and their training materials. Among the OSHA standards rules, as stated in the standard, aspiring toward which employers must strive, are the following:

• Weight loads for any scaffold
  • Work platform assembly specifications
  • Supported Scaffolds and Suspended Scaffolds Criteria
  • Conditions for access and use
  • Requirements for fall protection
  • Protection against falling object

OSHA also provides scaffold safety training courses.

When OSHA updated its standards for scaffolds in 1996, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics discovered that 25 percent of workers did not receive any training on scaffold safety. Training is everything in saving workers from life-altering accidents involving scaffolding.

Scaffold Accident and Fall Prevention Tips

Scaffolding accidents can be severe, causing injury or death. Construction accidents: Workers may slip and fall from an unstable scaffold or in unsafe conditions including working outside on scaffolding during bad weather. Unfortunately, when not used safely, scaffolding can be a dangerous work environment and be dangerous for other workers on the job. Ensure you take these seven crucial helpings safety precaution advice extend to:

Perform an Inspection before Use

Before permitting employees to climb scaffolding, inspect it carefully to make sure it is sound, tight and unbroken. Look for things like missing or damaged guardrails, ties or connectors.

Use Fall Protection

Check that guardrails are established and tight. That work at heights Workers must also wear personal protective equipment including hard hats, harnesses, and lanyards.

Follow Load Capacity Guidelines

Do not overload the scaffold beyond the maximum weight capacity. According to OSHA, “scaffolds and scaffold components shall not be loaded in excess of their maximum intended load or rated capacity, whichever is less,” and, “each scaffold and scaffold component shall be capable of supporting, without failure, its own weight and at least 4 times the maximum intended load applied or transmitted to it. Also make sure to share the scaffold’s weight evenly, rather than overloading one side.

Ensure The Scaffold Is Secure

Scaffolds shall be held in place and restrained by tying, bracing or other equivalent means. Scaffolding also needs to be tied to the building to insure that it does not shift or fall over.

Maintain A Safe Work Area

Signs should be posted in a visible location near the scaffold to warn workers and the public of the potential hazards. ALSO clear the area of work of garbage and debris, and in the event of spills (which can create slick surfaces around the scaffold), remove promptly.

Use Proper Access

OSHA requires employers to provide it when the scaffold platforms are more than 2 ft above ground or below a point of access. Use a safe and secure means of access to the scaffold, e.g. ladders or stairs not boxes or other unstable objects.

Trained Workers

Training for all employees by a competent person is necessary so they can recognize common scaffold hazards, both how to avoid them and the best way to minimize known hazards. Training should have specific training sessions on hazards like falling objects and electrical issues, and also how to correctly handle the scaffold and materials on the scaffold. Only trained employees should be permitted to work on scaffolds.

By doing so, the injuries of employees can be prevented, and a construction job can miss little to no time and stay on schedule.