What Are Some Safety Precautions for Scaffolding?

 

Scaffolding is a temporary structure used for the construction of a residential or industrial building. The stability of the scaffold makes it very important to easily reach many meters high. You cannot get it replaced with a ladder, which cannot be as tall as a 20 to 30 story building, and also is not stable. With the scaffolding, one can easily and proficiently perform the building task hundreds of meters about the ground. With so many advantages to it, it also brings risks and hazards to workers working on them. Improper safety measures are taken while raising and dismantling that, in turn, can cause serious threats to the workers’ lives. Other inappropriate safety measures like lack of guardrails, tangling overhead electrical wires, and excessive load is very risky.

Some of the safety precautions to consider for scaffolding are:

1- Right Scaffold System:

Choosing the right scaffold system is the first step towards maintaining safety precautions. There are different types of scaffolds; each with different properties and suitable to different sites and tasks. You should always consider what kind of scaffold is required to complete a particular task. Getting the wrong scaffold can jeopardize the lives of people working on the scaffold.

2- Guardrails:

You should always have guardrails placed on three sides faced away from the building if the scaffold setup is above 10 feet from the ground level. They provide a safe zone for workers and helps in avoiding falls due to disbalance. Most accidents happen due to the absence of guardrails. Therefore, they are a must-have on a scaffold, especially for a higher one.

3- Inspection of Site:

The site should be properly inspected before adjusting a scaffold system. Inspect the location for the possible risks like tangling electric wires, sloppy surface, congested area, and other resistances that can cause danger while working.

4- Avoiding Overloading:

One of the main reasons for accidents on a scaffold system is overload. Always avoid putting extra pressure on the scaffold that it goes beyond its bearing power. In such cases, scaffolds cannot tolerate the weight and eventually fall, thus imperiling many lives.

5- Weather conditions:

Another important aspect one should always consider is the weather condition. When people are working on height, it must be assured that the weather is apt. Avoid working on heights in windy weather conditions. There is a potential hazard in working in such a condition because a storm can jolt the scaffold and workers may lose the balance.

6- Maintenance and Inspection:

Since it takes a lot of time to build a skyscraper building, the scaffold remains there through-out the duration. Therefore, frequent maintenance and inspection are very crucial. With time, its linkages may become fragile thus the frames must be checked for wear and rust. A technical person should regularly do its inspection; who has the know-how of safety requirements of scaffolds.

What If an Accident Happens?

For any accident and injury at work, the workers are eligible to claim compensation. Slip and fall are the most common injuries related to a scaffold. The only condition is that you must be able to prove that it was the employer's fault for overlooking the safety measures. How much can you claim depends on how severe is the accident and how potentially you have been influenced. For any accident at work lawyers can help you calculate the amount and legal procedures of availing of the compensation amount.