Scaffold Overview

Supported Scaffold Safety
An Overview of Scaffold Safety
May, 2011
Topics Covered
Scaffold hazards
Duties of a “competent person”
Basic scaffold requirements
Fall protection and guardrails
Employee training
Supported Scaffolds Examples
Fabricated frame Ladder jack Mobile scaffold

scaffold scaffold
Supported scaffolds are scaffolds that are in contact with the

ground rather than being suspended by cables.
More Supported Scaffold Examples
Hazards of Scaffold Work
According to the scaffold industry association, the five most
serious scaffold hazards are:
Falls
Unsafe access
Falling objects
Electrocution
Scaffold collapse
Falls, scaffold collapse and electrocution account for

most scaffold related fatalities.
A combination of regular inspection and consistent training

of workers can go a long way to reducing these risks.
Scaffold Collapse Can Happen
The safety of a scaffold is highly dependent

upon being built right in the first place.
When scaffolds fail, they fail in a
catastrophic way and can cause many
serious injuries or deaths depending on
who is on or around it when it fails.
Damage Scaffold Parts
Damaged or weakened parts must immediately
be:
• Repaired, replaced, braced to meet minimum strength
OR
• Removed from service until repaired.
Erecting, moving, altering or dismantling scaffolds
Must be supervised and directed by a

competent person
Must be done by trained employees selected

by a competent person
What is a “Competent Person”?
A competent person is able to:
• Identify existing and predictable hazards,
• Identify working conditions that are
unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous and:
• Has authority to eliminate hazards.
A competent person must:

Have knowledge of what the scaffolding standard requires for workplace safety training
and experience in erecting and inspecting scaffolds,
know about the kinds of hazards that can exist around scaffolds,
be designated by management as the competent person,
have authority to take action to stop unsafe activities and eliminate hazards identified.
Erecting and Dismantling Scaffolds
While scaffolding is being erected
or dismantled:
A “competent person” determines
feasibility of fall protection, and
the employer must provide the

maximum feasible fall protection.
Questions to ask are:
•Is there a nearby structure from which a lifeline can be dropped that the
worker can tie off to?
•Can we install guardrails immediately after installing the fabricated frames
and before moving to the next level?
•Can we sequence disassembly to keep the worker protected for the
maximum feasible time?
Whatever is feasible to do must be done during the assembly/ disassembly
stages.
Fall Protection on Scaffold
• Employers must provide fall protection on a scaffold
more than 10 feet above a lower level by one of
these methods:
– Guardrails, which must be:
o Installed along open sides and ends and
o In place before employees use the scaffold
OR
– Personal fall arrest system
o In accordance with WAC 296-155 Part C-1 and WAC
296-874 -20052
o Must be attached to the structure or a lifeline and not the
scaffold
Examples of Lack of Fall Protection
Requirements for Guardrails
• Guardrails consist of toprail, midrail and falling
object protection, such as a toeboard
• The toprail must be between 38” – 45” high
and withstand a 200 lb. force
• The midrail must be installed midway between
the top edge and the platform surface and
withstand a 150 lb. force
• A toeboard, when used, must be 3 ½
inches tall and able to withstand a 50 lb.
force. Barricades at base of scaffold can be
substituted for toeboard
Guardrails
Cross bracing or “X” brace can substitute for top rail or mid rail but not both.
Cross bracing is acceptable in place of a midrail when the crossing point of

two braces is between 20 inches and 30 inches above the work platform.
Cross bracing can be used as a top rail when the crossing point is between
38 inches and 48 inches above the work platform.
The end points at each upright must be no more than 48 inches apart.
Provide a Ladder, Ramp or Direct Access
For platforms more than two above
or below a point of access
In the picture on right, the worker is climbing the scaffold frame, which
is in violation of the rule.
Power Line Clearance
Insulated power lines Uninsulated power lines
Less than 300 volts – 3 feet Less than 300 volts – 10 feet
- 300 volts – 50 kilovolts = 10 feet
- Over 50k Volts, add .4” per KV
Examples of
scaffolds too close
to power lines
You can get closer than these distances if you contact the power company and they
deenergize the lines and visibly ground them or install protective shields.
Footings
Support the load without settling or displacement
 Level
 Sound
 Rigid
A mud sill isn’t needed on a concrete surface or dry

compacted soil. You always need the base plate.
Unstable Footing Examples
Cardboard, sticks, blocks, rocks or bricks aren’t a sound method of leveling

Platform Specifications
• Each working level fully planked; no more than 1” gaps

• Minimum platform and walkway width of 18”
• Overlap planks between scaffold sections by at least 12”
• Extend end over support 6” min. (Maximum end extension 12”)
• Don’t paint planks since they will hide defects
• Front edge within 14” of the work, or guard rails or fall
protection must be used.
Examples of Improper Scaffold Planking
Scaffold platforms must be fully
planked with no gaps greater than
one inch.
(and this employee needs fall protection)
Gaps too wide between planks

Planks can’t extend more than 18”
beyond their support
If it’s not adequately secured, it can tip if you walk out past the support.
If a plank extends too far past the support because it’s too long, you can
barricade access to the hazardous area.
Plank Specifications
• Scaffold grade or equivalent
– 1,500 lb-f/in2 (stress grade) construction lumber
– Manufactured planks used according to

manufacturer’s recommendations
Wood Plank Inspection
Damaged wood planks include:

Rot - "squishy" feel, or powdery appearance from termite damage
Cupping of 3/8" or more on a 10" wide or 1/2" or more on 12" wide plank.
Crook of more than 5/16”, bow of more than 7/16” or twist of more than ¾” on a 10’
long 10” board.
Wane of more than ¼ the width and ¼ the thickness for more than ¼ the length of
the plank.
A split that has a length of 1 ½ times the board width or more.
Knots that are more than 1 ½” diameter if loose or 2” diameter if tight on a 10”
plank.
A notch cut into a plank more than 1/3 the plank width.
Any saw kerf cut across the plank weakens the plank by the depth of the cut. The
problem may not be noticed if the plank is later laid with the cut side down.
Plank Load Capacity
4 times the intended load + scaffold weight

Planks must not deflect more than 1/60 of span when
loaded
10’ total plank length

6” overlap 6” overlap
Downward deflection must be no more than 1.8”

Examples of Overloaded Scaffolds
Overlaps
Angled plank is not on the bottom
Not fully planked at transition
No guardrail at transition
On a corner, planks that don’t come in at a right angle to the support must be on
the bottom and then overlapped by the planks that are at a right angle.
Example of Unstable Support
Forklifts and front-end loaders are not designed by
the manufacturer for such use.
Guying, Tying or Bracing
If the ratio of height to base is more than 4:1, then:

Install guys every 26’ above this tie point for scaffolds more than 3’ wide.
Install these guys at each end of the scaffold and space additional middle guys
no more than 30’ apart.
If you use a cantilevered work platform (outside the framework of the scaffold),
then you must use some type of bracing such as tying or outriggers to prevent
the scaffold from tipping.
Other Scaffold Use Rules
Don’t
• Move a scaffold when someone
is on it.
• Work on a scaffold covered with
snow or ice.
• Work on a scaffold during a
storm or high winds.
• Use boxes, barrels or a ladder on
top of a scaffold to increase its
height.
Do clean up debris on platforms

before it accumulates.
Unacceptable Scaffold Example
• Shore or “lean to”
• Also, a competent person must

approve the use of dissimilar
metals
• Intermixed scaffold components
must fit together without force and
not effect the structural integrity of
the scaffold.
This is an example of a lean-to scaffold. In this picture, the workers have a

shore scaffold on top of another shore scaffold. Access is unsafe both from
above and below. The only thing holding this scaffold up is the DUMPSTER!
Worker Must Be Trained On:
• Recognizing hazards of the type of scaffold they’ll be using
• Understanding the procedures to control or minimize hazards
• How to erect, maintain and disassemble the fall protection

and falling object protection systems
• Using the scaffold and handling materials on the scaffold
• Maximum intended load and capacity
• Other information as needed
Employees need training so they don’t misuse the scaffold or do things that will
cause it to lose its integrity, such as removing cross bracing so they can do their
work. Training needs to be specific to the scaffold the workers will be using.
Job-specific issues would include power line clearances, surface conditions.
Worker Must Be Retrained When:
• You believe an employee lacks the skill or understanding
to safely erect, use or dismantle a scaffold
• If an employee's work is inadequate
• If there is a change in any of the following that presents
new hazards:
– Worksite
– Type of scaffold
– Fall protection
– Falling object protection
– Other equipment
Additional Information
DOSH Scaffolds Rules: WAC 296-874, Scaffolds
Scaffold Accident Video – A Life-Changing Moment
OSHA – Scaffolding eTool
YouTube – Scaffold Safety
CPWR – Scaffold Safety Hazard Alert
Oregon OSHA – Supported Scaffolds in Construction
Oregon OSHA – Scaffold Safety (Spanish)

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Supported Scaffold Safety

An Overview of Scaffold Safety

Duties of a “competent person”

Basic scaffold requirements

Fall protection and guardrails

Fabricated frame Ladder jack Mobile scaffold

Supported scaffolds are scaffolds that are in contact with the

Falls, scaffold collapse and electrocution account for

A combination of regular inspection and consistent training

The safety of a scaffold is highly dependent

Must be supervised and directed by a

Must be done by trained employees selected

A competent person must:

the employer must provide the

Cross bracing is acceptable in place of a midrail when the crossing point of

A mud sill isn’t needed on a concrete surface or dry

Cardboard, sticks, blocks, rocks or bricks aren’t a sound method of leveling

• Each working level fully planked; no more than 1” gaps

Gaps too wide between planks

– Manufactured planks used according to

Damaged wood planks include:

4 times the intended load + scaffold weight

10’ total plank length

Downward deflection must be no more than 1.8”

If the ratio of height to base is more than 4:1, then:

Do clean up debris on platforms

• Also, a competent person must

This is an example of a lean-to scaffold. In this picture, the workers have a

• Understanding the procedures to control or minimize hazards

• How to erect, maintain and disassemble the fall protection

• Using the scaffold and handling materials on the scaffold

• Maximum intended load and capacity

• Other information as needed

Scaffold Accident Video – A Life-Changing Moment

OSHA – Scaffolding eTool

YouTube – Scaffold Safety

CPWR – Scaffold Safety Hazard Alert

Oregon OSHA – Supported Scaffolds in Construction

Oregon OSHA – Scaffold Safety (Spanish)

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