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When you’ve got a job to do in places that are hard to reach, nothing is more useful than a scaffold. However, it also implies that your work will unfold at greater heights than other jobs, which means that specifically targeted safety procedures are necessary.
How to Stay Safe
When working in potentially hazardous conditions, it’s important to take all of the necessary precautions in order to protect the well-being of each and every employee onsite. The most common hazards associated with scaffolds include:
- Falls from elevation,
- Collapse of the scaffold,
- Being struck by falling tools, work materials, or debris,
- Electrocution due to proximity of the scaffold to overhead power lines.
Thus, here are three important steps for safer scaffolding.
1. Wear Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment
When it comes to any type of outdoor work, appropriate safety equipment is a must-have. This includes everything from clothing to hardhats, safety glasses, gloves, and footwear. In the case of on-platform activities, head protection is a must due to falling risks, as are goggles when working with wood or anything else that might splinter. Keep in mind that employers must provide fall protection for each employee who will be working more than 10 feet above a lower level.
If your employees come in contact with paint or other potentially hazardous chemical substances, a mask or a respirator may be required depending on their exposure. When lifting heavy objects, the right choice of toe protection on work boots makes all the difference in the world. OSHA places the responsibility on the employer to perform a hazard assessment of the workplace in order to identify and control physical and health hazards on the jobsite. It’s essential to take these precautions if you are doing work at home as well. Safety should always be the number one priority.
2. Assemble and Dismantle Properly
Safely erecting the platform is crucial, as is taking it apart after your project has reached completion. If the structure is placed in a public space, make sure to properly divert the public from that area at all times that the structure is present. Furthermore, this needs to be done during those times of day when foot traffic is light, such as early morning or night. The competent person must determine the feasibility and safety of providing fall protection for employees erecting and dismantling scaffolds.
Finally, materials should not be stored on scaffolds or runways in excess of supplies needed for immediate operations. When there is a need to store items on the scaffold, do so safely and responsibly to avoid injuring anyone who is nearby. It’s equally important that everyone the job respects the safety of others onsite as well. Materials should not be stored on scaffolds or runways in excess of supplies needed for immediate operations. It’s equally important that everyone the job respects the safety of everyone else onsite as well.
3. Inspect the Structure Periodically and Before Each Work Shift
OSHA requires for scaffolds and scaffolds components to be inspected for visible defects by a competent person before each work shift and after any occurrence which could affect a scaffold’s structural integrity. Keep in mind OSHA defines a competent person as “one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
Each inspection needs to be followed by a detailed report of any risks or defects, as well as the corrective measures that were taken to correct the hazards. This will come particularly in handy when identifying recurring problems of any kind and promptly finding an effective and functional fix for them.
Take the Extra Step for Safety
- Assemble and dissemble scaffolding properly
- Wear the needed PPE
- Inspect scaffolding before each use
- Keep detailed inspection reports
- Call in professionals for help!
-Guest Blogger Vincent West
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