Scaffolding Safety Information You Must Know Scaffolding Safety Information You Must Know
Scaffolding has to do with the erecting, altering, or disassembling of an impermanent structure that was initially put up to support platforms. Scaffolding falls are normally categorized as internal, external, or climbing falls. Internal falls occur as scaffold planks are being placed or dismantled. External falls happen from the extremities or open sides of a scaffold. Lastly, climbing falls occur as one climbs from one scaffold lift to the next. Here is information on how you can preempt these falls so as to reduce fatalities and injuries.
Internal Scaffolding Falls
You can control these types of falls while erecting the scaffold by having all the lifts completely decked. In doing so you will first be required to align a deck load of planks at every lift. You will then proceed to align planks on the following lift while you are standing on a fully decked platform.
None of the lifts should be changed otherwise until the dismantling is done, as they should remain full-decked. With these precautions you will be at a lesser risk of falling through the scaffolding.
External Scaffolding Falls
External scaffolding falls can be pre-empted through the adoption of a sequential erection technique. You should install guardrails and standards at regular distances along the scaffold such that the exposed platform edge must not be greater than a bay length between intervals. To dismantle this type of protection it will simply be a matter of reversing the erection sequence.
Using the sequential erection method does not prohibit you from adopting any of the other protection steps that are commonly used. You can combine two or more scaffolding fall protection methods, the choice of which will be determined by how convenient the approaches are to the scaffold’s configuration.
Climbing Scaffolding Falls
To take care of climbing falls it is prudent to ensure that access routes from one lift to the next are appropriate. One of the most common ways in which this is done involves erecting ladders or stairways as the scaffold’s erection progresses. Having people climb up the scaffolding by way of the framework is a big risk and should be avoided at all costs.
The Use of Safety Harnesses
While constructing scaffolds, the possibility of using safety harnesses to deter fall injuries is quite limited. You must not use safety harnesses if they can fetter free movement and if they can get entangled with scaffold components. Safety harnesses should be avoided during the assembly and disassembling of conventional standing scaffolds.