IS YOUR SCAFFOLDING SAFE?

Scaffolds, temporary platforms to hold workmen, material or both, are perhaps the most common place and recognizable aspects at construction sites. Regrettably, though, they are also the most neglected from a safety perspective with nearly 40% fatalities in the construction industry the world over occurring due to falls from scaffolds. Over the past decade, scaffolding has ranked from No. 1 to No. 3 in OSHA’s list of Top 10 violations clear enough a warning that scaffolding can only be ignored at one’s peril. “Poor scaffolding can be easily spotted,” points out M Kamarajan, EHS – Advisor, B&F IC, a veteran EHS professional. “Either the guard rails are missing, or the planking is unstable, the joints are not properly connected, or the workman is not harnessed. However, the problem is easily solved with a little extra investment and better training,” he assures.

Training is key

Starting with their procurement to surveying ground conditions to erect scaffolds, erecting them faultlessly and equipping them with the right safety measures to ensuring proper usage are all an expert’s job. “It all starts with selection of the right system for the job so that it can be used safely and efficiently,” shares B Rajalingam, Head – Scaffolding, B&F IC, “and if some components are unavailable, it is important not to make do with what’s available. That’s asking for trouble,” he warns.

Ideally, a scaffolding should only be erected by trained professionals under the supervision of a competent person and thoroughly inspected before start of work. Needless to add, every workman should be equipped with proper protective equipment and trained on safe work practices of working on a scaffold that must include the correct use of the scaffold, how to handle materials when on a scaffold, how to assess the load capacities of the scaffold (both live and dead loads), how to erect, dismantle, alter or move the scaffold. 

Some aspects that need to be considered during scaffolding are:

• The cumulative weight of workmen, material and equipment on the scaffold and to ascertain whether it is within the ‘safe workload’ limits
• Site conditions
• Height to which the scaffold has to be erected
• Type of work to be performed on the scaffold – masonry, welding, sandblasting, painting, metal sliding, mechanical – because each has to be planned for differently

“Our training plan is fairly robust to erect scaffolds wherein we share the basics of scaffolding,” shares P Nagarajan, Head – EHS, B&F. “It is working well because LTI in B&F due to injuries from fall from scaffolds is almost negligible. Our success is because we keep this training ‘live’: it is reiterated at toolbox talks, it is refreshed frequently and our induction also has a section on safe scaffolding.” G Divakar, Senior Manager – EHS adds that, Heavy Civil IC gives special training from Scaffold Training Institute (STI), USA, a world recognized institute for train the trainer courses.

Scaffolding training

Be ‘alive’ to the hazards

Training prepares both supervisors and workmen to identify potential hazards and therefore be better prepared to handle ‘shaky’ situations. A potentially dangerous time is when scaffolds need to be either altered or moved at which point it is imperative for experts to be extra vigilant for anything going amiss. One sure shot method of assessing the safety and stability of scaffolds is to continuously speak to workmen working on them, according to Nagarajan. “This way, not only do we prepare our workmen to anticipate problems but also it also alerts us for corrective action whenever they find any unsafe conditions in the scaffolds.” 

A common sight at sites is of workmen carrying out welding activities on scaffolds. OSHA prescribes several strictures for this activity like a grounding connector connected from the scaffold to the structure that is at least the size of the welding lead, the grounding conductor should not to be attached in series with the welding process or the work piece; an insulating material has to cover the suspension wire rope that extends at least four feet (1.2 meters) above the hoist that requires an insulated protective cover and each suspension rope needs to be attached to an insulated thimble that is also insulated by being grounded.

• Sound planking: Every platform at every working level should be adequately planked with proper supports. There are enough instances of planks toppling, workmen falling through faulty planking, losing their footing or even tools or debris dropping through gaps onto workmen working below. The strength of the scaffold and its structural integrity must be checked and certified at the pre-start inspections at which point all debris must be removed from the plank. 

• Safe guards: Guard rails, mid rails and personal fall arrestor systems are essential especially if the work station is more than 10 feet off the ground. In addition, toe boards prevent tools falling to lower levels. The height of toe boards should be at least 150 mm and the main guard rails at least 910 mm above the working platform.
• Safe grounding: The base of the scaffold must be properly grounded for it can be calamitous for it to either sink into the soil because of excessive weight or even tilt when workers are on it. Base plates need to be used where the ground is not adequately stable. OSHA prescribes that counterweights used to balance adjustable suspension scaffolds must be able to resist at least four times the tipping moment imposed by the scaffold operating at either the rated load of the hoist, or oneand-a-half (minimum) times the tipping moment imposed by the scaffold operating at the stall load of the hoist, whichever is greater. 
• Safe distance: Scaffolds should be away from power lines, away from places of regular human or vehicular traffic or any other impediments.
• Safe tagging: Nothing works at a construction site than a tag system and a world of benefits can be enjoyed if a responsible person is entrusted with colour-tagging scaffolds. A green tag signifies that a scaffold has been inspected and safe for use, a red one warns against occupancy either because of issues with the equipment or in the environment while the yellow allows workmen to work under certain conditions using adequate fall protection.

“Scaffolds seem simple structures, but not appreciating their complexity can cost us dearly,” warns MK. “Proper training, frequent inspection and reinspection are imperatives to ensure safety during work on scaffolds. After all, a little extra attention can pay very rich dividends,” he states with conviction.