Scaffold Roles and Responsibilities Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Table Of Content

• Virginia-Specific Scaffolding Regulations
• Implement Scaffold Safety to Avoid Hazards, Employers Must Do the Following:
• Adherence to Regulations and Industry Standards
• Meeting the OSHA Competent Person Requirement for Scaffolding Users
• What Are the Requirements for OSHA Competent Persons?
• EHS LIBRARY
• Back to Basics: Scaffolding Safety
• Winter Driving Safety Tips

The general requirements for scaffolding in construction are outlined in OSHA’s standard. Scaffolding must be capable of supporting its own weight and at least four times the maximum intended load applied or transmitted to it, without failure. Before the scaffold is used, direct connections are evaluated by a competent person who confirms, based on the inspection evaluation, that the supporting surfaces are capable of supporting the loads to be imposed. OSHA requires a “competent person” erector to be involved in the setup, usage, and take down of scaffolding.

Back to Basics: Scaffolding Safety - EHS Daily Advisor

Back to Basics: Scaffolding Safety.

Posted: Mon, 12 Dec 2022 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Virginia-Specific Scaffolding Regulations

This website is not the official or final authority to determine OSHA compliance responsibilities, which are set forth in OSHA standards themselves, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Because OSHA regulations are constantly being added, deleted, and/or revised, you must not rely on this website as the official or final authority of OSHA training requirements; refer to the official OSHA regulations available on OSHA’s website (osha.gov). The first two options require inspectors to physically work at height, either by using ropes or standing on scaffolding. For that reason, both of these approaches present potential dangers to the inspector for the collection of inspection data. The name comes from the fact that they are suspended from the roof of a building by wire, ropes, or chains.

Implement Scaffold Safety to Avoid Hazards, Employers Must Do the Following:

A qualified person has the right background such as education, degree, certification or professional standing that shows they are an expert in designing safe scaffolding. This person might work for the scaffold manufacturer or, in special cases, might be assigned to a job where the normal scaffold just won’t get the job done—like if you’re working on the Statue of Liberty. The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) department requires all scaffolds to be built at least 10 feet away from power lines—no matter the voltage. For more than 50kV, one must increase the distance by 0.4 inches for each 1kV over 50kV. Double scaffolding is a type of readymade scaffolding that is commonly used for stonemasonry.

Adherence to Regulations and Industry Standards

As one of the fastest growing agencies in California, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. is able to provide its clients with the latest and greatest of what the insurance industry has to offer and much, much more. If during the inspection a defect or damage to the scaffold is discovered, the scaffold must be tagged out and not used until repairs are made. A single industrial accident due to a scaffolding fall can be very costly for the employer. An aerial lift can be used not only to move people, but also to provide an easier and safer way to lift large amounts of materials up or down to those doing the work. Extrapolating from these numbers to estimate global data, we can see that there are probably hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries related to work on scaffolding around the world every single year.

Meeting the OSHA Competent Person Requirement for Scaffolding Users

Top OSHA construction violations for 2013: Best practices for fall protection and more - Safety.BLR.com

Top OSHA construction violations for 2013: Best practices for fall protection and more.

Posted: Fri, 11 Oct 2013 07:00:00 GMT [source]

This determination is based on site conditions and the type of scaffold being erected or dismantled. (e)(9)(i) – The employer shall provide safe means of access for each employee erecting or dismantling a scaffold where the provision of safe access is feasible and does not create a greater hazard. The employer shall have a competent person determine whether it is feasible or would pose a greater hazard to provide, and have employees use a safe means of access. That variety is why the standard includes requirements for several different types of scaffolding materials and designs, including platforms, hoisted suspended scaffolds, system scaffolds, tube and coupler scaffolds, and form and carpenter bracket scaffolds.

Our goal is to achieve long-term relationships focused on bringing value to your risk management and insurance programs. We commit to utilizing our collective talent to support your risk management and insurance goals. We will deliver to you the highest quality property and casualty insurance programs and strategic planning consultation services in a manner that is most suitable to achieving your business goals.

The stone surface makes it hard to install scaffolding directly into the wall, so double scaffolding gives workers a way to work at height without having to create a structure that is attached to the stones. On any work site that requires scaffolding, Lindemer stresses the need for safety professionals and others to keep fall protection in mind. Beyond having a qualified person overseeing the design, it’s important to closely exam the work site to ensure that workers will be able to do their jobs safely during all phases of scaffolding assembly, use and disassembly.

Any discrepancies or differences created in the translation are not binding and have no legal effect for compliance or enforcement purposes. If any questions arise related to the information contained in the translated website, please refer to the English version. Upon successful completion, attendees will receive a certificate, and the client/employer will receive copies of the certificates, the training roster, quizzes, and course evaluations for their records.

Winter Driving Safety Tips

To achieve scaffolding safety, proper planning and erection processes are crucial. These initial steps ensure that scaffolds are built to withstand the loads and stresses they will encounter during construction operations. The standard specifies that employers must provide training for each employee on site-specific hazards and that they understand the correct procedures for erecting, securing, inspecting, maintaining and disassembling the scaffolding systems in use. For example, light-duty scaffolding (a maximum load of 25 lbs./sq. ft.) may suffice for work such as inspection and maintenance. On the other hand, if the project involves masonry work and heavy materials such as bricks or blocks, medium-duty scaffolding (a maximum load of 50 lbs./sq. ft.) may be necessary. For even larger equipment or an increased number of workers, heavy-duty scaffolding (a maximum load of 75 lbs./sq. ft.) may be required.

There are three main groups of people who work with scaffolding, the erectors and dismantlers, the users, and the designers, OSHA states. Erectors and dismantlers are workers whose main job involves assembling and disassembling scaffolding before other work can begin, and after the work, or a portion of it, has been completed. These workers must be trained by a competent person who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards and has the authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate those hazards. (f)(12) – Work on or from scaffolds is prohibited during storms or high winds unless a competent person has determined that it is safe for employees to be on the scaffold and those employees are protected by a personal fall arrest system or wind screens.

“Although guardrails are probably the most common form of fall protection, on certain scaffolds, for example single- and two-point suspended scaffolds, you need both a guardrail and a personal fall arrest system,” he says. Cross braces on tubular welded frame scaffolds shall not be used as a means of access or egress. Hook-on and attachable ladders shall be positioned so that their bottom rung is not more than 24 inches above the scaffold supporting level. When hook-on and attachable ladders are used on a supported scaffold more than 35 feet high, they shall have rest platforms at 35 foot maximum vertical intervals.

The second type is suspended scaffolds, which are one or more platforms suspended by ropes or other non-rigid, overhead support. Scissor lifts and aerial lifts, along with other types of equipment, are considered to be other types of supported scaffolds. (f)(7) – Scaffolds shall be erected, moved, dismantled, or altered only under the supervision and direction of a competent person qualified in scaffold erection, moving, dismantling or alteration. Such activities shall be performed only by experienced and trained employees selected for such work by the competent person. Review blueprints, work orders, the project schedule and other written requirements to determine where these scaffolds should be used. Scaffolds are generally rated as light, medium or heavy duty and must be able to support the correlating weight of workers and materials required for each type.

A scaffold is an elevated temporary work surface that supports employees or materials. The term “competent” is frequently used incorrectly simply because the individual using the word doesn’t recognize the ramifications of that use. An employee who does not appreciate the significance of the word competent will, when asked, declare that he is a competent person when in fact he means that he is only competent. Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. The chances of an accident occurring are much less when a competent person inspects the scaffold for users before the workday starts and after any incident that could impact its integrity.

(b)(11) – Scaffold components made of dissimilar metals shall not be used together unless a competent person has determined that galvanic action will not reduce the strength of any component to a level below that required by paragraph (a)(1) of this section. At Scaffolding Solutions, we specialize in providing high-quality scaffolding to many different types of jobs and industries. We have an impeccable safety record and can solve your toughest scaffolding challenges.

Whichever type of scaffolding is used, ensuring that it will serve its intended purpose and keep workers safe begins in the planning phase. Work on or from scaffolds is prohibited during storms or high winds unless a competent person has determined that it is safe for employees to be on the scaffold and those employees are protected by a personal fall arrest system or wind screens. Wind screens shall not be used unless the scaffold is secured against the anticipated wind forces imposed. According to OSHA, scaffolds must be designed by a qualified person and be constructed and loaded in accordance with that design.

Read on to learn more about meeting OSHA scaffolding requirements and how to ensure the safety of workers. Supported scaffolds are most commonly used in construction, and they’re one of the go-to options when it comes to building temporary structures for work at height. This kind of scaffolding is simple, cost-effective, and built from the base upwards.