Main Hazards Associated with Scaffolding and How to Avoid Them

by Larry Chetan Business

Scaffolding has come a long way to make construction an easy and secure process. It is now widely accepted worldwide as the most common source of safety for both the construction site workers and the surrounding. However, it also has some associated hazards that users can try and avoid to save lives.

More than half of the hazards associated with scaffolding are as a result of falls. The number of fatalities caused by falls are also increasing by the day which prompts us to ask what is happening or what can be done to avert future problems. To help anyone who might be working on scaffolding without knowledge of what they might be facing, here are some of the main hazards of using the systems and how to avoid them:

1. Falls from Elevations

Among the most common incidents are falls from elevated platforms. In order to prevent falls from heights, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has passed some regulations that require each construction site to have fall protection mechanisms.

These mechanisms are to be installed on all scaffolds erected over 10 feet above the ground. Also, it demands that guardrails or personal fall arrest systems should be used at all times.

2. Bad or Inadequate Planking

Bad planking is another common cause of accidents on scaffolding platforms. Whenever your workers are operating on unsecured planks, you are gazing at a looming tragedy, destruction of property, and harsh legal implications.

With poorly cleated planks, your workers are never safe. They might end up slipping off the platforms, and the results will be unimaginable. It is, therefore, crucial that the site managers and contractors ensure the planks are secured firmly before use.

3. Falling Debris and Materials

More than often, many scaffold-related injuries are also caused by falling objects. These can be debris, materials, and tools from high grounds hitting the people below the scaffolds. To avert such cases, it is highly advisable to have guardrails not only to protect the users but also to prevent materials and tools from falling off the platforms.

4. Electrocution

Exposure to live and naked power lines is also a known risk that leads to death in most cases. Most construction site owners do not care that there are set distances from their structures to the nearest power cables.

However, this should be a concern to everyone from workers, scaffolding rental VT companies, construction site managers, and owners. There are specifically set distances of at least 10 feet from power lines.

A little care and paying attention to these hazards and their prevention would help save a lot of lives. It would help you avoid legal implications and property destruction too.