Scaffold Safety for Residential Construction Contractors

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Massachusetts. Department of Public Health
• Description:
  Keep Your Workers Safe - Any Fall Can Be Fatal! Scaffolds can provide a safer and more efficient way to work than ladders, but they must be set up properly. The majority of construction workers who fall to their death in Massachusetts fall from scaffolds. As you can see from the examples below, falls can happen to anyone: experienced, inexperienced, young, or old. A 29-year-old carpenter fell 19 feet to his death from an unguarded carpenter's bracket scaffold attached to a window frame of a home. The carpenter was scraping snow off the roof. He slipped off the platform as snow accumulated around his feet. A 69-year-old mason renovating a single family home fell 20 feet from an unguarded pipe scaffold. The staging was set 10 feet from the house due to a second floor deck, and a plank walkway had been rigged for roof access. The mason fell to his death when the plank slipped. General Provisions for All Scaffolds: Scaffolding should be assembled under the supervision and direction of a competent person. Provide safe ladder access-never climb on braces or structural members/frames. Use scaffold-grade lumber for platforms. Install guardrails and toeboards on all scaffolds that are 10 feet or 2 frames above the ground (whichever is less). Train all personnel in safe use (training and inspection by a competent person). Ensure structure is capable of supporting 4 times the maximum intended load, including its own weight. For example: A pump jack scaffold with poles placed 10 feet apart and two 2"x10" scaffold grade planks will be strong enough to hold up to 500 pounds, including people and equipment. This publication is also available in Spanish and Portuguese. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Construction Industry Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Construction Workers Equipment Operation Falls Injury Prevention Safety Practices Scaffolds
• Publisher:
  Massachusetts Department of Public Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Guidance
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061259
• Citation:
  Boston, MA: Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2012 May; :1-2
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• Performing Organization:
  Massachusetts State Department of Public Health - Boston
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Scaffold safety for residential construction contractors
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:79358d68858862e8be23590c46ef4c98b739ab67ecbd1ed1c052b2748ecf8f849a94e48f4bf9f513dda8f70b4532bc8efeb5dc03626571c105ce7b41bf8a40ee
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224847/cdc_224847_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 959.67 KB ]