2. scaffolds amd ladders

What Is A Scaffold?
An elevated, temporary work platform
Three basic types:
 Supported scaffolds -- platforms
supported by rigid, load bearing
members, such as poles, legs, frames, &
outriggers
 Suspended scaffolds -- platforms
suspended by ropes or other non-rigid,
overhead support
 Aerial Lifts -- such as “cherry pickers” or
“boom trucks”

Hazards
• Falls from elevation – caused
by slipping, unsafe access, and
the lack of fall protection
• Struck by falling tools / debris
• Electrocution – from overhead
power lines
• Scaffold collapse - caused by
instability or overloading
• Bad planking giving way
Employees working on scaffolds are
exposed to these hazards:

Fall Hazards
 While climbing on or
off the scaffold
 Working on
unguarded scaffold
platforms
 When scaffold
platforms or planks fail
Falls may occur:

Protecting Workers from Falls
 Guardrails, and/or
 Personal Fall Arrest
Systems (PFAS)
If a worker on a scaffold
can fall more than 10
feet, protect them by:

Install along open sides & ends
Front edge of platforms not
more than 14 inches from the
work, unless using guardrails
and/or PFAS
Top rails - 39 to 45 inches tall
Midrails halfway between
toprail and platform
Toeboards at least 3-1/2 inches
high
Guardrails

Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS)
You must be trained how to properly use PFAS
PFAS include anchorage, lifeline and body harness.

Can use PFAS instead of
guardrails on some scaffolds
Use PFAS & guardrails on
suspension scaffolds
Use PFAS on erectors and
dismantlers where feasible
Fall Protection Requirements
The ends of this scaffold
are not properly guarded

Falling Object Protection
Wear hardhats
Barricade area below scaffold to
forbid entry into that area
Use panels or screens if material
is stacked higher than the
toeboard
Build a canopy or erect a net
below the scaffold that will
contain or deflect falling objects

Overhead Power Lines
The possibility of
electrocution is a
serious consideration
when working near
overhead power lines
Check the clearance
distances listed in the
standard

Scaffold Support Examples
Good support Inadequate support –
in danger of collapse?
Base
plate
Mud sills

Essential Elements of Safe
Scaffold Construction
• Use appropriate
scaffold construction
methods
• Proper scaffold access
• Properly use a
competent person

Scaffold Platform Construction
Platforms must:
• be fully planked or
decked with no
more than 1 inch
gaps
• be able to support
its weight & 4 times
maximum load
• be at least 18 inches
wide
This is not a properly
constructed scaffold

• No large gaps in front
edge of platforms
• Each abutted end of
plank must rest on a
separate support surface
• Overlap platforms at
least 12 inches over
supports, unless
restrained to prevent
movement
Planks not properly
overlapped

• No paint on wood platforms
• Use scaffold grade wood
• Fully planked between front
upright and guardrail support
• Component pieces used must
match and be of the same type
• Erect on stable and level ground
• Lock wheels and braces

Scaffold Height
The height of the
scaffold should not
be more than four
times its minimum
base dimension
unless guys, ties, or
braces are used
20’
5’

Platform Ends
Each end of a
platform, unless
cleated or otherwise
restrained by hooks,
must extend over its
support by at least 6
inches
No Cleats

Supported Scaffolds
Platforms supported by legs,
outrigger beams, brackets,
poles, uprights, posts, & frames
Restrain from tipping by guys,
ties, or braces
Scaffold poles, legs, posts,
frames, and uprights must be
on base plates and mud sills or
other firm foundation
This support is not adequate!

Proper Scaffold Access
Provide access when scaffold
platforms are more than 2 feet
above or below a point of access
Permitted types of access:
 Ladders, such as portable,
hook-on, attachable, stairway
type, and built-ins
 Stair towers
 Ramps and walkways
May use building stairs and come
out window

Scaffold Access
• No access by
crossbraces
• When using ladders,
bottom rung no more
than 24 inches high
• Can use some end
frames
• Can access from
another scaffold,
structure or hoist
End Frame
Do not access
by crossbraces

Suspension Scaffolds
Train employees to recognize hazards
Secure/tie to prevent swaying
Support devices must rest on surfaces that
can support four times the load
Competent person:
 evaluate connections to ensure the
supporting surfaces can support load
 inspect ropes for defects before shift
PFAS must have anchors independent of
the scaffold support system
Platforms suspended by ropes or wires. Rope must be capable
of supporting 6 times the load

Moving Scaffolds
Employees can’t be on a moving
scaffold unless:
• Surface is level
• Height to base ratio is 2 to 1
• Outriggers are installed on
both sides of scaffolds
Employees can’t be on scaffold
part beyond the wheels
Competent person must be on
site to supervise

Fatal Fact – Moving a Lift
Employee was operating an
aerial lift, with an extendable
boom rotating work platform
The boom was fully extended
and the machine apparently ran
over some bricks, causing the
boom to flex or spring, throwing
the employee from the basket
The employee fell 37 feet to a
concrete surface

Don’t use Shore or Lean-to Scaffolds
Shore scaffold
supported scaffold
which is placed
against a building
or structure and
held in place with
props
Lean-to scaffold
supported scaffold
which is kept erect
by tilting it toward
and resting it
against a building
or structure

Using Scaffolds
Don’t work on snow
or ice covered platforms
or during storms or high
winds
Use tag lines on
swinging loads
Protect suspension
ropes from heat & acid
A covered scaffold has special
wind load considerations

Fatal Fact – Ice & No Guardrails
Laborer was working on the
third level of a tubular
welded frame scaffold which
was covered with ice and
snow
The scaffold was not fully
decked, there was no
guardrail and no access
ladder
The worker slipped and fell
head first 20 feet to the
pavement below

Overhand Bricklaying
from Supported Scaffolds
A guardrail or personal fall arrest system is required
on all sides except the side where the work is being
done

Competent Person
Person capable of identifying and
promptly correcting hazards
Determines if it’s safe to work on a
scaffold during storms or high
winds
Trains workers to recognize hazards
Selects qualified workers to conduct
work

Scaffold Inspection
Competent person
inspects scaffolds
for visible defects
before each shift
and after any
alterations
Defective parts must
be immediately
repaired Deformed bearer

Scaffold Erection
Scaffolds can only be
erected, moved,
dismantled or
altered under the
supervision of a
competent person
Competent person
selects & directs
these workers and
determines the
feasibility of fall
protection

Training Requirements
Train employees on scaffold
hazards and procedures to
control the hazards
The training must include:
• Nature of electrical, fall, and
falling object hazards
• How to deal with electrical
hazards and fall protection
systems
• Proper use of the scaffold
• Scaffold load capacities
Retrain as necessary

Training Erectors
Train employees involved in
erecting, disassembling,
moving, operating,
repairing, maintaining, or
inspecting a scaffold to
recognize its hazards and
the correct procedures to
use

Avoid the Main Hazards of Scaffolds
Falls from
elevation
Bad planking
Scaffold collapse
Getting struck by falling
tools or debris
Electrocution

Summary
Use appropriate scaffold construction
methods
 Erect, move, or alter scaffold properly
 Protect from falling objects or tools
Ensure stable access
Use a competent person
 Train on scaffold construction and the hazards
involved with scaffolds
 Inspect scaffold before each shift and after
alterations
 Determine fall protection requirements
Remember to:

General Requirements:
29 CFR 1926.1051A stairway or ladder must be provided when there
is a break of elevation 19 inches or greater.
Spiral staircases shall not be used unless it is part
of the permanent structure.
Passageways must be clear if it is the only means
of access or egress on any working level.

General Requirements Cont.
When work is required to be done in the
access/egress area, another means must be provided
for the employees to exit and/or enter.
A Double-cleated ladder or two or more separate
ladders must be provided when there are 25 or more
employees on any working level.

Stairways
29 CFR 1926.1052
Stairway Requirements:
A) Temporary stairways must have 30
inch landing in the direction
of travel and 22 inches wide every 12 feet.
B) Riser height and tread depth must be
uniform and variations must not exceed 1/4
inch.
C) Stairways must be installed between 30
and 50 degrees from horizontal.

Stairway Requirements Cont.
D) A platform must be provided when doors or
gates open into the stairways.
E) All parts of the stairway system shall be free
from hazardous projections.
F) Metal pans must be filled prior to use.
G) Slippery conditions must be eliminated prior
to use.

Handrail, Stairrail and Midrail
Requirements
Stairrail Requirements:
A) Stairrails are required when there are 4 or more risers
or an elevation change of 30+ inches.
B) The height of stairrails must be:
1) 36 inches installed
2) Between 30-34 inches

Handrail, Stairrail and Midrail
Requirements (Cont.)
Midrail Requirements:
A) Midrails must be installed midway between
the steps and the top rail.
B) When screens or mesh are used as a midrail,
they must extend from the top rail to the floor.
C) Vertical members used as midrails must not
exceed 19 inches between members.

Handrail, Stairrail and Midrail Requirements
(Cont.)
Handrail and Starrail Requirements:
A) Must be able to withstand 200 lbs force applied in any
direction.
B) Must be separated from the wall by at least 3 inches.
C) Must have a safe surface.
D) The ends cannot be a projection hazard.

Ladders
29 CFR 1926.1053
Ladders must be able to hold the following loads
without failure:
A) Self-supporting and non-self supporting
portable ladders.
1) Must be able to withstand 4 times the
maximum intended load. (3.3 for extra duty
ladders)

Ladders Loading Requirements
Cont.
B) Fixed Ladders
1) Must be able to hold 250 lbs
on two consecutive rungs.

Ladder Requirements
Ladder rungs must be spaced evenly.
Ladder rungs must be made out of a slip resistant
material.
Ladders should not be tied or fastened together to
provide longer sections unless it was designed
that way.
Step ladders are required to have a locking
spreader bar.

Ladder Requirements Cont.
Wood ladders can’t be covered with any opaque
material.
Ladder components should be surfaced to
prevent injury.

Fixed Ladders
Fixed ladders should have one of the following
safety devices installed if it extends above 24 feet:
A) Cage or well
B) Ladder safety devices
C) Self retracting lifelines
*Refer to 1926.1053(a)(19-22) for specific
requirements on fixed ladder safety devices.

Use of Ladders Cont.
Ladders should extend 3 feet
above the landing surface.
A 4/1 ratio should be used to set up ladders.

Use of ladders Cont.
Ladders should be maintained free from oil,
grease, and other slipping hazards.
Ladders should not be loaded beyond the
manufacturers intended loading capacity.
Ladders should be used only for the purpose it
was designed.

Ladders should only be used on level and secure
ground unless it is stabilized.
Ladders should not be used on slippery surfaces
unless it is secured or it has slip-resistant feet.
Ladders placed in areas where they can be
displaced should be secured or barricaded.

The area around the top and bottom of the ladder
should be kept clear.
Ladders should not be moved, shifted, or
extended while occupied.
Employees working around electrical sources
should use nonconductive ladders.
The top of a step ladder should not be used.

Ladders should be inspected by a competent
person on regular intervals or after an occurrence
that could affect its safe use.
Any ladder with structural defects should be
tagged out of service.
Single-rail ladders should not be used.

When ascending or descending the ladder, the
user should always face the ladder.
Employees should use at least one hand to grasp
the ladder when ascending or descending the
ladder.
Employees should not carry any items that may
cause the employee to loose balance.

Training Requirements
29 CFR 1926.1060
Training is required for all employees that use
ladders and stairways.
Training must be conducted by a competent
person. The competent person must address the
following items:
A) The nature of all hazards in the work area.

Training Cont.
B) Procedures for erecting, maintaining, and
disassembling the fall protection used.
C) The proper construction, use, placement, and
care of stairways and ladders.
D) The maximum intended load of
ladders
E) The standards.

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