Scaffolding Contractor Safety Manual

Scaffolding Contractor Safety Programs

The safety programs needed by a scaffolding contractor depend on the types of scaffolds erected and the environments in which employees work. A typical manual may include programs covering:

• Scaffolding Safety
• Fall Protection
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Ladder and Stairway Safety
• Rigging and Material Handling
• Crane and Hoisting Safety
• Forklift and Powered Industrial Truck Safety
• Aerial Lift Safety
• Electrical Safety
• Overhead Power Line Safety
• Hand and Power Tool Safety
• Manual Lifting and Material Handling
• Job Safety Analysis
• Hazard Communication
• Heat Stress Prevention
• Cold Stress Prevention
• Emergency Action Plan
• First Aid
• Housekeeping
• Safety Audits and Inspections

Programs that do not apply to the contractor’s operations can be removed, while additional programs should be included when specialized work creates additional hazards.

Scaffold Planning and Design

Safe scaffold erection begins before components arrive at the erection location.

Scaffold planning should consider:

• Type of work to be performed
• Scaffold type
• Intended loads
• Scaffold height
• Platform dimensions
• Foundation and supporting surfaces
• Access
• Fall protection
• Falling-object protection
• Guys, ties, and braces
• Building configuration
• Material loading
• Hoisting
• Electrical hazards
• Weather exposure
• Public and employee access
• Emergency conditions

Scaffolds should be designed by a qualified person and constructed and loaded according to the design and applicable requirements.

Special or unusual scaffold configurations may require engineering or additional design review.

Competent Person

Scaffolding operations require appropriate competent-person involvement.

The competent person should have the knowledge and authority necessary for assigned responsibilities, including identifying existing and predictable scaffold hazards and taking prompt corrective action.

Depending on the work being performed, competent-person responsibilities may include:

• Supervising or directing scaffold erection and dismantling as required.
• Inspecting scaffolds and components.
• Evaluating foundations and supporting surfaces.
• Evaluating fall hazards.
• Evaluating weather conditions.
• Identifying damaged or defective components.
• Evaluating safe access for erectors and dismantlers.
• Determining whether scaffold conditions remain safe for use.
• Training employees involved in erecting, dismantling, moving, repairing, maintaining, operating, or inspecting scaffolds.

The company should clearly designate employees authorized to perform competent-person responsibilities.

Qualified Person

Certain scaffold responsibilities require a qualified person with demonstrated knowledge, training, experience, professional standing, or other qualifications appropriate to the work.

Scaffold design and specialized technical decisions should be performed by appropriately qualified personnel.

The qualified person should consider the scaffold configuration, loads, supporting structure, manufacturer requirements, environmental conditions, and other factors that may affect scaffold integrity.

Scaffold Erection

Scaffolds should be erected according to the approved configuration, applicable regulatory requirements, manufacturer instructions, and direction of the competent person.

Before erection begins:

• Inspect scaffold components.
• Evaluate the foundation.
• Identify overhead electrical hazards.
• Establish the scaffold footprint.
• Control access to the erection area.
• Determine material staging locations.
• Plan fall protection.
• Plan safe access.
• Determine hoisting methods.
• Identify required ties, guys, and braces.

Employees should not improvise scaffold configurations or use components in ways for which they were not designed.

Scaffold Dismantling

Scaffold dismantling presents many of the same hazards as erection and may create additional instability as ties, braces, platforms, and structural components are removed.

Dismantling should proceed in a planned sequence under appropriate competent-person supervision.

Employees should:

• Inspect the scaffold before dismantling begins.
• Control access below the work.
• Remove materials from platforms.
• Maintain required ties and braces until they can be safely removed.
• Avoid dropping scaffold components.
• Lower materials using controlled methods.
• Maintain safe access.
• Use required fall protection.
• Remain alert to changing scaffold stability.

Components should not be removed in a sequence that compromises scaffold stability.

Scaffold Inspections

Scaffolds and scaffold components should be inspected by a competent person before each work shift and after any occurrence that could affect structural integrity.

Conditions requiring additional attention may include:

• High winds
• Severe weather
• Vehicle or equipment impacts
• Modification
• Partial dismantling
• Changes in loading
• Settlement
• Damage
• Unauthorized alteration

Unsafe scaffolds should not be used until the condition has been corrected.

Scaffold Components

Scaffold components should be inspected before use.

Employees should look for conditions such as:

• Bent frames
• Cracked welds
• Damaged locking devices
• Corrosion
• Split or damaged planks
• Missing pins
• Damaged braces
• Deformed components
• Improvised repairs
• Excessive contamination
• Other conditions affecting strength or function

Damaged or weakened components should be removed from service or repaired according to applicable requirements.

Components should not be modified without appropriate authorization and evaluation.

Scaffold Capacity and Loading

Scaffolds should not be loaded beyond their maximum intended loads or rated capacities.

Loads may include:

• Employees
• Tools
• Scaffold components
• Building materials
• Equipment
• Debris
• Hoisting loads
• Environmental loads

Materials should be distributed to avoid concentrated loads that exceed platform or scaffold capacity.

Employees should understand the intended loading of the scaffold and avoid unauthorized material storage.

Foundations

Supported scaffolds require adequate foundations.

Base plates, mudsills, or other appropriate foundation components should be used as required to distribute scaffold loads.

Before erection, evaluate:

• Soil conditions
• Compaction
• Slopes
• Excavations
• Underground utilities
• Voids
• Drainage
• Frozen or thawing ground
• Roof or structural capacity
• Nearby vehicle traffic

Unstable objects should not be used as scaffold supports.

Foundation conditions should be monitored throughout the project.

Supported Scaffolds

Supported scaffolds include many systems commonly erected by scaffold contractors.

These may include:

• Fabricated frame scaffolds
• System scaffolds
• Tube-and-coupler scaffolds
• Pole scaffolds
• Mobile scaffolds
• Specialty supported systems

Supported scaffolds should be erected plumb, level, and adequately braced.

Guys, ties, braces, and other stability systems should be installed according to applicable requirements, manufacturer instructions, and the scaffold design.

Frame Scaffolds

Fabricated frame scaffolds should be assembled using compatible components and appropriate locking devices.

Employees should:

• Maintain frames plumb and level.
• Install required cross braces.
• Secure coupling or stacking pins.
• Install base plates and foundations.
• Provide required ties and guys.
• Fully plank or deck platforms as required.
• Maintain safe access.
• Install fall and falling-object protection.

Frames and braces should not be forced together when components are incompatible or damaged.

System Scaffolds

System scaffolds use manufactured standards, ledgers, transoms, brackets, and connection points to create scaffold structures.

Employees should follow manufacturer requirements and approved scaffold designs.

Connections should be fully engaged and secured.

Special configurations, cantilevered sections, loading bays, bridges, enclosed scaffolds, and other complex systems should receive appropriate design consideration.

Tube-and-Coupler Scaffolds

Tube-and-coupler scaffolds require careful layout, connection, bracing, and component installation.

Employees should use appropriate:

• Tubes
• Couplers
• Bearers
• Runners
• Posts
• Braces
• Ties
• Base components

Couplers should be properly installed and tightened.

The scaffold should remain plumb, level, adequately braced, and within applicable design and loading limitations.

Mobile Scaffolds

Mobile scaffolds create additional hazards involving movement, stability, floor openings, surface conditions, and employee positioning.

Before moving a mobile scaffold:

• Inspect the travel path.
• Identify floor openings and obstructions.
• Evaluate overhead hazards.
• Check the scaffold configuration.
• Secure or remove loose materials.
• Follow applicable requirements concerning employees remaining on the scaffold during movement.

Casters and wheels should be locked when the scaffold is stationary and in use.

Manual force used to move a scaffold should be applied as required to maintain stability.

Suspended Scaffolds

Suspension scaffolds require specialized planning, equipment, rigging, anchorage, fall protection, and employee training.

Depending on the system, components may include:

• Suspension ropes
• Hoists
• Outrigger beams
• Parapet clamps
• Cornice hooks
• Counterweights
• Direct connections
• Lifelines
• Platforms

Support devices and anchorage systems should be evaluated for the loads imposed.

Suspension equipment should be inspected before use.

Employees should follow applicable requirements for both guardrails and personal fall arrest systems.

Suspension Scaffold Counterweights

Counterweights used with suspension scaffolds should be specifically designed for that purpose.

Loose construction materials should not be substituted for approved counterweights.

Counterweights should be secured against accidental displacement.

The amount and arrangement of counterweight should conform to the scaffold design and applicable requirements.

Scaffold Platforms and Planking

Scaffold platforms should be properly constructed and adequately supported.

Planks and fabricated platforms should be inspected for:

• Cracks
• Splits
• Excessive wear
• Damage
• Improper modifications
• Chemical contamination
• Heat damage
• Other defects

Platforms should be planked or decked as fully as required.

Platform units should be properly supported and secured where necessary to prevent movement.

Employees should not use damaged scaffold planks.

Guys, Ties and Braces

Guys, ties, and braces are critical to scaffold stability.

Required stability components should be installed as erection progresses.

Employees should not remove ties, braces, or other structural components unless authorized and unless scaffold stability is maintained.

When building conditions prevent installation of a planned tie, an alternative should be evaluated before erection proceeds.

Ties should not be removed merely because they interfere with another contractor’s work.

Scaffold Access

Safe access should be provided to scaffold platforms.

Depending on the scaffold, access may include:

• Hook-on ladders
• Attachable ladders
• Stair towers
• Stairway-type ladders
• Ramps
• Walkways
• Integral scaffold access
• Direct access from another appropriate surface

Cross braces should not be used as a means of access.

Access points should be maintained free of unnecessary obstructions.

Scaffold Fall Protection

Falls are one of the primary hazards associated with scaffold work.

Required fall protection depends on the scaffold type and the work being performed.

Protection may include:

• Guardrail systems
• Personal fall arrest systems
• Both guardrails and personal fall arrest systems
• Other systems specifically permitted for the scaffold type

Fall protection equipment should be inspected before use.

Employees should receive training on proper use, limitations, anchorage, connection, and inspection.

Scaffold Erector and Dismantler Fall Protection

Erecting and dismantling supported scaffolds creates unique fall-protection challenges because the scaffold structure is incomplete and continuously changing.

A competent person should evaluate the feasibility and safety of providing fall protection for employees erecting or dismantling supported scaffolds.

Fall protection should be provided when its installation and use are feasible and do not create a greater hazard.

The evaluation should consider the scaffold system, erection sequence, available anchorage, work location, and other site-specific conditions.

Guardrail Systems

Required scaffold guardrail systems should be installed according to applicable criteria.

Employees should not:

• Remove guardrails without authorization.
• Modify guardrails.
• Use damaged guardrails.
• Use guardrails as material supports unless designed for that purpose.
• Stand or climb on guardrails.

When guardrails must temporarily be removed for material handling or other authorized operations, alternative protection should be established when required.

Personal Fall Arrest Systems

Personal fall arrest systems used during scaffold operations should be selected and used for the specific work.

Employees should inspect:

• Harnesses
• Lanyards
• Self-retracting devices
• Connectors
• Lifelines
• Anchorage components

Anchorage and connection arrangements should be appropriate for the scaffold and fall-protection system.

Employees should not connect to scaffold components unless those components are suitable for the intended connection under applicable requirements.

Falling Object Protection

Employees working below scaffold erection, dismantling, or use may be exposed to falling tools, scaffold components, materials, and debris.

Protection may include:

• Toe boards
• Screens
• Debris netting
• Barricades
• Canopies
• Controlled access
• Tool-control methods
• Material containment

Materials should not be thrown from scaffolds unless a controlled method specifically protects employees and others below.

Hard hats should be worn where falling-object hazards exist.

Scaffold Material Hoisting

Scaffold components may be raised and lowered using ropes, gin wheels, hoists, cranes, forklifts, or other equipment.

Hoisting procedures should:

• Control the load.
• Prevent materials from striking the scaffold.
• Keep employees clear of suspended loads.
• Use suitable ropes and equipment.
• Consider scaffold capacity.
• Maintain communication.
• Protect employees below.

Tag lines or equivalent measures should be used when necessary to prevent swinging loads from contacting scaffolds.

Rigging

Rigging used for scaffold materials should be inspected before use.

Employees should inspect:

• Slings
• Hooks
• Shackles
• Wire rope
• Synthetic slings
• Hardware
• Material baskets
• Lifting devices

Damaged rigging should be removed from service.

Employees should remain clear of suspended loads and potential pinch points.

Cranes and Hoisting Equipment

Cranes and other hoisting equipment may be used to move scaffold bundles, platforms, stair towers, beams, or other heavy components.

Lift planning should address:

• Load weight
• Rigging
• Landing areas
• Swing radius
• Employee positioning
• Communication
• Overhead electrical lines
• Scaffold contact
• Ground conditions

Employees should not stand beneath suspended loads.

Forklifts and Telehandlers

Forklifts and telehandlers may be used to move scaffold components around jobsites and yards.

Only trained and authorized employees should operate powered industrial trucks.

Loads should be stable and within equipment capacity.

Employees should remain clear of elevated forks and loads.

Equipment should be operated with particular care near scaffold foundations, excavations, structures, pedestrians, and overhead electrical hazards.

Manual Material Handling

Scaffold erection and dismantling involve substantial manual handling of frames, standards, ledgers, braces, planks, base plates, guardrails, and other components.

Employees should:

• Evaluate loads before lifting.
• Use team lifting when appropriate.
• Avoid twisting while carrying materials.
• Maintain clear travel paths.
• Use mechanical assistance when practical.
• Coordinate handoffs between employees.
• Avoid throwing components between levels.

Work should be organized to reduce unnecessary carrying and repetitive handling.

Electrical and Overhead Power Line Hazards

Scaffolds and scaffold components can create severe electrical hazards near energized power lines or electrical equipment.

Electrical hazards should be identified before erection begins.

Planning should consider:

• Scaffold location
• Scaffold height
• Long scaffold components
• Crane operations
• Material hoisting
• Suspended loads
• Aerial lifts
• Temporary power
• Building electrical systems

Required clearance from energized power lines should be maintained unless appropriate protective measures have been implemented in accordance with applicable requirements.

Employees should be trained to recognize electrical hazards before moving or erecting conductive scaffold components.

Weather and Wind

Weather can significantly affect scaffold stability and employee safety.

Conditions requiring evaluation may include:

• High winds
• Thunderstorms
• Lightning
• Heavy rain
• Snow
• Ice
• Extreme heat
• Extreme cold

Work on or from scaffolds during storms or high winds should be controlled according to applicable requirements and competent-person evaluation.

Scaffolds covered with snow, ice, or other slippery material should not be used except as permitted for removing the hazardous material.

Enclosed Scaffolds

Tarps, sheeting, shrink wrap, debris netting, and similar scaffold enclosures can dramatically increase wind loads.

Before enclosing a scaffold, the contractor should evaluate:

• Wind loading
• Tie requirements
• Scaffold capacity
• Anchorage
• Building attachment
• Manufacturer requirements
• Engineering requirements

Employees should not attach large tarps, banners, sheeting, or other wind-catching materials to scaffolds without authorization.

Work Near Excavations

Scaffold foundations located near excavations may be affected by soil movement, surcharge loads, undermining, or collapse.

Before erecting scaffolds near excavations, evaluate:

• Distance from the excavation
• Soil conditions
• Excavation depth
• Protective systems
• Equipment traffic
• Material storage
• Underground utilities

Scaffold loads should not compromise excavation stability.

Work Around Vehicle Traffic

Scaffolds erected near roads, parking lots, loading docks, warehouses, industrial facilities, or active jobsites may be exposed to vehicle impacts.

Protection may include:

• Barricades
• Traffic control
• Concrete barriers
• Warning signs
• High-visibility apparel
• Spotters
• Restricted access

The possibility of equipment striking scaffold legs, ties, braces, or foundations should be evaluated.

Public and Occupied-Area Protection

Scaffolding contractors may erect systems around occupied buildings, sidewalks, entrances, retail facilities, schools, offices, and other areas accessible to the public.

Work planning should consider:

• Barricades
• Pedestrian routing
• Falling-object protection
• Canopies
• Debris containment
• Controlled access
• Material storage
• Delivery operations
• Emergency exits

The public should be prevented from entering scaffold erection and dismantling areas.

Hand and Power Tools

Employees may use:

• Wrenches
• Ratchets
• Hammers
• Drills
• Impact drivers
• Grinders
• Saws
• Cutting equipment
• Specialty scaffold tools

Tools should be inspected before use and used according to manufacturer instructions.

Damaged tools should be removed from service.

Tools used at elevation should be managed to reduce falling-object hazards.

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE should be selected based on the hazards associated with the work.

Common scaffolding PPE may include:

• Hard hats
• Safety glasses
• Work gloves
• High-visibility apparel
• Safety-toe footwear
• Hearing protection
• Personal fall protection equipment
• Other task-specific PPE

Employees should inspect PPE before use and replace damaged equipment.

Heat Stress

Scaffold erection and dismantling are physically demanding and often performed outdoors.

Heat illness prevention may include:

• Drinking water
• Rest breaks
• Shade
• Acclimatization
• Work scheduling
• Employee monitoring
• Recognition of heat illness
• Emergency response

Supervisors should consider the additional physical demands created by climbing, lifting, PPE, and direct sun exposure.

Cold Stress

Cold, wind, rain, snow, and ice may increase the risk of cold-related illness and scaffold falls.

Cold-weather planning may address:

• Appropriate clothing
• Warming opportunities
• Wet clothing
• Icy surfaces
• Reduced dexterity
• Wind exposure
• Recognition of cold-related illness

Employees should not work from scaffold surfaces that are unsafe because of ice or other slippery materials.

Housekeeping

Scaffold work areas should be maintained to reduce trip, fall, struck-by, and access hazards.

Employees should control:

• Loose scaffold components
• Banding
• Packaging
• Tools
• Rigging
• Cords
• Ropes
• Scrap materials
• Debris

Platforms, access points, stairs, and ladders should remain clear.

Job Safety Analysis

A Job Safety Analysis (JSA) can help scaffolding contractors identify hazards and required controls before work begins.

JSAs may be appropriate for:

• Scaffold erection
• Scaffold dismantling
• Scaffold modification
• Frame scaffold erection
• System scaffold erection
• Tube-and-coupler scaffold erection
• Mobile scaffold operations
• Suspended scaffold installation
• Scaffold material hoisting
• Scaffold work near power lines
• Scaffold work near excavations
• Scaffold erection around occupied buildings
• Scaffold enclosure installation
• Crane-assisted scaffold erection

The JSA should identify the steps of the task, associated hazards, and controls needed to perform the work safely.

Scaffold Emergency and Rescue Planning

Scaffold contractors should consider potential emergencies before work begins.

Emergency planning may address:

• Employee falls
• Suspended-worker rescue
• Scaffold collapse
• Electrical contact
• Severe weather
• Medical emergencies
• Fire
• Equipment incidents

Projects involving personal fall arrest systems or suspended scaffolds may require additional rescue planning.

Employees should understand how to summon emergency assistance and their responsibilities during an emergency.

Scaffold Safety Training

Employees should receive training appropriate to their scaffold duties.

Employees who work from scaffolds should receive training addressing applicable hazards, including:

• Electrical hazards
• Fall hazards
• Falling-object hazards
• Fall-protection systems
• Falling-object protection
• Proper scaffold use
• Material handling
• Maximum intended loads
• Scaffold capacity

Employees who erect, dismantle, move, operate, repair, maintain, or inspect scaffolds should receive additional training appropriate to those duties.

Training may include:

• Scaffold hazards
• Erection procedures
• Dismantling procedures
• Scaffold movement
• Inspection
• Maintenance
• Design criteria
• Load capacity
• Intended use
• Fall protection
• Access
• Foundations
• Guys, ties, and braces
• Material handling

Retraining should be provided when changing conditions, equipment, or employee performance indicate that additional instruction is necessary.

Building a Scaffolding Contractor Safety Manual

A Scaffolding Contractor Safety Manual should be customized to the contractor’s actual operations rather than relying solely on a generic construction or scaffold-user safety program.

A contractor primarily erecting frame scaffolds for low-rise construction may require a different combination of procedures than a company erecting complex system scaffolds at industrial facilities, suspended scaffolds on high-rise buildings, or large enclosed scaffolds around commercial structures.

The manual should reflect the scaffold systems used, typical scaffold heights, erection and dismantling methods, material-hoisting methods, fall-protection systems, competent-person responsibilities, qualified-person responsibilities, inspection procedures, equipment, and customer work environments.

The completed safety manual should address the hazards employees actually encounter and provide practical procedures supervisors and employees can use in the field.

When properly developed, the manual supports OSHA compliance, employee training, competent-person responsibilities, scaffold planning, JSAs, inspections, incident investigations, customer requirements, and the contractor’s overall safety-management system.