Maintain at least four wraps of wire rope on drum hoists.Prevent damage from corrosive or damaging substances.Inspect wire rope for damage during ascents and descents.Before starting work, preload wire rope and equipment with the maximum working load, then retighten wire rope clips and recheck rigging.Never overload, modify, or substitute equipment.Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.Properly use personal fall arrest equipment.Only climb in access areas, and always use both hands.Don’t use makeshift devices or ladders or plank guardrails to increase a scaffold’s height.Avoid overloading scaffolds, following manufacturer’s recommendations.Enter and leave work platforms with caution.Train those using erected scaffolds and platforms to continuously inspect them.
Inspect the scaffold before using it, making sure it’s in safe working condition and hasn’t been altered.So, what are the best practices for preventing these accidents? Here are some guidelines for supported and suspended scaffolding. The scaffold can overturn or collapse, workers can fall from scaffolds, objects can fall from scaffolds and strike people, or electrocution can occur, usually, because the scaffold is too close to power lines. With all scaffolds, there are four basic risks. There are other types of scaffolds, like man lifts, cherry pickers, and scissor lifts, but these can be considered supported scaffolds. Suspended scaffolds have platforms that are suspended by ropes or other non-rigid overhead support. Supported scaffolds consist of platforms with rigid, load-bearing supports like poles, legs, frames, or outriggers. Why does scaffolding have the potential to be so dangerous? There are two basic types of scaffolds, supported, and suspended. In fact, education and training is the best tool for preventing or reducing the number of scaffold-related accidents.
Because construction sites are inherently unstable environments, it’s extremely important to provide workers with proper construction scaffolding safety education. Nearly 2.3 million construction workers work on scaffolds on a regular basis, including steel erectors, building equipment installers, bricklayers, window washers, carpenters, and painters. Scaffolding is one of the most commonly used tools in the construction industry, with almost 65 percent of workers using scaffolds frequently. DecemScaffolding Safety & Best Practices to Prevent Accidents