Scaffold Safety :- Good Scaffold Practices From the Ground Up

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Chapter : Scaffold Safety

Good Scaffold Practices From the Ground Up

 
This series highlight good scaffold practices. It is a joint initiative between labor and management designed to increase awareness of safe working practices in the masonry industry.

Statistics indicate that the most common injuries are slips and falls, injuries occur because of improper scaffold practices. The information presented here deals with site preparation, mudsills, baseplates and leveling screws.

Site Inspection: Check location for

• Ground conditions
• Overhead wires
• Obstructions
• Change in surface elevation

Site Preparation

Soil must be level and firm

Mud and soft soil should be replaced with compacted gravel or crushed stone

Where mudsills must be placed on sloping ground, the area should be leveled, if possible, by excavating rather than by backfilling.

Clear ice and snow before placing mudsills

The National Construction regulations require that every scaffold have footings, sills or supports that are sound, rigid and capable of supporting twice the maximum load to which the scaffold may be subjected without settlement or deformation.

Mudsills

Use 2" x 10" planks for mudsills.

Lay Planks under at least two supports, either along the scaffold or across its width.

Center scaffold baseplates on the mudsill and extend mudsills two feet past the last scaffold frame.

Use leveling screws to compensate for uneven ground and to ensure that scaffold is level and plumb.

Baseplates

• Distribute weight on mudsill and prolong plank life.
• Attach scaffold to mudsill and prevent movement due to impact, vibration or uplift due to improper loading

Leveling Screws

• Eliminate need for blocking under mudsill.
• Allow for easy leveling and plumbing of scaffold.
• Leveling screws can be adjusted up or down so that the scaffold sits level. Be careful not to overextend screws.

Refresher Quiz - Answer True or False

1. Baseplates should be centered on and nailed to mudsills (T/F)

2. Mudsills should never extend beyond end of scaffold. (T/F)

3. For minor adjustments to plumb, use leveling screws. (T/F)