In the United States, of the 359 construction workers who die from falls from a height each year, about 16% are related to scaffolding. Apart from falling from a height, work accidents in the use of scaffolding were also caused by weak floorboards and falling objects from above. The statement is quoted from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The safety of using a scaffold stems from whether the scaffold is safe or not used for work. The reason is, scaffolding can be a great potential hazard if it is not installed by skilled workers and checked properly before use. In the meantime, you can also call the best Scaffold tower hire company near your area if you need to rent some scaffoldings hirein.
Scaffolding is building equipment (platform) that is made temporarily and used as a support for labor, materials, and tools in any building construction work including maintenance and demolition work.
Scaffolding can harm workers when they work on or under the scaffold and when they get on or off the scaffold. Workers on top of the scaffold have the potential to fall from a height and workers doing activities below may be crushed by the scaffold or scaffold material.
Here are some of the potential hazards in using scaffolding:
– Failure of all or part of the scaffolding unit due to component failure or overloading which results in workers falling or falling
– Falling from a height due to weak work floorboards
– Objects fell from the scaffolding and injured the workers below
– Slips and falls due to a dirty and slippery work floor
– Stung by an electric current (electrocution).
Therefore, scaffolding must be installed by skilled workers under the supervision of a competent person and have scaffolding properly inspected before use. Suitable and safe scaffolding must be provided for all high-risk work when working at height. The scaffold must be made of a special material that is permitted. Fall prevention should be taken for workers who are on top of the scaffold, including the prevention of falling objects.