Scaffold Safety What you need to know.

Jeff Stachowiak

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Bio

• Jeff Stachowiak, Sunbelt Rentals – 26 years in the Construction Rental Industry

– 21 years in Safety and Risk Management

– Currently Director of Access Safety & Training

– Member ANSI, UL, Vice President of the Scaffold & Access Industry Assoc.

– Articles for: Occupational Hazards, Access International, Lift Applications & Equipment, Equipment World and Lift & Access 360

– Toll Free 866-455-4106 jstachowiak@sunbeltrentals.com

– www.sunbeltrentals.com

– www.saiaonline.org

Accidents

• New York City, 15 stories – October 24th, 2001 – Five workers killed – 17 workers injured – Overloaded – Inadequate ties – No permit (required in NY) – No inspection – Inadequate or No training – Scaffold company owner

goes to jail

Accidents

• Scaffold Collapse in China kills 21

• Asian Economic News BEIJING, May 13, 2004

• Twenty-one people were killed Wednesday when the scaffolding collapsed from under them at a rainy construction site in Henan Province, the China Daily reported Thursday. The 21 men fell from about 63 meters (204 feet) when the iron scaffolding went down. A bolt near the bottom of the scaffolding came loose, apparently because of rain. The workers were finishing a chimney project for the Henan Construction Group. Other workers were also injured and hospitalized.

How do we learn?

Good Judgment is the

product of Experience. . .

Experience is the product of Bad Judgment.

Off-trail snowboarder

OSHA 1926 Subpart L

• Construction Standard

– Introduced November 1996

– Major changes

– The Little White Scaffold booklet

Need to Know • Competent Person

• Regular Inspections – Daily

• The “Silver Bullet”

Competent Person

• Page 26 - OSHA 1926.451 – (f)(7) Scaffolds shall be erected, moved,

dismantled, or altered only under the supervision and direction of a competent person qualified in scaffold erection, moving, dismantling or alteration. Such activities shall be performed only by experienced and trained employees selected for such work by the competent person.

Competent Person

• Page 7 - OSHA 1926.32

– (f) Competent Person definition: One who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

Inspections

• (f) Use (page 25) – (3) Scaffold shall be inspected for defects by a

competent person before each work shift and after any occurrence which could affect the scaffold’s structural integrity.

Inspections – Who?

• Who is doing these at your facility/jobsite?

– A competent person?

– Worker building the scaffolding?

– Plant representative?

– Who?

• Tagging?

– Is it required?

– Only if YOU require it?

What You Need to Know!!!

The Answer!!!

Will make you smarter than the

average safety professional!!!

The “Silver Bullet”

Page 14

• The Silver Bullet is

The 4 to 1 Safety Factor

4:1 Safety Factor

• Page 14

– (a) “Capacity” (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(4), (a)(5) and (g) of this section, each scaffold and scaffold component shall be capable of supporting, without failure, its own weight and at least 4 times the maximum intended load applied or transmitted to it.

4:1 Safety Factor

• Teeter Totter

– is 1 to 1

• Balance is a 1 to 1 Safety Factor

• Scaffold has to carry its own weight and 4 times the maximum intended load.

– Wire rope to suspend scaffold - 6 times the maximum intended load.

1 to 1

4:1 Safety Factor

• Manufacturers test scaffolding

– When it was New

– Set up Level and Plumb

– and Fully braced

4:1 Safety Factor

• What is maximum intended load?

• Times 4

• What does scaffold weigh?

• Railing (the support) must support all of this.

4:1 Safety Factor

• What is maximum intended load?

• 2 workers and tools = 500 lbs.?

• 3’ x 5’ work area = 15 sq. ft.

• 25 lbs./sq. ft. = 375 lbs.

• 50 lbs./sq. ft. = 750 lbs.

4:1 Safety Factor

• 500 lbs. workers and tools

• Intended load 500 x 4 = 2,000 lbs.

• Scaffold weight = 500 lbs.

• Total = 2,500 lbs. without failure.

4:1 Safety Factor

• So, that railing and the attachment points (clamps) must support 2,500 lbs. without failure.

• This is a Key question that a Competent Person needs to be able to answer. – And the clamp is

upside down.

Any other problems?

What does 2,500 lbs. look like?

• That is ten 250 lb. workers or fifteen 175 lb. workers or. . .

2700 lbs.

2700 lbs.

Summary

• Competent Person

• Regular Inspections – Daily

• The “Silver Bullet” 4:1 Safety Factor

• Thanks for your attendance.