Everything You Need to Know About Scaffolding Safety

If you’re a construction site manager, you know full well the importance of erecting scaffolding on the premise you’re building on. Scaffolding provides both fall-prevention measures and keeps pedestrians safe from falling objects. When it comes to scaffolding, you shouldn’t be cutting corners. It’s fundamental that you find the right scaffolding services for your individual circumstances to ensure that your employees are working in an environment that adheres to Australia’s strict workplace health and safety measures. In this article, we’re going to outline absolutely everything you need to know about scaffolding and where to find the right services to suit your individual circumstances. 

The purpose of scaffolding is to provide a safe working platform. If you are looking for a competent place for scaffolding hires, the good news is, there are plenty of options available for you. The best thing you can do is search around on Google for your local services and call around between them to compare quotes. This way, you’re going to be able to find the most affordable scaffolding services to suit your needs. It should be noted that you shouldn’t be sacrificing quality for cheaper services. Make sure you look into the company’s reviews to determine whether or not their services are reliable. 

What are the 3 types of scaffolding?

Generally, there are three main types of scaffolds that are employed in professional scaffolding services. The need for each of these different types of scaffolds depends largely upon where you are situated, the weight of what you need to carry and how many people are going to be working at the heights you require. The three main types of scaffolds are: 

1. Supported scaffolding – when you think of scaffolding, this type of scaffolding is probably what comes to mind. Supported scaffolding is the most common form of scaffolding services. Supported scaffolds are built from the ground-up. They are erected using metal tubes and some other materials (depending on the country you’re in). They are built around the outside of a building and provide a great way for workers to reach different parts of the building.
2. Mobile scaffolding – this kind of scaffolding is also referred to as rolling scaffolding. Its uses on large construction sites where the deconstruction and reconstruction of the scaffold are needed frequently. When dealing with mobile scaffolding, it’s important that your workers are careful. 
3. Suspended scaffolding – if you’re trying to reach areas at the top of a building that is above two storeys, sometimes using supported scaffolding is unnecessary. Supported scaffolding is hung from the roof and lowered down slowly. This is most commonly used for people that clean the outside of a skyscraper or large commercial building. 

Can scaffolding be erected in difficult locations?

Sometimes working on buildings that are located on a steep slope is necessary. You might be surprised to find out that scaffolding can be erected on a slope. Although it is more difficult and takes more time to erect, scaffolding services can raise and lower particular beams of the scaffold as they please, allowing them to create flexible foundations. 

Sometimes scaffolds need to be constructed over a pool. To avoid scratching the bottom of the pool, it is typically recommended that cushioning is used to prevent the pool surface from being scratched away during the process. If you have a garden or other areas of your property that you need to preserve, you can be sure that your scaffolding services have the solutions for you. 

How dangerous is scaffolding

Did you know that between 2003 and 2011, 232 workers were killed from working at heights? Working at heights is dangerous at the best of times. For this reason, construction site managers are bound by law to ensure that they are implementing fall-prevention measures to keep their workers safe. Scaffolding provides employees with a safe working platform when working on the outside of a building. For this reason, it’s commonly found on construction sites and other kinds of maintenance or painting. For large commercial buildings and skyscrapers, sometimes erecting scaffolding from the ground up is an inefficient way to go about the services they need to provide.

It should be everybody’s right to know that at the end of their working day they are going to be able to return home to their loved ones. Ensuring that all of your employees are equipped with safe working platforms is a task you cannot cut corners on. For this reason, you need to consider a professional scaffold hire. Companies like QuikScaff are developing a great name for themselves in erecting reliable scaffolds that can support high degrees of weight and endure any conditions. 

Why Are Scaffolding Inspections Necessary?

Scaffolding needs to be inspected at least once a week after the first use. Every time torrential weather sweeps through the area, the scaffolding needs to be inspected by a professional. When inspecting a scaffold, a few of the key aspects that must be checked prior to allowing entry are:

1. The type of scaffold, the weighting, the number of employees and upcoming weather conditions
2. That the scaffold is kept away from electrical power lines
3. Ensure that there are no bends, cracks or other damages in the scaffold’s foundations

Do Scaffold Boards Need to be Tied Down?

Before a scaffold can be considered a safe working platform for your employees, the boards must be fastened and tied down. In the case of bad weather, if the boards are loose, they could be moved out of place. When operating heavy machinery, if the boards were to move out of place it could be devastating. For this reason, it’s essential that you always have your boards tied down when erecting a scaffold. If you have come across any boards on your scaffold that have not been tied down, do not hesitate to contact your site manager.

What Are the Risks Associated with Scaffolding?

Inevitably, working at heights poses a threat to the safety of your employees. Scaffolding provides a platform for your employees, but there are risks involved. A few of these risks are:

1. Falls – even though scaffolds are erected for fall-prevention, accidents do happen. Falling is a common cause of death from working at heights on a scaffold. It can be prevented with attentive care towards your environment. 
2. Being Struck by Falling Materials – wearing a safety helmet is required by law on a construction site. However, there are still people who die every year from not wearing their safety helmet. 
3. Electrocution – because most traditional scaffolds are erected using metal poles and beams, it creates a perfect circuit for a current of electricity. If scaffolding is erected too closely to powerlines, you run the risk of electrocuting the people who use the platform. For this reason, it is absolutely fundamental that scaffolding is not erected too closely to powerlines. 

How do you calculate the cost of scaffolding?

To calculate the cost of scaffolding, you’re going to need to keep a few things in mind. One of the key aspects you need to consider is the difficulty of the task at hand. If you’re hoping to erect scaffolding on an area that’s on a slope, it’s going to be more difficult for the scaffolding servicemen to do their job. Although it isn’t impossible, you can expect to pay a hefty fee for their services.

Typically in Australia, the cost to hire scaffolding services can be anywhere between $20 and $30 an hour. When you’re calculating the cost of your scaffold, you need to consider how long they are expected to take with their service. If you’re unsure on how long you believe they’re going to take or how much they’re going to charge for their services, it never hurts to contact the company you would like to hire to have them come and inspect your premise. This way, they will provide you with a quote for their services and you will be able to determine whether or not you believe it’s the most cost-effective route for you.

How much weight can a scaffold board take?

As a general rule of thumb, anything over 150kg per scaffold board is too heavy. Scaffolds that are higher than 120 feet will require a professional registered engineer to design. Depending on the boards that are used, they’re going to be able to support different amounts of weight. The three main kinds of scaffold boards are:

• Light-duty: can support up to 25 pounds per square foot
• Medium-duty: can support up to 50 pounds per square foot
• Heavy-duty: can support up to 75 pounds per square food

Where can I find more information on scaffolding?

If you’re searching for more information on scaffold hires, it never hurts to do more research on your own accord. This way, you’re going to be able to find the best alternative for your circumstances. If you’re in a hurry to get your scaffolding erected, the best thing you could do is contact your local scaffolding services. There, they will be able to answer any of the questions you have about their services and they’ll be able to get your services underway promptly.