When contractors are putting up a building, it sometimes becomes necessary to use scaffolding. Scaffolding is defined as temporary platforms that are mounted around a construction site in order to help with the movement of workers and materials. Scaffolding uses different kinds of materials depending on the level of support that is required as well as the elevation.
One of the things that many people are never sure about is when scaffolding is required. In this article, we look at when you need to use scaffolding in a construction or renovation site.
Scaffolding is About Risk Mitigation
The need for scaffolding is often determined when a risk assessment of a construction site is done. Before work can begin on any construction site, safety officers will often determine if scaffolding will be needed based on the height that workers will be working from and the extent of the work to be done. For example, the scaffolding needs of a light renovation work may be completely different from the scaffolding needs of a full-blown construction project.
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers a detailed guideline when it comes to the specifications of scaffolding. The guidelines specify the capacity of the scaffolding, access to the structure as well as a falling-object protection mechanism. Violating any of these specifications would put the workers at risk of death or injury. It might also open up the contractor to lawsuits in case of any accidents. While the need for scaffolding changes from site to site, the general rule of thumb is that any building being built or which is undergoing major restoration work will probably require scaffolding.
Low-Risk Construction Jobs
When it comes to low-risk jobs such as repairing a roof or painting a wall, there might not be any need for scaffolding. The law does not actually require individuals doing renovation or construction jobs privately to use scaffolding. However, even in such scenarios, it still makes sense for anyone doing such a job to assess the risks involved and choose to use scaffolding if the situation requires it. For example, if your project requires you to move a lot at great heights, scaffolding makes a lot of sense.
Benefits of Scaffolding
Scaffolding helps to mitigate fall risks at a construction site. By providing a strong platform from which workers can operate from, scaffolding allows workers to work in windy or rainy conditions which would otherwise be too risky. Scaffolding also helps workers move around the building easily which would not be the case if they had to use the building access points to go up and down. Also makes it very easy to move construction materials to great heights. Slabs of concrete, sheets of glass, and other bulky materials would be immensely problematic to move through staircases and other access points. Scaffolding makes it safer and easier to move such materials.
Another benefit of scaffolding is the ability to protect workers and other people from falling objects. Scaffolding is designed to have hanging points where tools and other equipment can be safely stowed. The walkways on the scaffolding also provide additional protection from falling objects to the people below.
For top-quality scaffolding solutions, come to Starr Industries. We offer excellent scaffolding products backed by years of experience working on numerous projects.
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