Scaffold Hazards
Fall Hazards
-Falls from scaffolds, during erection, using, or dismantling is the major hazard associated with scaffolds.
-No Safe Access
-No proper fall prevention or fall protection.
Areas
or Activities Where Fall Protection is Needed:
•
Ramps,
runways, and other walkways.
•
Excavations,
•
Hoist
areas.
•
Form
work and reinforcing steel.
•
Leading
edge work, unprotected sides and edges.
•
Roofing
works, pre-cast concrete erection
•
Residential
construction and other walking/working surfaces.
Fall
Protection Standard:
•
The
rule sets a uniform threshold height of 6 feet (1.8 meters ), thereby
providing consistent protection.
•
Employer
must assess the workplace to determine if the walking or working surfaces have
the strength and structural integrity to safely support workers.
•
Select
the proper fall protection system to protect exposed employees at 6 feet (1.8 m ) or more.
•
Provide
the proper training.
Fall Protection Systems:
1.
Guardrail
Systems.
2.
Personal
Fall Arrest Systems.
3.
Positioning
Device Systems.
4.
Safety
Monitoring Systems.
5.
Safety
Net Systems.
6.
Warning
Line Systems.
1- Guardrail Systems:
•
The
top edge height of toprails must be 42 inches (1.1 meters ) plus or
minus 3 inches
(8 cm )
above the walking/working level.
•
Screens,
midrails, mesh, intermediate vertical members must be installed between the top
edge of the guardrail system and walking/working surface (at least 21 inches (53 cm ) high.
•
The
guardrail system must be capable of withstanding a force of at least 200 pounds applied on
the top from both directions, midrail shall be capable of withstanding a force
of at least 150 pounds
applied in any downwards or outward direction.
•
A
toe-board with minimum 3.5
inches high should be installed all around the platform
and should be capable of withstanding a force of at least 50 pounds .
•
Guardrail
systems shall be surfaced to protect workers from punctures or lacerations and
to prevent clothing from snagging.
•
Distance
Between Vertical Posts should not be more than 2.8 Ft .
•
If
no midrail is installed the distance between the vertical posts should not be
more than 19 inches .
2- Personal Fall Arrest Systems:
• These consist of an anchorage, connectors, and body belt or body harness. It must do the following:900 pounds when used with a body belt.1800 pounds when used with a body harness.6 feet (1.8 meters ) nor contact any lower level.3.5 feet (1.07 m ). (shock absorber)3 feet clearnance from the ground.
6. Have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential impact energy of an employee free falling a distance 6 feet or the free fall distance permitted by the system, whichever is less.5000 pounds .
Common Pieces of Equipment
Use of Body Belts
Effective January 1, 1998, body belts are prohibited as a fall arrest device.
Body belts can still be used as a positioning device.
Fall Clearance (not a sale)
3- Positioning Device Systems:
•
Body
belt or harness are to be set up that a worker can free fall no farther than 2 feet .
•
Secured
to an anchorage capable of supporting 3000 pounds .
4- Safety Monitoring Systems:
•
Used
when no other alternative fall protection has been implemented.
•
Competent
person to monitor the safety of workers.
•
The
employer shall ensure that the safety monitor is competent in the recognition
of fall hazards.
•
Is
capable of warning workers of fall hazard dangers and in detecting unsafe work
practices.
•
Is
closed enough to work operations to communicate orally with workers and has no
other duties to distract from the monitoring function.
5- Safety Net Systems:
•
Safety
nets must be installed as close as practicable under the walking/working
surface and never more than 30
feet (9.1
m ) below such levels.
•
Installed
with sufficient clearance underneath to prevent contact with the surface or
structure below.
•
The
maximum size of each safety net mesh opening shall not exceed 36 square inches
nor be longer than 6 inches
(15 cm )
on any side.
•
Each
Safety net or section shall have a border rope for webbing with a minimum
breaking strength of 5000
pounds .
•
Safety
nets must extend outward from the outermost projection of the work surface.
•
Safety
nets shall be inspected at least once a week for wear, damage, and other
deterioration.
•
Safety
nets shall be capable of absorbing an impact force of drop test consisting of a
400-pound (180
kilograms ) bag of sand 30 inches (76 cm ) in diameter dropped
from the highest walking/working surface at which workers are exposed, but not
less than 42 inches
(1.1 m )
above the level.
•
Items
that have fallen into safety nets including – but not restricted to, materials,
scrap, equipment, and tools – must be removed as soon as possible and at least
before the next work shift.
6- Warning Line Systems:
•
Consists
of ropes, wires, or chains, and supporting stanchions and are set up as
follows:
1.
Flagged
at not more than 6 foot
intervals with high visibility materials.
2.
Rigged
and supported so that the lowest point including sag is no less than 34 inches (0.9 meters ) from the
walking/working surface and its highest point is no more than 39 inches (1 m ) from the walking/working
surface.
3.
Shall
be erected around all sides of roof work areas.
4.
Warning
lines shall be erected around all sides of roof work areas.
5.
When
mechanical equipment is being used, the warning line shall be erected not less
than 6 feet
(1.8 m )
from the roof edge parallel to the direction of mechanical equipment operation,
and not less than 10 feet
(3 m ) from
the roof edge perpendicular to the direction of mechanical equipment operation.
6.
When
mechanical equipment is not being used, the warning line must be erected not
less than 6 feet
(1.8 m )
from the roof edge.
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