Scaffolding
Scaffolding refers to any temporary elevated platform (supported or suspended) and its supporting structure (including points of anchorage), used for supporting people or materials or both.
Capacity
Scaffolds must be able to support their own weight and 4X the maximum intended load. Scaffolds must be designed by a qualified person.
Platforms
Platforms must be fully planked with no more than 1-inch gaps. They must be at least 18-inches wide with guardrails, mid-rails, and toe boards around all platforms.
Employees are prohibited from working on scaffolds covered with snow, ice, and accumulated debris except to remove the hazards. Working from scaffolds is prohibited during storms or high winds.
Access to Scaffolds
Access to scaffold platforms more than two feet above or below the point of access must be made by portable/attachable ladders, ramps, or stair towers. Workers are strictly forbidden under the OSHA standard from using cross-braces to climb the scaffold.
Falling Object Protection
Employees working on scaffolding must wear hardhats. If there is a potential for falling hand tools, debris, and other objects from higher work levels, workers must be protected through the installation of screens, debris nets, or canopy structures.
The fall zone under scaffolding must be delineated with barricades or caution tape to protect those working below scaffolds.
Electrocution
Scaffolds must not be erected, used, dismantled, altered, or moved so that they, or any conductive material handled on them, might come closer than 10 feet to energized overhead power lines.
