Scaffolding has been around for a long time. Scaffoldings first appeared in ancient Greece and were used as temporary structures to build on top of buildings without access to below-ground floor levels.
One would have thought that with all this technological progress over the years, using these types of structures couldn’t get much safer, but it turns out you can find a staggering number of people who still are injured from falling on the job site today.
If you work with this type of equipment on a routine basis, it could significantly affect your life. Now you may find yourself wondering, “Will I be next?” Hopefully, the answer is no, and you won’t have to worry about the repercussions of such an accident. We understand your concerns and are here to help you.
There are some things you can do to ensure that you’re not injured on the job site. Simply taking a few minutes to read through this article is a great start. Here you’ll learn some of the most common mistakes others have made and the steps you can take to avoid them.
Top 4 Causes of Scaffolding Accidents and Injuries
Numerous reasons exist for using scaffolding on construction sites. One of the main reasons is having a stable working surface at the top of a tall building. Although this is important, you should know that many accidents occur here. Here are just a few of the reasons why these accidents occur.
1. Equipment Concerns
When the scaffolding itself is improperly designed or manufactured, it’s considered “defective.” Some examples of defective scaffolding include inadequate bracing, attachment points that don’t line up correctly or steel tubing that’s been compromised. If these issues result in an accident, the manufacturer may be liable.
2. Weak or Inadequate Planking
It isn’t only the scaffolding itself with which you need to be concerned. Sturdy, adequate planking is also necessary to keep you from falling and being severely or fatally injured. It’s why scaffolding should never be supported by fabricated frames, posts, mast climbers, pump jacks, or other mechanisms.
3. Improperly Constructed Scaffolding
You must properly construct indefective scaffolding, so it’s safe to use. Improper scaffolding construction (e.g., not installing guardrails or necessary bracing, not firmly affixing all attachment points) commonly results in accidents that could be avoided.
4. Inadequate Safety Equipment
Even when scaffolding and its planking are designed, manufactured, and constructed correctly, it’s still essential for workers to have the appropriate safety equipment available to them. Without access to such equipment, many construction workers have suffered from preventable accidents while others have died.
Other Causes of Scaffolding Injuries and Accidents
Failure to Maintain Scaffolding
It’s essential to maintain the scaffolding properly so that its structural integrity is preserved. As scaffolding ages, it needs to be replaced. Failure to do so will cause it to become slippery. The surface will then become a safety hazard that could result in serious injuries.
Ignoring Safety Standards
Numerous issues can cause severe accidents involving scaffolding. These include things like overloading scaffolding and placing scaffolding too close to electricity. OSHA takes these accidents so seriously that they’ve created a set of comprehensive safety standards by which the construction industry must abide.
Working in Hazardous Conditions
It’s also important to pay close attention to your working conditions. There are many ways in which adverse conditions have resulted in injuries and fatalities while using scaffolding.
Failure to Consider the Weather
The weather is one of the most important things you need to pay attention to while working outdoors on scaffolding. Even a tiny shift in the weather can be perilous. While rain and snow make planking slippery, significant temperature changes may compromise attachment points. When they’re compromised, they’ll grow loose, crack, and potentially fail.
Failure to Protect Workers from Falling Objects
Additionally, it’s important to ensure you’re protected from any object that may fall from overhead. For this reason, construction sites should always take time to cover scaffolding. Taking this extra step will ensure that nobody is injured by tools, materials, or debris that may fall from the scaffolding. Here is another reason why it’s dangerous to let the public walk underneath scaffolding when work is being done.
Rent Safe, Secure Scaffolding from Elephant Construction Solutions
You probably agree that safety is not a luxury, it’s a requirement for every worksite. You’ll never go wrong with an extra scaffold, or a state-of-the-art power generator. At Elephant Construction Solutions, we offer you and your team all of the equipment you need to get the job done. We have everything you need–including scaffolding, power tools, air compressors, power generators, lawn mowers and nail guns–to get your project done quickly and safely.
Reach out to us here to get a free quote for all of your equipment needs.
Elephant Construction Solutions is a latino-family-owned business based in Pharr, TX. We combine many years of experience in different fields to finally offer you, our customer, a real solution of tools and equipment so you can be more productive.