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Scaffold Towers - The Safety Issues

Safety is amongst the primary concerns whenever there is a construction. The use of Scaffold Towers is necessary for workers to do their jobs in elevated heights. With the proper safety guidelines in using these, there will be fewer accidents during the work.

“Safety first!” We always encounter these two words whenever we pass by or visit a construction site. It is written almost all around a construction site’s premises. Whether it is a small house to the tall skyscrapers, a worker’s safety should always be highly prioritized especially when it deals with heights. That is why they use scaffold towers. Scaffold towers allow workers to perform their jobs in an elevated position whilst assuring safety and convenience of these workers.

The Need for Secure Scaffold Towers

Faulty scaffold towers are amongst the major causes of serious injuries and deaths from work. That is why; standards were set to reduce the number of these cases. Equipment failure, incorrect operating procedures, human error, and environmental conditions are amongst the main causes for accidents.

The workers are the first people who will be exposed to risks in scaffold towers. Even when properly used and maintained, the risks for accidents will still be present. Besides from the hazards during the operation, injuries can also occur during the erection, dismantling, and alteration of the scaffold. In addition, bystanders and pedestrians are also at risk every time they pass by near the equipment.

This poses a serious problem for exposed workers and their employer, and also the nearby community. And if the safety standards are properly followed, the risks for serious injuries and death will be minimized. In addition, the employer can also benefit by saving a lot of money if the number of accidents are reduced.

The Safe Scaffold Towers

With regards to the safety of the scaffoldings, standards have been set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA. And these guidelines should be followed strictly to prevent accidents.

To prevent scaffold towers from falling, the proper and standard support structure should be implemented. The capacity, the bracing, the proper pinning and the components of the said structure should always be checked.

• Capacity – The scaffolding should be able to support, without failure, its own weight and at least four times its maximum intended load. And with regards to the workers, they should never overload the platform of the scaffold towers.

• Bracing – All the brace connections must be properly secured to prevent it from dislodging.

• Pinning – Frames and panels must be joined vertically by stacking pins or coupling or any equivalent means. Frames and panels should be locked together.

• Components – Scaffold components that are from different manufacturers should never be used in a single tower unless they can easily fit without any coercion. You need to maintain the tower’s structural integrity.

The scaffold towers should be maintained regularly to make sure that it is in good condition and operable. The scaffolding should be sturdy with all nuts and bolts tightened. Workers should not be permitted to use scaffolds that covered with snow or ice. It needs to be cleaned of snow and ice as well as the planking should be sanded to avoid slipping. And finally, never use damaged or improperly constructed scaffold towers. Accidents may happen, but at least it can be reduced with accurate prevention and proper use.

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