

These are just a small handful of the many rules that govern the use of scaffolding on a jobsite.Īn employer has the responsibility to their workers to not only follow these rules themselves, but to also make sure that the employee adheres to these regulations. Employers must train each employee who works on a scaffold on the hazards and the procedures to control the hazards.Use of fastening pins to secure the scaffold to the structure.Scaffolds and scaffold components must support at least 4 times the maximum intended load.Scaffold footings must be level and capable of supporting the loaded scaffold.Guardrails must be between 38 and 45 inches high.

Here are some of the safety precautions with which employers must comply with when scaffolds are used on a construction site: Occupational Safety Regulations to Protect Construction WorkersThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a complete set of safety equipment regulations that are intended to provide rules for nearly every aspect of the use of a scaffold in the construction industry. Companies may hire workers who are less skilled and are more likely to fall from a scaffold. It is difficult for many companies to find construction laborers, especially when the economy is strong.Thus, they cut back on training and throw less trained workers on scaffolds. In some companies’ view, time spent training employees is less time that they can be working on the job.In other cases, employers will not invest what they need to in employee safety training in an attempt to keep a project moving on schedule and to save money.They may use scaffolds that are defective or have not been properly inspected in an attempt to save money. In some cases, employers will try to cut corners when providing scaffolding for employees to use on the job.Death: Unfortunately, approximately 60 workers die in falls from on scaffolding structures each year.Spinal Cord Injuries: A sudden fall from a scaffold can cause trauma to a worker's back and neck resulting in a spinal cord injury or paralysis.Fractured Bones: Victims of a scaffolding fall risk fracturing bones due to the impact with the ground or when they brace themselves from the fall.Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): If a construction worker falls from a scaffold from a significant height they may strike their head resulting in head trauma.Many scaffolding falls result in serious injuries such as: Types of Scaffolding Injuries in IllinoisThe nature and extent of a scaffolding injury depends on the height of the fall and the manner in which the worker lands.

For example, the person walking by the area can be struck by falling debris from the top of the scaffold. Scaffold injuries can also be caused in other ways.
