Current 'Best Practices' in Scaffolding Safety Protocols
I possess a fear of heights. I've tried to overcome this fear by facing it in a relatively silly way - by going skydiving. While the adrenaline gushing through my body undoubtedly helped in restraining my fears, unfortunately, I still have a fear of heights and looking out of a plane at 10,000 feet above ground was probably the worst experience of my life. Fortunately, there are lots of folks that aren't scared of heights. Construction workers, window washers, and painters are all indispensable jobs in our society that must be performed at heights. Not surprisingly, what all these jobs share is that they utilise different types of scaffolding to carry out their jobs. Scaffolding has been around for thousands of years, and the evolution of safety procedures and protocols have been pretty inactive up until the 1970's when various laws were introduced improve the safety of workers when using scaffolding.
Prior to this time, there were few rules and regulations within the construction industry. There were no formal scaffolding training, licensing or qualifications, no protection equipment used, and no written safety protocols for the construction and dismantling of scaffolding equipment. Scaffolding was viewed as a semi-skilled trade and workers were paid little. As you can picture, injuries were frequent, and often deadly in this industry, so it was vital for the Government to introduce legislation to protect these kinds of workers to minimise the number of workplace accidents. That's precisely what the Government did. From the beginning of the 1970's, there have been a variety of legislations introduced to protect workers when using scaffolding. For this reason, the safety of workers has remarkably increased and even more so with the evolution of technology.
Earlier in March this year, WorkSafe ACT cracked down on scaffolding safety by sending inspectors to multiple construction sites to inspect whether scaffolding protocols were being followed appropriately as part of an audit into scaffolding safety. Unfortunately, even today, falls from heights are still one of the most regular and debilitating workplace accidents that has a considerable impact both on families and communities, but also within the industry itself by paying out millions in restitution. In fact, since 2014, there have been 476 workplace injuries that have occurred from falling from heights in the ACT alone (reference), which is approximately one in every two days. Even a fall from 2 metres can be significantly dangerous and even fatal, so it's essential that the most practical safety measures are implemented to decrease the leading cause of death in the construction industry. Also, education and training plays a notable role in lowering the risk of falls from scaffolding. Fortunately, there are very specific measures that have been put in place that aim to lower the risk of working with scaffolding, and this article will feature some of the current 'best practices' used in the scaffolding industry today.
Foot protection is exceptionally important because falling objects are frequent in the construction industry. The shoes worn by construction and scaffolding workers need to be slip and puncture resistant. In addition, safety-toed footwear (like steel toe work boots) is the standard when working with heavy equipment or when the risk of falling objects is high.
There are a selection of gloves that are available for various type of construction and scaffolding work. These gloves must be worn by workers when performing their jobs and they must fit neatly to increase dexterity.
When working at heights, foreign objects, especially dust, can hinder workers sight, so safety glasses or face shields must be worn. There are several types of safety glasses and face shields available that are designed for different types of hazards, so the most appropriate protection needs to be worn depending on the type of construction site. Additionally, safety glasses and face shields must be worn when workers are exposed to any electrical hazards or energised electrical systems.
Licensing and Qualifications
Scaffolding workers have to attain relevant licensing and qualifications according to the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011. There are numerous organisations that supply full scaffolding licensing and qualifications that are required by Law if individuals wish to work with scaffolding (above 4 metres) and these programs are available all year round in different cities around Australia.
It is compulsory for all construction and scaffolding workers to wear hard hats on construction sites where there is a risk of falling objects. Hard hats must also be inspected regularly for cracks, dents, or other forms of wear and tear and must be in good working condition. It is also obligatory to replace a hard hat after it has been hit by a falling object or electrical shock.
It is mandatory that scaffolds are fully planked altogether and must be placed on a strong foundation that will not be altered in any way, shape or form. Any type of damage to scaffolding material considerably reduces its strength and should be replaced instantly. Other than mobile scaffolding which should be managed by skilled workers only, scaffolding must not be shifted horizontally while workers are on scaffolds. Further, scaffolding must only be loaded according to the weight they are designed to support and no scaffolds should come within ten feet of power lines.
It is obligatory that signs are posted (if applicable) that visibly displays the elevated surface load capacity. Scaffolds that are raised greater than 48 inches above the surface must have guardrails, and handrails must be provided to elevated work surfaces to ensure the safe entry and exit of workers.
Work must not be authorised if there are any active electrical circuits running close to scaffolds and there must be a Lockout/Tag Out system in place. All frayed, damaged, or worn electrical cords and cables must be replaced without delay and electrical cords and cables must be protected from sharp objects and surfaces.
A readily available list of hazardous substances has to be kept at all construction sites. Containers of hazardous substances must be accurately labelled with proper identification and hazard warnings. A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) must be maintained and available for every use of a hazardous substance and it's highly advised that construction and scaffolding workers are sufficiently trained in the use of hazardous substances.
Scaffolding is a crucial component of the construction industry and sadly, the risk of injury and death is the highest of any industry today. Although accidents are inevitable, it's crucial that construction and scaffolding businesses follow the appropriate safety protocols to decrease the risk of injury as much as possible. This article has explored the current 'best practices' in scaffolding safety measures which has considerably evolved over the past 40 years and has successfully reduced the number of workplace injuries drastically. If you have any questions or concerns with any scaffolding safety protocols, contact Australia's most trustworthy scaffolding and formwork company, Uni-Span, on 1300 882 825, or visit their website for additional information: https://uni-span.com.au
