Workers can be exposed to many hazards on the job—and so can their scaffold equipment. That’s why it’s essential that a “competent person” inspect the equipment each day before employees use it. Here’s a checklist for the inspection:
Scaffold safety
- Are power lines near the scaffold deenergized?
- Is the scaffold at least 10 feet away from any energized power lines?
- Is the scaffold suitable for the loads and materials that will be in place this day as well as for weather conditions and the employees using it?
- Is the scaffold secured to a building or structure as required?
- Is the scaffold plumb, square, and level?
- Are footings level, sound, rigid, and capable of supporting the loaded scaffold?
- Is the load on the scaffold within its maximum load capacity?
- Are workers aware of the maximum load capacity of the scaffold?
- Are the legs, posts, frames, and uprights on baseplates and mudsills?
- Are any bends, cracks, holes, rust, welding splatter, pits, broken welds, or noncompatible parts visible on metal components?
- Is safe access available?
Scaffold planking
- Is the lumber used for the scaffold “scaffold grade”?
- Are wooden planks free from cracks, splits greater than ¼ inch, long-end splits, large loose knots, warps greater than ¼ inch, gouges, mold, separated laminates, and grain sloping greater than 1 in 12 inches from the long edge?
- Are planks that deflect 1/60 of the span or 2 inches in a 10-foot plank removed from service?
- Are planks close together, with spaces no more than 1 inch around uprights?
- Are 10-foot or shorter planks at least 6 to 12 inches over the center line of the support, and no more than 18 inches over the end?
Scaffold platforms
- Are all working platforms fully planked?
- Is the platform 14 inches or more away from the wall, or 18 inches or less away if workers are plastering/stuccoing?
- Are guardrails and midrails in place on platforms where work is being done?
- Is the area under and around the platform secure to control falling object hazards?
- Are braces, tie-ins, and guying in use at each end, at appropriate intervals both vertically and horizontally, to prevent tipping?