High Risk: Despite Regulations, Scaffold Accidents Continue

Scaffolding accidents are as alarming as they are numerous, and some are tragic.  In September 1992, an incident that took place in Pennsylvania where a 34-year-old bridge painter fell 364 feet to his death after a suspension cable snapped.  But not all incidents end in tragedy. That same year, a construction worker in North Dakota fell 13 feet when a scaffold collapsed. Fortunately, he escaped serious injury because he was wearing a safety harness. Both incidents, each in their own way, underscore the importance of scaffolding safety.

Accident Awareness
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that falls are a leading cause of traumatic death on the job. Many of these incidents involve scaffolding. Scaffolds are working platforms suspended by ropes, or other means, from an overhead structure. Falls frequently occur as the result of:

• Improper installation or operation of scaffold equipment.
• Defective scaffold equipment.
• Insufficient worker safety training.
• Failure to provide or use personal fall protection equipment.

In 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent out regulations designed to protect workers from the hazards of working from scaffolds. Yet, more than 30 years later, workers still die or suffer serious injuries in falls that could have been prevented.

Safety Tips
All employees who work on scaffolds need to be informed about the hazards and learn accident prevention measures. In addition, they need to be properly trained before using any type of suspension scaffold or fall protection equipment.

Many official investigations about scaffolding accidents indicate that the deaths and injuries reported could have been avoided if OSHA regulations had been followed.

When working on a scaffold, take the following precautions:

• Learn and comply with current and proposed OSHA regulations for working with scaffolds. Proposed regulations include requirements about capacity, construction, access, use, and fall protection.
• Before stepping onto a scaffold, make sure its design and construction conforms to OSHA regulations.
• Shield all scaffold suspension ropes and body belt or harness system droplines from hot or corrosive processes, and protect them from sharp edges or abrasion.
• Always inspect all scaffolds, scaffold components, and personal fall protection equipment before use.
• All workers should be equipped with personal fall protection equipment including guardrail systems, body belts, and harness systems. It is the employer's responsibility to provide the equipment and to make sure it's used.
• Use structurally sound portions of buildings or other structures to anchor droplines for body belt or harness systems and tiebacks for suspension scaffold support devices.
• Secure all droplines and tiebacks to separate anchor points on structural members.

If you work from a scaffold, participate in any training programs offered and follow all manufacturers' guidelines about assembly, rigging, and usage.