Masonry Magazine January 2017 Page. 28
I I
�
WORDS: KEVIN O'SHEA, DIRECTOR OF SAFETY AND TRAINING AT HYDRO-MOBILE
e pride ourselves in
our ability to solve
problems on the job
using our ingenuity,
adaptability and sometimes just sheer determination to get the job done. This 'can do' attitude is part of the American construction culture and as much as it has contributed to job performance over the decades, it has also created huge liability and safety issues for employers and equipment owners over the same period.
An example of this double-edged sword is scaffold attachments.
There are many types of scaffold attachments like debris netting, hoists, and cantilever brackets just to name a few. They all have to be rated with the same minimum factor of safety requirement as the scaffold itself. When fitted, they also cannot reduce the scaffold factor of safety below the minimum level required by OSHA regulations.
The word scaffold can mean a number of things in our industry. To localize the issue and make it more relevant, let's look at three types of access equipment which can fall under the description of supported scaffold: tube and clamp, mast climbing work platform (MCWP), and scissor lifts (mobile scaffold).
Common types of attachments
Material Hoists
This is common to both Tube and Clamp Scaffold and MCWP's, and it's vital to remember the following:
The addition of the hoist WILL affect the structural integrity of the scaffold, so it MUST be designed by the manufacturer or an appropriately�qualified engineer. This means that before you attach it to the scaffold, you should have one oftwo things. You need to either have a manual from the manufacturer explaining how it should be attached, what the load and configurations are and what restrictions there are OR a set of drawings and instructions from an engineer explaining a similar set of details.
Those personnel who are using the hoist should be trained in the safe use of appropriate rigging equipment (slings, shackles etc.), and should know both how to inspect the rigging equipment and know how to communicate with the forklift or crane operator via industry authorized hand signals.
Trash Chute
There are daily examples oftrash chutes attached to scaffolds; they're a common sight on refurb or demolition jobs. Remember these important points:
Trash Chutes can pick up wind and transfer the load to the scaffold, creating the potential for overload of the scaffold.
Who's in charge of emptying the dumpster! Trash chutes are often fed into a dumpster and, to reduce pollution, a dumpster cover is used. There are literally hundreds of instances where the dumpster cover has concealed the fact that the dumpster is full, and the trash chute is half full of debris. This can potentially collapse a scaffold. Someone MUST be nominated to inspect the dumpster regularly.
28