Wooden Scaffold Planks

Let's examine the most common type of plank used in our industry - the wooden scaffold grade plank - and some basic rules for its safe use:

• Wood, by it's very nature cannot tolerate abuse. It decays, gets attacked by the elements and serves under hard use conditions when used as a working surface in construction.

• Scaffold grade lumber is normally graded visually by its producers. It may be stamped as scaffold-grade, but that stamp will wear off soon after purchase. How the plank gets treated during set-up and use as well as how it's stored will determine its service life.

• Visually inspect a wooden plank every time you take it off the truck for use at a new project. Short end splits may not necessarily mean the plank should be removed from service. Such splits can be reinforced by banding or rodding.

• Planks that have been notched, saw kerfed, severely split, or otherwise damaged should be cut in half for use as mud sills. This practice will enable workers to easily distinguish less reliable planks that have been subjected to around moisture.

• A good practice for testing planks of questionable strength is to observe its deflection by laying each of the ends and midpoint over concrete blocks. Stand on the plank at its two midpoints. This is a ""low-rise"" test of conditions it will be subjected to up on the scaffold. Severe bowing (1 inch) is an indicator that the plank is at the end of its service life.

• The weight of roughsawn scaffold grade planks makes them ideal for use in masonry construction. On the other hand, lifting and positioning them on top of a scaffold is difficult and makes for a fall hazard. Positioning them with a high lift is advisable, but remember they can be easily damaged by the equipment.

All important - never drop or throw a scaffold plank.