Masonry Magazine August 2010 Page. 25
`
A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to climb the scaffold without looking at your feet. I am not saying that you should not watch where you are going, just that you shouldn't have to. Give me a call or consult OSHA 1926.451 for specifications.
Maybe it is due to the economy that safety inspectors have more time to look at individual job sites. Maybe it is insurance related or the recent occurrence of some high-profile accidents. Whatever it is, safety is becoming more an issue than ever. It is an issue that can substantially affect the profit or cost of a job.
Vs. Mast Climbers
SINCE WE MANUFACTURE BOTH crank up and mast climbing adjustable scaffold, we can provide a better unbiased opinion as to which is better. True, crank up scaffold can't touch mast climbers for labor savings. Mast Climbers are money-making machines when it comes to labor savings. That being said, crank up scaffold is much less expensive per linear foot. Also, the more cut up a wall is, the better a crank up scaffold works, compared to mast climbers. There is no perfect scaffold for every job (as hard as I try, we will never get rid of frames). Crank up is a more affordable way for you to achieve the benefits of an adjustable scaffold. Every penny counts.
A contractor told me the other day that it is just like he is starting over again. This is very similar to what I have been telling our employees. When we first started manufacturing and for many years after, until we got scaffold in virtually every market, we would pull a demonstration trailer of the scaffold to your office or job site. If I saw a guy bricking up a mailbox, I would stop and talk to him. No job or contractor was too big or too small. Over the last fifteen years, we have gotten spoiled. You couldn't cross the street without finding someone who needed scaffold. Well times have changed. You need to be aggressive and creative. When you first started, you would go after everything and were constantly looking for an edge. Adjustable scaffold can be that edge. IMAS
Clint Bridges is VP of EZ Scaffold, 800-699-6831 or www.ezscaffold.com.