Scaffolds

Scaffolds are a common cause of worksite injury. Although they are often erected to aid safety on a worksite, incorrect installation and use can make a worksite more hazardous.

Falling from a scaffold can be fatal. Even a 2 metre fall can injure, maim or kill.

In Australia from 2008 to 2011, 123 construction workers died from work-related injuries. Falls from height accounted for 25% of fatalities (31 deaths) with scaffolding involved in seven of the deaths. Falls are the leading cause of death in construction every year. These deaths are preventable.

The most common causes of scaffolding accidents are:

  • scaffolding collapse (before, during and after placement of the scaffold);
  • work near overhead electric lines;
  • mobile plant and other workplace traffic;
  • mixing components from different scaffold systems (for example, do not mix aluminium tubing with steel tubing);
  • falls from heights; and,
  • objects falling from overhead scaffolding.

Roles and responsibilities

Every person on a worksite has a duty to ensure their safety and the safety of those around them. If a worker identifies a potential hazard that may put someone's safety at risk, they are to notify their supervisor immediately.

Person conducting a business or undertaking

A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has the primary duty under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that workers and other persons at the workplace are not exposed to health and safety risks arising from the business or undertaking.

The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 for plant include specific obligations for a person with management or control of a scaffold at a workplace. There are also requirements for construction work, high-risk work and falls that may need to be complied with when using scaffolds. The PCBU is to identify the type of scaffolding required (mobile or temporary structure) in relation to the type of work to be carried out.

The PCBU must consult, so far as is reasonably practicable, with workers who carry out work who are (or are likely to be) directly affected by a work health and safety matter.

The PCBU must consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with all other persons who have a work health or safety duty in relation to the same matter, so far as is reasonably practicable.

The PCBU are responsible for providing workers with information, training and instruction as is necessary to enable them to perform the task with all equipment including scaffolding in a safe manner.

The PCBU are responsible for developing safe work, emergency and rescue procedures in relation to scaffolding work that comply with the regulations, Australian standards and codes of practice and ensure those procedures are being carried out correctly.

Management or control

A person with management or control of a workplace must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the workplace, the means of entering and exiting the workplace and anything arising from the workplace are without risks to the health and safety of any person.

Installers

Installers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the way the plant or structure is installed is without risk to the health and safety of persons who install, use, decommission or dismantle the plant or structure and others who are at or in the vicinity of the workplace.

Workers and contractors

Workers have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that they do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons. Workers must comply with any reasonable instruction and cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health and safety at the workplace.

Workers and contractors should report any scaffolding or other eqipment defects to the PCBU to ensure the structure is maintained and in good condition.

Quick guide to fall prevention

  • Assess the nature and condition of the ground.
  • Scaffolding plan to be done by competent person.
  • Ensure safe access and egress from scaffold.
  • Ensure all guard rails and mid-rails are installed.
  • Only use fully planked scaffolding.
  • Train everyone to use the scaffolding safely.
  • Assess the risks to get the job done safely.
  • Provide the right scaffolding and equipment.
  • Don't stand on handrails or mid-rails.
  • Don't climb cross braces.
  • Don't use a ladder on top of scaffolding.

Checklist for working with scaffolds

Scaffold vicinity

  • Has public protection been provided?
  • Have sufficient safeguards against overhead electric lines been provided?
  • Is there sufficient control over vehicle movement?
  • Is there sufficient control over crane operation?
  • Are there sufficient controls for the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances?
  • Are scaffolds erected a safe distance away from trenches or excavations?

Supporting structure

  • Is the supporting structure in good condition?
  • Does the supporting structure have adequate strength?
  • Are there sufficient controls to prevent deterioration of the supporting structure?
  • Are all measures to strengthen the supporting structure adequate?
  • Is the risk of the supporting structure being overloaded from other sources adequately controlled?
  • Is the scaffold built on solid ground? If built on soft ground, are soleboards used to properly distribute the load?

Soleboards and baseplates

  • Are there sufficient soleboards?
  • Are the soleboards of suitable material and in a serviceable condition?
  • Are the soleboards secure?
  • Are there sufficient baseplates?
  • Are the baseplates of the appropriate type?
  • Are the baseplates serviceable and of suitable dimensions?
  • Are the baseplates secure?

Scaffold structure

  • Are the standards bearing firmly?
  • Are the standards plumb (or as designed)?
  • Are the longitudinal standard spacings correct?
  • Are the transverse standard spacings correct?
  • Are the joints in standards correctly positioned?
  • Are the joints in standards correctly secured (special duty or hung scaffold)?
  • Are the ledgers level (or as designed)?
  • Are the ledgers continuous (or as designed)?
  • Are the lift heights correct?
  • Are the horizontal ledger spacing’s correct?
  • Are the ledgers correctly secured?
  • Are ledger joints correctly positioned (tube and coupler scaffold)?
  • Are the joints in ledgers correctly secured (tube and coupler scaffold)?
  • Are there sufficient transoms/putlogs?
  • Are the transoms/putlogs correctly positioned and secured?
  • Is the bracing adequate?
  • Is the scaffold sufficiently stable?
  • Are the ties correctly positioned and correctly fixed?

Platforms

  • Does the scaffold have the required number of working platforms?
  • Are the working platforms at the required locations?
  • Are catch platforms correctly positioned?
  • Are the platforms and supporting scaffold constructed for the appropriate duty live loads?
  • Are the platform dimensions suitable for the intended work?
  • Is there adequate edge protection?
  • Are the platforms correctly constructed?
  • Are planks secured against wind?

Access and egress

  • Is there safe access and egress to every scaffold platform?
  • Are temporary stairways correctly installed?
  • Are portable ladders of an industrial grade, serviceable and correctly installed?
  • Are access ways and access platforms correctly installed?

Containment sheeting

  • Has the scaffold been designed for wind loading on any containment sheeting?
  • Are the fixing ties secure?
  • Are there any rips or tears?
  • Are the overlap joints satisfactory?

General fitness for purpose

  • Is there adequate provision for material handling?
  • Are the clearances between the scaffold and adjacent structures correct?
  • Is there adequate protection from falling debris?
  • Has the scaffold been adequately designed to support all attachments?
  • Are all approaches and platforms effectively lit?

Mobile scaffolds

  • Is the supporting surface hard and flat?
  • Is the area of operation free of floor penetrations, powerlines and other hazards?
  • Are the castor wheel locks in working order? They should be locked at all times, except during movement of the scaffold.

Know where you are

  • Ensure all workers on the site know the address of the worksite so that if an emergency situation occurs they can direct emergency services to the location.

How to assess a site with scaffold

Scaffolds are a useful addition to worksites that require work to be completed at height.

Before making the decision on whether or not to use scaffolds, the site should be assed for its suitability for scaffold use.

Should I use scaffolding?

Ask yourself these questions before deciding on using a scaffold:

  • Is scaffolding the best and safest way to achieve the work required?
  • Is the area clear of hazards such as electrical lines?
  • Is the scaffold to be erected in an area of high traffic which may interfere with scaffold use or create risk in the vicinity of the scaffold?
  • Will there be a risk to the public from the use of scaffolding?

If your answer is yes to one of the above questions, consider using equipment other than a scaffold. If a scaffold remains your best option then a comprehensive risk analysis and risk statement should be undertaken.

Real stories

Every year many Australians are hurt or killed through scaffold accidents. The following are real examples of such incidents.

Case study one

Permanent disability - A 36 year old worker fell more than three metres from defective staging to a concrete floor. X-rays later showed that the worker's elbow bones were pulled by the accident. At the time, he was employed as a sprayer and fireproofer. As a result of the injury, the worker could never return to this profession.

Case study two

A near miss - A scaffolder, who obtained his licence and training in NSW and was working under reciprocal arrangements in the ACT, was severely reprimanded by the safety regulator after a scaffold he erected at a residential building site in Crace collapsed and an apprentice carpenter narrowly avoided a three metre fall. According to the WorkSafe ACT report on the accident, the carpenter stepped on a metal plank three metres above the ground in order to access a ladder. The plank, tied with wire onto a piece of wood, dislodged and fell to the ground. The worker's leg fell through the scaffold and the worker fell forward, grabbing another part of the scaffold to avoid falling to the ground. He sustained a number of injuries to his back, thigh and shoulders.

Case study three

Fatal fall - A 69 year old mason renovating a single family home fell six metres from an unguarded pipe scaffold. The staging was set 3 metres from the house due to a second floor deck, and a plank walkway had been rigged for roof access. The mason fell to his death when the plank slipped.

Case study four

A 22 year old trainee plasterer was killed when he fell from a two metre scaffold. The victim and a tradesman were hanging gyprock in a shed being converted into a shop. They were standing on the scaffold and holding a gyprock sheet against the wall when the scaffold moved backward on the victim’s side.  He fell between the scaffold and the wall and hit his head on the concrete floor, and died two days later. The tradesman had locked the wheels on his side, but the younger worker had not. The victim was new on the job and had not received general safety or scaffolding training.

On this page