OSHA Scaffold Safety Tips

Scaffolding is the single most frequently OSHA-cited construction safety standard. No employee should use or assemble a scaffold without a complete understanding of how to do so safely. Thousands of builders are injured every year as a result of scaffold failures.

OSHA’s Safety and Health Topics Page for Scaffolding is a resource that employers and employees can use to understand the OSHA regulations applicable to scaffolding. OSHA recommends that employees:

• Before using a scaffold, test its durability using at least four times the amount of weight it is intended to support.
• Equip all open sides of a scaffold with protective guardrails.
• Keep scaffolds at least 10 feet away from electric power lines.
• Inspect the rigging on suspension scaffolds frequently-OSHA requirements call for an inspection at least once per work shift.

Related Safety Training Materials:
Scaffold Safety Training Products
Suspended Scaffolding Safety Regulatory Compliance Kit DVD/VHS
Supported Scaffolding Safety Video Program DVD - English & Spanish Versions