Working Safely at Height - (Scaffolds)

Work at height is carried out in just about every industrial sector and workplace in the UK. The construction, repair and maintenance of premises may involve builders, cleaners, caretakers, glaziers, plumbers, painters and others, all working at height. The Health and Safety Executives (HSE) 2000/01 figures show that year, that of the 295 fatalities, 106 occurred in the construction industry. In terms of types of fatality, 73 deaths were caused by falls from heights - approx. 68%.

General Access Scaffolds
There are three main types of access scaffold commonly constructed from steel tubing or available in commercial patented sections. These are:

• Independent tied scaffolds, which are temporary structures independent of the structure to which access is required but tied to it for stability;
  
• Putlog scaffolds, which rely on the building (usually under construction) to provide structural support to the temporary scaffold structure through an arrangement of putlog tubes (with special flattened ends) place into the wall; and
  
• Birdcage scaffolds, which independent structures normally erected for interior work, which have a large area and normally only a single working platform.

The key points to be observed when specifying, erecting and using scaffolds are:

• Select the correct design with adequate load-bearing capacity;
  
• Ensure adequate foundations are available for the loads to be imposed;
  
• The structure elements (poles) should be provided and maintained in good order;
  
• Structures should be erected by competent person(s) (CITB approved) or under the close supervision of a competent person, in accordance with any design provided and with applicable with any design;
  
• All working platforms should be fully boarded, with adequate edge protection, including handrails or other means of fall protection, nets, brick-guards and/or toe-boards to prevent materials or people falling from the platforms;
  
• All materials resting on platforms should be safely stacked, with no overloading;
  
• Adequate and safe means of access should be provided to working platforms;
  
• Unauthorised alterations of completed structure should be prohibited;
  
• Inspections by a competent person(s) (CITB approved) of the structure is required, prior to first use and then at appropriate intervals afterwards, which will include following substantial alteration on repair, after any event (including adverse weather conditions) likely to have affected stability, and at regular intervals not exceeding seven days; and
  
• Details of the results should be recorded on an inspection form.
  

Produced by the GMB, London Region,
Thorne House, 152 Brent Street, Hendon. NW4 2DP
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Fax: 020 8202 2893