Scaffolding Safety

[Mark Holmes]

2 H sections ???……..What you may have bought is 4 H sections, that would roughly add upto about 2mtrs. Generaly, these are approx 1m in height.

I’m not exactly sure about the HSE regs, but certainly “kick boards” and “Hand Rails” would probably be required to satisfy the HSE.

Take a look at the govs web site, it can be found here

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/conindex.htm

[stuart]

Are standard H sections not as Martin says 2m tall? I know you can get 1M high sections but the Boss system with its blue and pink id ends usually has 2M high end sections.

[Martin Pearson]

I think Stuart is right about the “H” sections but Martin will still need 4 of them, 2 will only give him the working height he will need another 2 so he can fit safety rails and kick boards.
I don’t know about sign installation but scaffolders need to be quallified to errect scaffold in public places and the scaffold needs to be flagged (green). I have had calls from a company offering to train us but I wasn’t sure if this was just a sales gimmick.
I am not sure but I think if you are working above 12 feet (platform height) you are suppose to use a scaffold. We always cone off the area we are working even when we are fitting on the ground.

[Martin C]

Thanks all, great link to the HSE but not very definitive so I gave them a ring. It seems that ‘good practice’ can pretty much cover what you can and cannot do. i.e…Yes , it would be best to have stabilisers but not needed on a 2metre tower etc., I guess the rule of thumb is do all you can in the circumstances.

Sign Leeds …..you sound like my wife….I say 12″ she says 4″…..but I’ve definately got 2 x 2 metre ends 😀 😀 😀

It now sits in my back yard, jet washed and oiled in need of that elusive cross strut 😕

[Darryl Seager]

I’ll see what i can find out on safety martin. and we may be able to help with your missing pieces as well
regards Darryl @JB TOOLHIRE

http://www.jbtoolhire.co.uk for an idea of who we are.

[Alan]

Health and Safety 🙄 we soon won’t be able to climb our own stairs without a safety harness (:)
I guess most people here have seen this picture before. But can you imagine the heart rate of a health and safety inspector walking round a corner and seeing something like this nowadays; he’d probably want to call the fire brigade to get the poor chap down.

Alan

[Geraint Rhys Williams]

I will add a bit to this as (I Think) I know about ‘general’ health and safety rules.
I dont know about the rules etc for the scaffolding etc, but you mentioned H&S with regards working from ladders etc.

What you should do is do a method statement and more importantly a risk assessment for any job!!! If the jobs are repetetive, do a genereic risk assessment and method statement and make sure the installers have a copy.

If your written Method statement and risk assessment ‘theoretically’ prove that the job could be done safely using your methods (ie safety of you/your guys & very importantly you customer and the general public), this will help should anything go wrong.

Basically, your never going to be entirely safe from the H&S executive, or even worse the new breed of ambulance chasers, so anything that can at lease reduce the risk should be used.

Back to the scaffolding – Does it need to be tested or certified??? as you are obviously buying as seen, what if a weld snaps and you end up in the middle of the road during rush hour??????

I need to get a job – most boring post Ive ever done 🙁

[Martin C]

I’ve tested it by jumping up and down on it and inspected it thoroughly and if I do have to get more than that done I’m retiring! 😕

As mentioned earlier I had a chat with the HSE helpline and had a balanced conversation. Balanced between my wanting some definitive answers on one side and their pile of legal books on the other! “I cannot say what is right for any one situation.” isn’t really what I wanted to hear but understandably they cannot give guidance on every situation that is likely to crop up.

My plan of action is to ensure that the tower is 100%, to always put up cones or barriers, and to send one of those scruffy victorian urchin types up top for everything over a metre!

and thanks Darryl,..I ‘look forward to hearing from you……..

[Mark Holmes]

Sorry about the link Martin…..the HSE site is a little “sparse” with its litrature, that is unless you wanna pay for it.

As far as ladders go……adopt the “Snow White” method….3 out 1 up with the other 3 “footing it”

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Theres sign makers and there’s pie makers

[Neil Kelly]

Hi Martin

You may need a bit more we use x4 2m sections on most jobs this gives us a an adjustable platform height for all situations and allows for hand rail etc at this height we tend not to use the outriggers as I think on most retail installations they are bigger hazard to the passing public than a benefit to stability tut tut I here. kick boards are a must as I once nearly found out as a claw hammer was accidently knocked off missing the thinking department of action signs by two inches .

if you haven’t got any they are easily made with scaffold boards.
kick boards that is not hard hats

PS dont forget your hard hat.

Neil…

[Steve Broughton]

quote :

PS dont forget your hard hat.

No thats always made me wonder, what on earth use is a hard hat 4 meters UP some scaffold, now if you plummet 4 metres to Terra Firma it might stop you getting a fractured skull but wont stop a broken jaw, fractured spine, broken hip/leg/arm, smashed up face etc. etc. cheerfull ain’t I 😆 😆 😆

[stuart]

Steve

good point bit even worse still, most hard hats dont have chin straps so would fall off before you hit the ground!

On a more serious note though, I have often saved a bang to the head when working by usung a hard hat. Think how often you will bend down and crack your haed from something when up a tower or other climbing aparatus?

Stuart

[Martin C]

There is a theory in the Boxing world that headguards which are now compulsory in amateur bouts make the target area bigger and as such pose a greater risk! I tend to agree with this theory as whenever I wear a hard hat I constantly hit my head on scaffolding, doorways, the back of the van ertc., as I can’t judge the size of me bonce! (hot)

[TonyDwyer]

martin

i think you will probably need the correct boards for the tower as they help brace it.

As we work for quite a few tubular engineers 🙄 i tried to get the regulations on scaffold towers.

most have the regulations on their office walls, so i got the name of the website.

http://www.scafftag.com

apparently you can buy a small pocket memo for about .75p on the regulations for towers.

hope this helps.

[Neil Kelly]

quote :

if you plummet 4 metres to Terra Firma it might stop you getting a fractured skull but wont stop a broken jaw, fractured spine, broken hip/leg/arm, smashed up face etc. etc

Thats the job of the safty harness.

Neil…

[Mark Holmes]

I thought these only refered to powered mobile platforms and were not a regulation on zip-up towers…..i trust the harnesses your refering to are the ones with the tensioned “anti-shock” milarki ?

[Neil Kelly]

I supose they are the best at extreme heights but no good for small scaffold work
The stupid thing is our fitter who also works freelance installing at petrol station’s for the big boys was told he must wear a harness of that type while up two stages of scaffolding the stupid thing was by the time he’d hit the floor the shock cord wouldn’t have been fully extended another one of those idiosyncrasies that common sense should override.