Industrial sites can be an inherently hazardous environment, but smart regulation has made them much safer over time. Work-related injuries across all sectors have fallen drastically over a few decades, but there’s still room for improvement —particularly with slips, trips and falls.
Scaffolds have all but replaced ladders in the industry, and that’s for the better. Falls from scaffolding are far less frequent than those from ladders and roofs. Still, any structure at great height can create a risk, so companies should take some steps to make sure their teams are practicing smart scaffolding safety guidelines.
As prominent as falls are in construction, they’re also preventable. Teams can try to eliminate on-site accidents with the following scaffolding safety practices.
Thorough employee training
Improper training is a big safety violation that companies could be committing without even realizing it. Since less than one-third of construction projects finish on time,some teams are tempted to gloss over training to get more work done. Any time saved in this practice isn’t worth it, though, since it increases the chances of an accident.
Human error can account for as much as 90% of workplace injuries, but there’s an easy fix. Teaching employees where and how injuries occur will aid in prevention. The more a company emphasizes their safety protocols in training, the more workers will remember.
It’s important to remember that training doesn’t stop after a new hire’s first day. All workers should receive frequent refreshers on proper safety measures to ensure they don’t forget anything. It will also help to have an experienced employee or safety expert work with a new hire for their first few days.
Safe scaffolding assembly and dismantling
Better training can prevent a lot of accidents, but not all safety hazards come from carelessness. It doesn’t matter how many safety protocols a worker follows if the scaffold itself is risky. Taking care in the assembly and disassembly of all scaffolding is an essential part of fall prevention.
As with training, workers shouldn’t rush this part of the job. They should take the time to inspect a scaffold after setting it up, making sure it’s secure. An experienced employee should handle this final check as well as oversee the entire assembly process.
Part of assembling a scaffold is making sure there’s easy ladder access to the top. Workers should never climb on structural frames, or they could slip, so providing a safe alternative is essential. Management should ensure all scaffolding materials are up to code and undamaged before erecting the structure.
Following and enhancing OSHA standards
OSHA publishes extensive guidance on safe scaffolding, giving industrial teams plenty of material to check against while crafting internal safety reviews. For example, OSHA confirms scaffolds should support four times the maximum intended load. Teams should build internal safety systems and checks that confirm new loads meet these standards before use.
Another place where companies can go beyond OSHA recommendations is in fall protection. For most scaffold types, OSHA requires either guardrails or fall arrest systems, but providing both protects workers from virtually any circumstance. As long as these extra steps don’t get in the way of the job at hand, going beyond OSHA standards is a smart safety move.
Ultimately, the most important move is to make sure regulations are well-understood and followed consistently. Besides training, make sure leaders are prepared to conduct internal safety assessments and check scaffolding each day it’s in use.
Smart scaffold use makes industrial sites safer
Slips and falls continue to be a prevalent hazard across industrial sites. Heights, like those atop scaffolds, can make these more dangerous, but they don’t have to. By training employees more thoroughly, paying more attention to setup and disassembly, and exceeding OSHA standards, construction and manufacturing companies can make scaffolds as safe as can be.
