Guide to Ensure Proper Scaffolding Installation

The use of scaffolding by concrete contractors that need to perform work at height is prevalent in Australia. Scaffolding provides a stable and safe work at height platform, which is required to minimise the potential for fall accidents that may arise out of working at heights. However, ensuring that scaffolding is properly installed is critical to minimising the risk of the scaffolding itself collapsing, resulting in fall from heights injuries and deaths. If you are a concrete contractor and want to find out how you can install the scaffolding properly, keep reading on below.

Perform a post-installation inspection of the equipment.

Before scaffolding can be installed, it is important to have it inspected first. Post-installation inspection is required to help detect any physical wear and tear that could have occurred due to previous use of the equipment. For safety's sake, you should carry out a thorough visual inspection of all your scaffolding components before they are used in the scaffolding assembly.

Keep in mind that scaffolding components do not have an infinite lifespan — the lifetime of a scaffolding component depends upon a host of different factors, including: the environment in which it is used; how frequently it is used; how well it is maintained and serviced after every job; the degree of care exercised by those installing, fixing and dismantling it, etc.

Make sure the people installing the equipment are well-trained.

Scaffolding installation is not a job that should be left to just anyone. It is a job that requires expert handling from start to finish. For that reason, you should not use your general construction workers to erect your scaffolding, as they are not familiar with the ins and outs of scaffolding installation. Remember, you require more than just the instruction manual to install the equipment — you need employees that are specifically trained on proper installation of the equipment. Your scaffold installers should have a certificate showing that they are qualified to perform scaffold installation work for you.

Problems that can cause collapsing of the scaffolding can crop up while the scaffolding is being used. For that reason, inspection of the assembled equipment should be carried out at different intervals while work is ongoing. That means you'll need your scaffolding installers to stick around so they can identify and handle safety hazards when they arise.

You should take no chances where safety is involved, so make sure your scaffolding installation work is done by professionally.