With an estimated 65% of construction industry employees working regularly on scaffolds, it's not hard to understand why so many scaffolding accidents occur every year. Annually, at least 10,000 injuries in the construction industry can be attributed to scaffolding-related causes. These accidents are usually the result of defective scaffolding and negligent assembly or maintenance. It is estimated that taking proper precautions to protect workers from scaffolding accidents would save at least 50 worker lives every year.

OSHA has had standards for scaffolding in place since its inception in 1971. Over the years, there have been modifications to the standards to increase protection of workers.

Causes of Scaffolding Accidents

Slippage of planks resulting from improper assembly of scaffolding has been found to be a significant factor in scaffolding accidents. Too often, workers are unaware of the proper procedure for assembling scaffolds, and for installing and inspecting work platforms before they begin using them. OSHA estimates that close to 25% of workers have no access to safety training for these important activities. The result is that the scaffolding is defective or poorly installed and places workers at a higher risk of being injured or killed in a scaffolding accident.

Workers standing on scaffolding may not have access to adequate safeguards that can prevent a fall. For instance, a scaffold that is not properly equipped with a safety guardrail exposes worker to falls and injuries.

In extreme cases, scaffolding can collapse, leading into severe injuries and fatalities of workers not only on the scaffolding, but also on the ground. Scaffold collapses can occur when scaffolds are overloaded with stacks of cement and bricks, a hoist, or other loads. Worse still, scaffold collapses can trap workers under several stories of debris, hampering rescue efforts and delaying critical medical care.

Prevention of Scaffolding Accidents

OSHA has set standards for the physical construction and maintenance of scaffolds.  Employees are required to comply with regulations relating to balance, tipping resistance and the support capacity of suspension ropes used. There are regulations that restrict the stall load of hoists, specify proper planking and docking of platforms, and require erection of guardrails and platforms and walkways of specific dimensions. Personal fall protection systems must also be in place to prevent fall accidents.

All scaffolding must be supervised, inspected and approved by a qualified engineer before workers are allowed to use it. Scaffolds must also be inspected after any incident that could hamper its structural integrity. Any component of the scaffold that has been damaged must be replaced or removed from service and repaired immediately. Scaffold construction must follow OSHA regulations relating to the presence of energized power lines nearby that can cause electrocution accidents.