Walking around a scaffold may not immediately seem dangerous if you do it every day. However, the amount of height above the ground and the potential hazards you face from poor construction or fall-related problems can cause you great harm.
Knowing how scaffolding endangers construction workers is important for anyone who faces an injury on the job.
Troublesome trips and falls
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, many injuries occur because someone slips and falls on a raised platform. Often, a lack of fall protection is also present, such as unlatched harnesses.
Work objects laying on the ground, like hammers or nail guns, are a common tripping hazard. If another worker places those items down in a busy area, it could lead to a serious injury for you.
Poor scaffold construction
Planking or other parts of the scaffold may not meet important safety standards when built, which can cause it to collapse in on itself and seriously harm you. The materials in the platform may also be weak because they are too worn out to hold the full weight of a worker.
A competent person may have also not inspected them before other workers climbed on the scaffold, which is a violation of OSHA regulations.
Loose tools
While many problems happen from slips, many others also occur when a heavy object hits a worker in the head. This can lead to spinal cord trauma or serious brain injuries.
A heavy tool that is not secured properly can fall and strike someone without warning. Lack of instruction or guidelines may cause a scaffold to become an unsafe place to work.
