Page 87 - Student Hand Book - Scaffolding - L&T CSTI Serampore

or excessive overhang of planks at their support. Excessive overhang can cause a plank to tip up
when a worker stands on the overhanging portion. Insufficient overhang is a leading cause of
planks slipping off.

Improper loading or overload-

ing

Overloading causes excessive de-
flection in planks and can lead to

deterioration and breaking. Over-
loading occurs most often in the

masonry trade where skids of ma-
terial can exceed 1500 kg (3000
Improper loading lb.). If material is left overhanging

the scaffold platform it can cause an imbalance leading to the scaffold overturning.

Platforms not fully planked or “decked”

This situation is related to injuries not only

during erection and dismantling but in gen-
eral scaffold use. The Construction Regula-

tion requires that all scaffold platforms must Improper planking
be at least 450 mm (18 inches) wide. All

platforms above 2.4 meters (8 feet) must be
fully decked.

Platforms without guardrails

Platforms without guardrails are a serious safety problem
in construction. Guardrails are an important fall prevention
measure not only for high platforms but also for low ones.

Over one-third of the falls from scaffolds are from plat-
forms less than 3 meters (10 feet) in height. Therefore,

guardrails are recommended during normal use for all
scaffold platforms over 1.5 meters (5 feet) high. Guard-

rails for all working platforms should consist of a top rail, a
midrail, and a toe board.

Advance guardrail system

Participant Handbook : Scaffolding 87