The biggest mistake contractors make when designing scaffolding

This post will give you the information you need to ensure that your scaffolding is safe and up to code. Contrary to popular belief, many things can go wrong when designing a scaffold--from not following code requirements to misusing materials. These mistakes can quickly turn into disasters for both workers on the ground and those working at height. To help prevent these accidents from happening, We'll provide some tips for how contractors can design their bil jax scaffolding correctly. • Take the time to follow all necessary code requirements. Your Biljax scaffolding must get designed according to the current building, safety, and health codes. Ignoring these code requirements can have lasting repercussions for your workers. For example, someone might fall through it if you use wooden planks as a surface for your scaffold instead of metal grating. Your choice of materials and arrangement of planks must follow all code requirements so workers can safely work on them. • Utilize proper safety harnesses. Your company wants to keep your workers safe, which is why you're designing the scaffolding in the first place. To ensure this happens, make sure that workers wear safety harnesses at all times when working from heights--even if they're standing on the scaffolds. If someone is working even 10 feet above ground level for an extended amount of time, he should wear a safety harness so that if he slips or falls, he won't go plummeting to his death. • Never ignore the design calculations. Scaffolds must get designed and engineered to hold a specific amount of weight. To prevent this from happening, ensure that everyone who creates your scaffolding knows how to perform these. • Put up guardrails around the scaffolding. Another way to ensure everyone's safety on and around the scaffolding is to ensure guardrails surround it. A worker might walk too close to the edge while standing on a plank and fall off, so installing barriers will eliminate that possibility. Guardrails need to get adjusted according to how high above ground level your workers are working at any given time. • Make sure you have enough workers on the scaffold. Contractors try to save money by having only one worker on a scaffold. It is hazardous because if anything happens at height, there's no one else around to help him. There should be at least two workers assigned per every 15 feet of elevation. For example, there should be two workers on a 20-foot high scaffold and three workers on a 30-foot stand. • Design your scaffolding in an L shape The main reason for this is because uprights are stronger than planks when supporting the same amount of weight. If your workers must stand on the scaffold for an extended time without moving, you can use planks with uprights beneath them because it will provide more stability than just the scaffold uprights alone. • Ensure scaffolding get adequately anchored to the ground Scaffolds need to be securely attached to the ground so workers cannot fall over while standing on them. If the staging isn't secure, you could end up with an injured or even dead worker on your hands, and lawsuits will only make things worse for you. To properly anchor your scaffolding to the ground, make sure its base is broad enough and that it's dug deep into the dirt. Then make sure it's attached well at all points of contact--the corners, midpoints, etc.--and that nothing can break or dislodge these connections. • Use materials in the recommended way Many pieces go into designing a safe scaffold, including boards, wheels, braces, guards, supports, and more. You need to use these materials in ways that the manufacturer explicitly recommends, not for some other purpose. For example, if you buy bil jax scaffolding boards meant for roofs, don't use them on the sides of a scaffold (unless the manufacturer approves them).