When scaffold platforms are more than 2 feet (0.6 m) above or below a point of access, portable ladders, hook-on ladders, attachable ladders, stair towers (scaffold stairways/towers), stairway-type ladders (such as ladder stands), ramps, walkways, integral prefabricated scaffold access, or direct access from another scaffold, structure, personnel hoist, or similar surface shall be used. The first place we can look are the Federal Safety and Health Regulations for Construction - Subpart L Scaffolds 1926.451(e).
There are a few places where we can find those answers. Usually these discussions are initiated after finding deficiencies and workers climbing around the scaffold like spider monkeys.Īre the end frames a safe and legal means of access? If not, when are they not? The answers to these questions depend on several factors and it has been my experience that many workers and even some safety professionals often don’t have the answers. Over the years I have had numerous conversations with various trade workers as it relates to suitable and safe access to their work platforms when working on fabricated frame metal scaffolds.
