As you walk along the platforms on a scaffold, you may come into contact with a variety of dangerous situations and people. While you may assume scaffolds are a safe place to work, knowing the problems that can happen while on one is key.
Being aware of how scaffolds collapse or bring harm to you is helpful after suffering from an injury.
Failing to interact properly
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, coworkers around you who jostle you or push you as they walk by you can leave you at risk of falling. A serious fall from a few feet above the ground can leave you with spinal cord or head trauma.
Workers may also misplace tools or shove you if they are trying to play around, which can both lead to more injuries and falls.
Failing to check for problems
Every scaffold needs someone, typically called a competent person, to check the structure before anyone walks on it. If those in charge do not ask for this person or tell you to work on the scaffold before that person finishes, then it may collapse. A total collapse of a scaffold can also happen if screws or boards are loose or rusted.
Failing to turn off the electricity
When you walk on a scaffold, you may be up enough above ground to be close to some electrical wires. If those in charge do not turn off the electricity, touching a metal object or part of the wire could leave you with severe electrical burns.
Thinking about what to do after a scaffold accident can seem intimidating at first, but noticing how these construction accidents happen is key.