Don’t Ever Do This When Working With A Scaffold

Construction workers in New York who regularly use a scaffold as a part of their jobs rarely consider how dangerous scaffolds are until after they suffer an injury. As such, it’s vital to remind workers on a regular basis that these devices, although incredibly convenient and useful, require attention and care when using them if workers want to stay safe.

With safety in mind, here is a list of things that workers should never do when using a scaffold.

• Don’t leave anything laying on the scaffold after you’re done at work. Anything left on a scaffold is at risk of falling and hurting the workers below. These items could also trip someone who is using the scaffold after you.
• Don’t ignore the load limitations of the scaffold, and never put too much weight on it. Sources of weight include tools, machinery, supplies and people. An overweighted scaffold is at risk of tipping over.
• Never use a ladder or a box on a scaffold to increase your reach. Your scaffold should be high enough to reach all the things you need to gain access to. If it’s not, then you may need to adjust the scaffold itself to safely reach everything.
• Don’t use a scaffold when you notice signs of damage. Always inspect the scaffold for frayed ropes, rusty components and broken pieces that could endanger the people working on it.
• Don’t use a scaffold if it has snow, ice or mud on it. These create serious slipping hazards that can result in a fatal fall.

If you were hurt on a scaffold while you were at work, you may be able to receive money to pay for your medical care by filing a workers’ compensation claim. The more you understand about workers’ compensation law, the better chances you’ll have of obtaining the maximum amount of compensation available to you.