Take the Guesswork out of Scaffolding Safety

Because each construction job is unique, different type of scaffolding is required to support work operations. This means differences in the extent and type of fall protection required for the scaffolding. Here are some guidelines from OSHA to determine fall protection needed for some of the most common types of scaffolding:

Aerial Lifts:Personal fall arrest system
Boatswains‚ Chair: Personal fall arrest system
Catenary Scaffold: Personal fall arrest system
Crawling Board (chicken ladder): Personal fall arrest system or a guardrail system of by a 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) diameter garbling or equivalent handhold securely fastened beside each crawling board
Float Scaffold: Personal fall arrest system
Ladder Jack Scaffold: Personal fall arrest system
Needle Beam Scaffold: Personal fall arrest system
Self-Contained Adjustable Scaffold When Supported by Ropes: Both a personal fall arrest system and a guardrail system
Single-Point and Two-Point Suspension Scaffolds: Both a personal fall arrest system and a guardrail system
Supported Scaffold: Personal fall arrest system or guardrail system
All other scaffolds not specified above: Personal fall arrest system or guardrail systems that meet the required criteria