During August, we highlight promoting scaffolding safety, which involves several components with the importance of clear guidelines, training, and vigilance.

• Training and Competence to ensure all workers are trained in erection, use, and dismantling along with hazard recognition, load capacities, and safe work practices with only competent personnel supervising or working on scaffolds.
• Proper Erection and Inspection with scaffolds built on stable ground, fully planked, and equipped with guardrails, toe boards, and access ladders.
• Load Management to ensure you never exceed the scaffold’s weight capacity.
• Fall Protection with the use of guardrails and the use of personal fall arrest systems with secure anchor points.
• Safe Access and Movement providing proper ladders or stairways for access keeping platforms clear of debris to prevent tripping.
• Weather Recognition to avoid using scaffolds during high winds or rain.
• Regular Maintenance to check for damaged components such as bent frames, cracked welds, or damaged boards.
• Signage and Communication: Use warning signs, barricades, and red/green tags to indicate scaffold status.

Resources for Scaffolding Safety Month include a video created by HBACA Safety Committee members, the OSHA Fact Sheet titled “Tube and Coupler Scaffolds – Erection and Use”, and OSHA’s Scaffolding Standards (29 CFR 1926.451), which you can find on our Safety Awareness landing page.

As a reminder registration for the 2025 HBACA Safety Summit is open, we have limited seating, so register today!