Scaffolding work is dangerous as workers can fall from any height above 2 meters during erection or dismantling of scaffolding. There is also a risk of scaffolding collapsing while workers are on or under it. Scaffolders must be trained and certified and follow proper safety procedures like sequential erection of scaffolding to reduce the risk of falls. Appropriate access systems like stairways or ladders should also be in place for scaffolders to safely access different levels as scaffolding is erected.

1. White Card Update: Danger of Scaffolding Work
Source : Dan DeLuca
Work from any height above 2 meters is dangerous but scaffolders can fall at any stage in the
erection of the scaffolding or during it’s dismantling.
There is also the risk of scaffolding collapsing while workers are on or under it which can cause
injury. The collar locking mechanism on scaffolds can be a hazard if operators do not engage
the lock correctly.
Scaffolders need to be trained and certified. Climbing from one lift of the scaffold to the next lift
can also result in a climbing fall.
The most common scaffold accident on construction sites seems to be external falls from the
open sides and ends of a scaffold can be controlled by adopting the “sequential erection”
method.
According to this method only one-bay-at-a-time is erected, sequential installation of standards
and guardrails or guardrails alone. This ensures that scaffolders are not required to walk further
than one bay length along an exposed edge of a scaffold platform, reducing the risk of falling.
Ensuring that an appropriate access system is in place can control the risk of climbing falls for
scaffolders gaining access from one lift to the next. This can be in the form of a stairway or
ladder access that is progressively installed as the scaffold is erected.
White Card Australia
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