Section 408.10513. Construction.

(1) A scaffold and its components shall have a designed safety factor of not less than 4 with the load figure including the total weight of materials, men, and scaffold. Load-carrying timber members for scaffold framing shall be not less than 1500 fiber, stress grade, construction grade lumber.

(2)   A scaffold, except a ladder scaffold, boatswain's chair, or needle beam scaffold, 10 feet or more above floor or ground level, shall have a standard barrier and toeboard pursuant to General Industry Safety Standard Part 2 "Floor and Wall Openings, Stairways, and Skylights," as referenced in R 408.10509. A life line and safety harness shall be used where a railing is required but not practical.

(3)   A scaffold over a walk, aisle, or work area shall have the sides screened from toeboard to the top rail where an employee is required to work or pass under the scaffold.

(4)   When work is being performed above a scaffold, overhead protection consisting of 2 inch planks laid tight, or equivalent material, shall be installed not more than 9 feet above the scaffold floor.

(5)   Where access is not available directly from a structure, a wood scaffolding shall have a stair to the platform or portable ladder pursuant to General Industry Safety Standard Part 4 “Portable Ladders,” or a fixed ladder pursuant to General Industry Safety Standard Part 3 “Fixed Ladders,” and as referenced in R 408.10509, except that a cage is not mandatory for the fixed ladder. Use of a stair or fixed ladder shall not have a tendency to tip the scaffold.

(6)     Manufactured scaffolding shall be equipped with a stair or a fixed ladder, mounted by a portable ladder, except that a cage is not mandatory for a fixed ladder. On manufactured scaffolding purchased after November 16, 1974, and equipped with a built-in fixed ladder or an attached scaffold ladder, the ladder shall be constructed of rungs not less than 12 inches long, uniformly spaced not less than 12 inches nor more than 16 1/2 inches from the center of 1 rung to another and the rung and component parts shall support a minimum of 300 pounds.

(7)    Instead of the requirements for a stair, fixed ladder, or portable ladder, the intermediate horizontal members of a frame of a manufactured tubular welded frame scaffold may be used for access to, and egress from, the work platform if all of the following conditions are met:

(a)   All frames and component parts are compatible in design.

(b)   The intermediate horizontal members of a frame are a minimum of 16 inches in length.

(c)   The horizontal members of each frame are uniformly spaced and do not exceed 17 inches center to center vertically.

(d)   When frames are connected vertically to one another, the distance between the bottom horizontal member of the upper end frame and the top horizontal member of the lower end frame is within 3 inches of the uniform spacing of the horizontal members of each frame.

(e)    The elevation to the lowest horizontal member of the bottom frame does not exceed 21 inches from ground or floor.

(f)    Each horizontal member is capable of supporting 300 pounds applied at the member's midpoint without bending or cracking.

(g)   Each horizontal member is inspected for, and found free of cracks, bends, or bad welds.

(h)     The guardrail system located on the side where horizontal members of the scaffold frame are used for access to or egress from, a work platform is constructed as follows:

(i)   The intermediate rail shall be omitted between the corner posts at access location.

(ii)   The top rail shall be continuous between posts.

(iii)    Only 1 employee at a time shall use a horizontal member of a frame as access to, or egress from, the workstation.

(8)   Footing for a scaffold is sound, rigid, and capable of supporting the maximum intended load without settling or displacement. Objects such as barrels, boxes, loose brick, or concrete blocks shall not be used.

(9)   Poles, legs, or uprights of a scaffold is plumb and secured or braced to prevent swaying or displacement.

(10)    Load-carrying timber members of a scaffold are a minimum of 1500 fiber, stress grade, construction grade lumber.

(11)   Construction and attachment of a scaffold is such that there is no direct pull on the fasteners.

History: 1979 AC; 1981 AACS; 1983 AACS; 2008 AACS; 2016 MR 16, Eff. Aug. 18, 2016.