Scaffold Tower Safety

• Scaffold towers must be erected and dismantled by competent personnel in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction manual, taking personal safety into consideration and the safety of others directly affected by your actions.

• Scaffold towers should only be erected on a hard and level surface.

• Do not erect the scaffold tower near a step down edge unless a positive means to prevent the tower crossing the edge is in place.

• The height of a scaffold tower must never surpass the manufacturer’s recommendations.

• Prior to personnel climbing a mobile scaffold tower the castors must be turned to face outwards and the brakes must be applied.

• Working platforms must have a safe and suitable means of access and egress.   Internal stairways or fixed ladders must be utilised and you must never climb up the outside of the structure. Never use external ladders with mobile scaffold towers.

• Mobile scaffold towers must never be moved unless the working platform area is free of personnel, materials and tools.

• Extreme vigilance must be taken when moving a scaffold tower to ensure there are no obstructions at floor level or overhead.  NB Scaffold towers should never be used near overhead electric lines or cables.

• Relocating a scaffold tower using a vehicle e.g. a fork lift truck, is strictly prohibited.

• It is advisable to avoid working on scaffold towers during inclement weather conditions i.e. heavy rain, heavy wind, snow and icy conditions etc.

• When using a scaffold tower in the vicinity of vehicles, reduce the risk of the tower being struck by a vehicle by placing barriers or cones around the tower.  In certain cases you may have to arrange diversionary measures.

• When using a scaffold tower in public places and the tower is left unattended it is recommended to protect the tower with security fencing to prevent unauthorised access.

• A suitable competent person must conduct an inspection before an erected scaffold towers first use, after any substantial alterations have been made, after any event that is likely to have affected the stability of the tower or after it has been situated in the same location for more than seven days.
Any components of the scaffold tower that are deemed to be damaged or defective should be isolated, tagged and reported to a person of authority who can either have them repaired, removed or replaced.

• Scaffold tower repairs should only be conducted by the manufacturer of the scaffold tower or by a competent person that has been approved by the manufacturer.