When buying, hiring or using a scaffold tower always ensure it meets the European Committee HD1004 standard for industrial use.

Check all the tower scaffold fittings, check the tower stage sections for breakage or damage, hired tower scaffold gets a lot of abuse, when people dismantle them sections of the tower  are often dropped from the top of the scaffold tower resulting in damaged spigots and joiners or worse dented tube.
If the  scaffold tower tubing is dented to any great degree  do not use it, especially if you are going to place work materials on to the tower, dents in the tube will create weak points which could result in the tower collapsing.

Never stand on the top level of a tower scaffold without guard rails
Never try to erect a tower scaffold on your own, it can be done however if you fall or have an accident there  may be no one around to call emergency services.

Always make sure all recommend braces and tower stabilizers are correctly fitted, even if stabilisers are not recommend it’s much more reassuring working at the top of a scaffold tower knowing it’s not going to topple over!

Always use the access method as recommended by the manufacturer, staying within the tower scaffold when going up or down is always the safest way, climbing up the outside may be quicker and easier but the risk is simply not worth it.

Never exceed the manufacturers recommended safe working height, make sure the tower is upright and vertical, as you build the scaffold tower use a boat level several times as you go to check it for upright.

Make sure the wheel brakes are applied
Never climb up the outside of the tower scaffold unless it has a built-in ladder for the purpose.
If you have to fit a ladder to the outside contact the manufacturer or supplier and check to see if it is safe to do so.

No comments »