When working at heights using scaffolding in Brisbane, safety is paramount. No matter whether you’re using a custom-made swing stage, mobile scaff or anything in between, you should never take any risks on any worksite. For larger projects, your aluminium and steel scaffolding should be custom-designed and fabricated by a trusted supplier, preferably using Australian materials and always meeting or exceeding AS 1576. In the interest of protecting the safety of local scaffolders throughout Brisbane, we have put together a list of things you should do and those you shouldn’t do when using scaffolding for your access needs.
Safety Tips for Using Scaffold in Brisbane
Falls from scaffolding often cause serious injuries or worse. Therefore, to keep your workers safe, you must take precautions. Importantly, make sure you report scaffold defects and issues to your scaffolding supplier to be remedied – you may just save a life. And remember to look after your scaffolding and it will look after you.
Below are some important scaffold safety measures you should implement on all your sites in Brisbane:
- Always make sure all workers understand what the scaffold should be used for and the maximum load it can take.
- Ensure you prep the ground for your scaffold and the weight it will carry.
- Set up separate a scaff storage area onsite to decrease manual handling required and reduce tripping hazards.
- Importantly, access routes should always be kept clear of obstacles.
- Check every aspect of your scaffold before using it each time.
- Make sure you meet your obligations and inspect your scaffolding and report defects where required.
- Make sure you are using a tagging system.
- Prevent access to incomplete or unsafe scaffolding by ensuring physical barriers and affix “scaffold not to be used” signs in visible locations.
- Alert your scaffolding contractor to damaged equipment so they can fix it.
- Ensure your scaffold does not get damaged by site plant or machinery.
- Loads must be balanced and evenly distributed on each platform.
- Be aware of materials weight being loaded onto your scaffold and caution workmen to be aware of maximum loads.
- Be sure to let forklift drivers know of the maximum loads of each type of scaffold onsite.
- Only use correctly designed loading towers.
- Instruct users of scaffold to not adapt the system in any way.
What Not to do with Scaffold on Brisbane Worksites
When it comes to working at heights, if in doubt – don’t risk it. The consequences of mistakes and accidents on aluminium or steel scaffolding can be catastrophic. As major incidents with swing stages have shown, safety must be the primary focus of every operator using any form of scaffold.
We’ve included a list of things you should never do below to help you keep your workers safe and ensure everyone goes home in one piece at the end of the day.
- Make sure your workers neve remove ties.
- Ensure guardrails, toe boards, or brick guards are kept in place and not removed.
- Components should never be removed and no adaptions should be made to your scaffolding.
- Avoid leaving gaps in a platform by taking away scaffold boards.
- Make sure your workers wait till all scaffold is erected before commencing work.
- Never work on or around scaff that’s being dismantled.
- Under no circumstances should ladders be removed.
- Importantly, scaffold should never be overloaded.
- Undermining scaffold by excavating trenches or foundations under or beside it is a big no-no.
- Whatever you do, do not put sheeting or netting on scaff unless the scaffold designer has approved it.
- Prevent forklift drivers from loading weight directly onto access scaffold but make sure a loading tower is used instead.
- Keep an eye on plant and make sure they don’t run over scaffold materials as damaged equipment can collapse.
- Make sure vehicles on site do not collide with scaffolding since bent tubes may lead to the structure coming down.
Brisbane’s Best Supplier of the Safest Scaffold for Sale and Hire
Complete Scaffold Solutions are Brisbane’s premier supplier of the safest and highest quality Australian-made scaffolding and swing stages. We provide scaffold design, fabrication and erection services throughout Queensland and New South Wales, and nationally for major projects. Operating for over 10 years, Complete Scaffold Solutions are a large manufacturer of our own brand of aluminium scaffold and swing stage equipment. With premises in both Brisbane and Sydney, we have successfully managed many projects of all sizes and complexity. From the smallest job up to the largest major scaffolding project, we have the expertise and experience to keep your workers safe whilst onsite.
For the best quality Aussie-made scaffold in Brisbane, please call our friendly team on 1300 266 777 or 0411 692 601. Alternatively, please email us via salesbris@compss.com.au.