Masonry Information Bulletin - Good Scaffold Practices
1 - From the Ground Up
(Taken
from Construction Safety Association of Ontario Magazine, Winter 2000-2001)
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This
issue is one in a series of good scaffold practices. It is a joint initiative
between labor and management designed to increase awareness of safe working
practices in the masonry industry.
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Statistics
indicate that the most common injuries are slips and falls. Over 50%
of these injuries occur because of improper scaffold practices. The
information presented here deals with site preparation, mudsills,
baseplates and leveling screws. |
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Check location
for
- ground conditions
- overhead
wires
- obstructions
- change in
surface elevation
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- Soil must
be level and firm
- Mud and
soft soil should be replaced with compacted gravel or crushed
stone
- Where mudsills
must be placed on sloping ground, the area should be leveled,
if possible, by excavating rather than by backfilling.
- Clear ice
and snow before placing mudsills
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Sections 128 (1)c of
the Construction regulations require that every scaffold have footings,
sills or supports that are sound, rigid and capable of supporting twice
the maximum load to which the scaffold may be subjected without settlement
or deformation.
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- Use 2" x
10" planks for mudsills.
- Lay Planks
under at least two supports, either along the scaffold or across
its width.
- Center scaffold
baseplates on the mudsill and extend mudsills two feet past the
last scaffold frame.
- Use leveling
screws to compensate for uneven ground and to ensure that scaffold
is level and plumb.
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Distribute
weight on mudsill and prolong plank life.
Attach scaffold
to mudsill and prevent movement due to impact, vibration or uplift
due to improper loading.
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Eliminate need
for blocking under mudsill.
Allow for easy leveling and plumbing of scaffold.
Leveling
screws can be adjusted up or down so that the scaffold sits level. Be
careful not to overextend screws.
Refresher Quiz -
Answer True or False
1. Baseplates
should be centered on and nailed to mudsills (T/F)
2. Mudsills should never extend beyond end of scaffold. (T/F)
3. For minor adjustments to plumb, use leveling screws. (T/F)
Answers
are at the bottom of the page.
For more information and training
call:
©
Construction Safety Association of Ontario
21 Voyageur
Court South, Etobicoke, Ontario M9W 5M7
Answers: |
1)
true 2) false 3) true |
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