Construction
Safety Association of Ontario
Scaffold
Side Brackets
Background Side brackets are designed to support the planks on which masons work. Side brackets put the worker in line with the working face. They are not to be used for material loading. Instances have been reported of brackets installed on the "wrong" side of the scaffoldingfacing the forklift, for example, to provide a landing area for skids of material. This is not acceptable because side brackets are not designed for supporting material. Furthermore, the practice may lead to unbalanced loading of the scaffold, causing tip-over.Problem Areas There are some common
hazards to look out for with the use of side brackets:
Case History Two masons on a side bracket platform were manually lifting a copingstone from the deck behind them to finish the wall they were topping off. The hook on one of the side brackets supporting their platform failed, sending both men 25 feet to the ground below. One man was cut and bruised. The other fell on his back and sustained broken ribs when the 200-pound stone landed on his chest. Inspection of the failed bracket showed that the hook broke at a partial crack in the steel. Inspection before installation would have revealed this fault and prevented the accident. Construction Regulations
Sections 125-142 of Ontario Regulation 213/91 set out general safety requirements for the erection, use, and dismantling of scaffolds on construction projects. Scaffolding used in masonry construction is normally subjected to heavy loading. Accordingly, a number of the sections specify requirements for scaffolding used in masonry work. These are in addition to the general scaffold requirements. Therefore the contractor and supervisor should require the equipment supplier to provide documentation verifying that all parts of the scaffold system have been properly tested in compliance with Section 127(1) of the regulations. Guidelines
Preferred Design When purchasing side brackets, look for the following features:
Other features to look for:
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