Scaffold rules are full of numbers crews should know without looking them up: 4 times the load, 18 inches, 2 feet, 10 feet. This quiz reviews them for toolbox talks and scaffold user training, with the paragraph of OSHA's construction rules each number comes from.
Capacity, platforms and footing
Each scaffold and component supports its own weight and at least 4 times the maximum intended load, and is never loaded beyond its rated capacity (29 CFR 1926.451(a)(1), (f)(1)). Scaffolds are designed by a qualified person (a)(6). Working platforms are fully planked or decked, with no more than 1 inch between units, and at least 18 inches wide in general (b)(1)–(2).
Legs and frames bear on base plates and mud sills or another firm foundation; unstable objects such as loose bricks are never used to support a scaffold (c)(2). A supported scaffold taller than 4 times its base width is guyed, tied or braced (c)(1).
Access, inspection and use
- Platforms more than 2 feet above or below a point of access need a ladder, stair tower, ramp or similar; crossbraces are not access (1926.451(e)(1)).
- A competent person inspects scaffolds for visible defects before each work shift and after anything that could affect them (f)(3), and supervises erecting, moving, dismantling or altering them (f)(7).
- No boxes, barrels or ladders on platforms to gain height, no work on platforms covered with snow or ice except to remove it, and no debris left to accumulate (f)(8), (f)(13)–(f)(15).
- Scaffolds stay at least 10 feet from uninsulated power lines under 50 kV (f)(6).
Fall protection and training
Each employee on a scaffold more than 10 feet above a lower level is protected by guardrails or personal fall arrest, depending on the scaffold type (1926.451(g)(1)); on supported scaffolds placed in service after January 1, 2000 the top rail is between 38 and 45 inches (g)(4)(ii). Hard hats and toeboards, screens or nets protect against falling objects (h)(1).
Employees who work on a scaffold are trained by a person qualified in the subject: electrical, fall and falling object hazards, proper use, and load capacity. Those who erect, dismantle, move or inspect scaffolds are trained by a competent person. Retraining follows changes at the site or in equipment, or signs that proficiency was lost (29 CFR 1926.454).
Using the quiz on site
Play it at a toolbox talk next to the scaffold: the crew answers from their phones, and each answer shows its paragraph of Subpart L. Quizhat is an independent tool, not affiliated with or endorsed by OSHA.