The following information comes from FirstComp Insurance.  A full copy of the article can be found here.

Scaffolding hazards continue to rank high on the list of the most frequently cited standards in the construction industry. Numerous injuries and fatalities occur each year due to improper scaffolding safety. Besides problems with planks and guardrails, the main causes of injuries and deaths on scaffolds are; poor planning for assembling and dismantling, collapse due to missing tie-ins or bracing, loads that are too heavy, slippery conditions, and being too close to electrical hazards including overhead lines. Also, falling objects often hurt people below scaffolds. The standard that regulates the design, erection, dismantling and use of scaffolds is Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) construction standard 29 CFR 1926.451.

Scaffolding Basics All metal frame scaffolds share common components. Platforms, base supports, side brackets, and support trusses. Scaffolds and their components must be  capable of supporting without failure at least four times the maximum intended load, and be properly secured or braced to permanent structures. Employers are required to train each employee who works on a scaffold on the hazards and the procedures to control the hazards. A competent person must be involved in the inspection, erection and dismantling of all scaffolding, and scaffolds greater than 125 feet in height must be designed by a registered professional engineer.

Fall Protection Fall protection is required on all scaffolds where the working height is more than 10 feet above a lower level. Each worker more than 10 feet above a lower level must be protected from falls by guardrails or a fall arrest system. Top rails shall be about 42” in height. Mid-rails must be installed approximately halfway between the top rail and the platform surface. When “X” bracing or cross bracing is used as a mid-rail the intersection of the “X” must fall between 20 and 30 inches above the work platform. To protect workers from falling objects such as tools and debris toe boards should be installed in addition to the wearing of hard hats. Scaffold footings must be level and capable of supporting the loaded scaffold. All metal frame scaffolds must have a means of access. This access can be gained from attached or portable ladders, stairways, or the adjacent structure.

Fall Protection

In the U.S. construction industry falls are the leading cause of worker fatalities. Each year, on average, between 150 and 200 workers are killed and more than 100,000 are injured as a result of falls at construction sites. The safety standard for fall protection in the construction industry is Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 CFR 1926.500. This standard sets a uniform threshold height of 6 feet which means that construction employers must protect their employees from fall hazards and falling objects whenever an affected employee is 6 feet or more above a lower level. Protection also must be provided for construction workers who are exposed to the hazard of falling into dangerous equipment. Typically fall protection is provided through the use of;

· Guardrail systems—A barrier with a top rail located 42 inches above the floor and a midrail.Screens and mesh may be used to replace the mid-rail as long as they extend from the top rail to the working level

· Safety net systems—Netting that is installed as close as practicable under the walking working surface on which employees are working and never more than 30 feet below such levels

· Personal fall arrest systems— A system that includes anchorage, connectors and a harness and may also include a deceleration device and lifelines used to arrest (safely stop) a person who is already falling from a working level

· Positioning device systems— A body harness system rigged to allow an employee to be supported on an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall, and work with both hands free while leaning backwards. The worker should not be able to freefall further than 2 feet

· Warning line systems—A barrier erected on a roof to warn unsecured employees that they are approaching an unprotected roof side or edge · Covers—Are fastened over holes in working surfaces to prevent falls

· Safety monitoring by a competent person—This allows a trained person to monitor others as they work on elevated surfaces and warn them of any fall hazards.