Toolbox Talks
Topic: Scaffolding Basic Awareness
A Scaffolding is a temporary platform which is also an Erected, Inspected and Dismantled procedure to prevent the fall from height incident at our work site.
One of the largest causes of fatalities and serious injuries in the industry is failure to adhere work at height safety guidelines. It is therefore essential to have awareness on safe erected scaffold. Scaffolding is a temporary structure which provides access working platform and can be used to support people, materials or equipment for job at height.
Scaffolding Tags
1. Red Tag – Do Not Use
- Normally used during scaffold erection/dismantling or whilst waiting for inspection or failed inspection.
- Only work allowed on a scaffold with a red tag is erection / dismantling by TRAINED SCAFFOLD ERECTORS.
2. Green Tag – Safe for use
- Signed by scaffold erection supervisor / Safety Officer and Inspector.
- Means the scaffold is safe to use but only valid for 7 days. Then must be reinspected.
- Tag should be placed near to the ladder going up from the ground level.
- Tag will also indicate weight limit (low, medium, heavy duty).
User Responsibility
- Before going on a scaffold you MUST check it has a green tag and it has been signed within the last 7 days.
- Visual check – No damage, no obvious signs that scaffolding has being changed or altered.
- Working on a scaffold WITHOUT a valid green tag is a serious safety offence.
- Implement safe working practice prior and during work at site.
- Only use ladder for access / egress, climbing on framework is prohibited.
- Do not carry equipment up ladders in hands, always tool belt or bag otherwise use rope with bag/box to lift tools and equipment. (both hands are required for
climbing). - To prevent dropped objects, housekeeping (5 ‘S’) at height must be ensured at all times, tools and equipment needs to be kept in bags/containers to prevent from falling.
- Do not lean out of handrail.
- Do not stand on scaffold handrails.
- In high wind, heavy rain or fog, the Supervisor / Safety Officer will make a decision as to if it is safe for work to continue.
- Check Safe Working Load of Scaffolding prior using scaffolding by competent person and approval by management authority.
Fall Protection (full body harness, double lanyard)
All persons working on scaffold must wear full body harness.
- The harness does not need to be hooked whilst going up/down ladders or if working on a scaffold platform which is completely enclosed with handrails and no danger of falling.
- If there are any openings in the platform where a person has the potential to fall, then the harness has to be hooked.
Checks required to be carried out before working on scaffold:
- Work Permit No.
- Scaffold Tag No.
- Location.
- Checked By (Date of Inspection).
Before erecting a scaffold, check the location for: 
- Ground conditions.
- Overhead electrical wires.
- Obstructions.
- Variation in surface elevation.
- Tie-in locations and methods.
- Potential wind loading conditions.
If you work on unsafe scaffold then hazards associated Scaffold are:
- Fall from height.
- Dropping Object from height.
- Electrocution from overhead electric cables.
- Overloading.
- Hazards of moving vehicles nearby
scaffolds. - Slip and trip hazard.
- Hot surface/ cold surface exposure
due to damaged insulation over pipeline.
To safeguard from
fall hazard use fall protection system.