There are a lot of dangers which are present on a construction site and this is exactly why all health and safety measures should be taken. One particular danger which can cause grave injury is the scaffolding, and it is imperative that each piece of scaffolding on-site is fit for purpose. Such are the dangers around this, there are a number of personal injury law firms which have scaffold accident lawyers which specialize in helping those injured by these structures. Accidents can and do happen, and here are the most common factors which result in this type of injury.
Scaffolding Defects
It is imperative that construction site managers have fully inspected all scaffolding before it is erected. This is because one of the most common reasons for scaffolding injuries is defective scaffolding parts. Some pieces may lack the necessary bracing, others may not have been correctly manufactured and others may have compromised tubing. All of these factors should be checked before any scaffolding is used.
Improper Construction
Something else which the management team should inspect is the quality of the construction after the scaffolding has been put in place. This is another common issue for the collapse of scaffolding which can result in such severe injuries. Even something as small as the failure to fix a single attachment point can be enough for the structure to fall and for someone to get hurt.
Inadequate Scaffolding
Cutting corners on the construction site always presents dangers to those who are working on it, and this is very much the case when it comes to scaffolding. One very real danger is the reluctance of a construction firm to replace old or inadequate scaffolding. Over time this kind of equipment must be replaced in order to provide a sturdy structure of the workers, and a failure to do so can and will result in injuries for the workforce.
Weak Planking
It is not always the metal parts of the structure which can cause the danger, and weak planking is so very often the cause of accidents which can cause injuries. Even if the structure itself is correctly set up, just one or two planks which have not been correctly placed can easily cause someone to slip, fall or twist an ankle. Again this is something which has to be checked over after the scaffolding has been constructed.
Poor Quality Training
And finally we have that age-old issue which causes so many personal injuries, and that is poor quality training. If you have not trained your staff on how to safely and securely climb and ascend scaffolding then there is a very real chance that your workers could find themselves injured. If this did happen, the liability would fall squarely on the shoulders of the company which is operating the construction site.
The reality is that if proper care and attention is given, these kinds of accidents will be a thing of the past when it comes to scaffolding on a building site.
