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CAN YOU ANSWER THIS? It is somewhat surprising how creative workers can get when it involves scaffolding. Just when it seems all the questions have been answered, along comes a question that raises an issue that was never addressed. Challenge yourself to these questions and see if your answer...

It is true that a scaffold without a platform cannot be a scaffold since a scaffold is defined as a “temporary elevated platform and its supporting structure.” It can, therefore, be assumed that a platform is rather important. But it isn’t the OSHA standards, or any other regulations and guidelines...

Planks are a vital component in scaffolds, as even the casual observer will notice. Yet it appears that too many workers take this vital component a little too casually. Planks and platforms consistently rank in the top 10 list of most frequently cited violations of standards. So what’s the big...

There is no diplomatic way to state this but to say it’s just wrong. I’m speaking of the misguided idea that platforms constructed by placing plywood on scaffold planks is not allowed under the present U.S. Federal regulations governing the construction and use of scaffolds in the United States....

A friend with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent this sketch to me. He asked for my opinion concerning the safety of the installation and whether this scaffold complied with the OSHA Standards. What would you answer? We can analyze this scaffold two ways: 1. Is this...