Scaffold Tower Safety Stats and Facts

FACTS

1. Inadequate Training: Workers without proper training in scaffold tower assembly, use, or dismantling risk falls or collapses due to incorrect setup or failure to follow safety standards like OSHA or EN 1004:2020.
2. Missing Fall Protection: Lack of guardrails, personal fall arrest systems, or toe boards on platforms above 10 feet (6 feet for some contractors) increases the risk of fatal falls from scaffold towers.
3. Improper Assembly: Incorrectly assembled towers (e.g., missing bracing, unstable castors, or unlevel footing) can overturn or collapse, endangering workers and bystanders.
4. Overloading Platforms: Exceeding the weight capacity of scaffold towers with workers, tools, or materials compromises structural stability, leading to potential collapses.
5. Lack of Inspections: Failure to conduct pre-use and regular inspections (e.g., every 7 days for construction use) by a competent person can allow defects like damaged frames or missing pins to go unnoticed.
6. Environmental Hazards: Using scaffold towers in high winds, on uneven ground, or during adverse weather without proper stabilization increases the risk of tipping or structural failure.
7. Unsafe Access: Climbing tower frames or using improper ladders instead of designated access points (e.g., built-in ladders, hatches) heightens the risk of falls during entry or exit.

STATS

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in 2020 that scaffold-related accidents caused approximately 52 deaths and 4,500 injuries annually, with 25% of fatal falls occurring from scaffolds.
• WorkSafeBC noted in 2022 that 10% of construction-related injuries in British Columbia involved scaffolding, with mobile scaffold towers cited in 30% of fall incidents due to improper assembly or lack of guardrails.
• OSHA reported in 2023 that scaffolding violations were among the top five most-cited construction standards, with 20% of citations related to missing fall protection or inadequate training on scaffold towers.
• A 2021 Statistics Canada survey found that 15% of construction workers reported near-miss incidents on scaffold towers, often due to unstable footing or overloading.
• A 2022 Journal of Safety Research study indicated that 72% of scaffold tower injuries were attributed to planking/support failure, worker slips, or falling objects, preventable with proper inspections and fall protection.
• The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) stated in 2023 that workplaces with regular scaffold tower safety training reduced fall-related incidents by up to 20%.