Scaffolding & Access: Safe Erection, Use and Dismantling Picture This

This image shows a multi-story residential construction site where a climbing scaffold system is being hoisted upward along the side of the building using a crane. Two workers are standing on the scaffold platform as it is lifted, rather than waiting on solid ground or using a designated personnel hoist. One worker’s fall arrest harness is clipped to the scaffold itself rather than an independent anchor point. As the crane lifts the system higher, the scaffold begins to tilt slightly to one side, shifting under the uneven load. Nearby on the ground, a folded set of manufacturer instructions sits unused on a stack of materials, visibly marked with a warning symbol on the cover page.

Riding a scaffold while it is being hoisted by a crane is never how these systems are designed to be used, no matter how routine it may seem on a busy job site. What looks like a shortcut to reach the work area faster is, in reality, removing every layer of protection the equipment was built to provide. A scaffold that shifts or inverts mid-lift gives workers no time to react and no safe way down. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly, use scaffolds only as designed, and never ride a scaffold being moved by a crane or other lifting equipment. The few extra minutes it takes to use the correct access method are minutes a worker will have for the rest of their life.