Scaffolding is essential in the construction, maintenance, renovation, and demolition of tall buildings. When working at great heights, it’s important that everyone follows the safest practices to avoid falling and other accidents. To keep your team safe, we’ve brought together the 10 best scaffolding training courses for construction.
Scaffolding is a must for any work in a tall building, but it's dangerous without any safety precautions. Common hazards include falling, getting hit by falling objects, exposure to electricity, weather conditions, and the collapse of a scaffold. When working at any height, the entire team must know how to stay safe and secure to avoid any accidents.
For Fiscal Year 2022, OSHA reported that fall protection for construction and scaffolding for construction were first and fourth in the list of the top 10 most frequently violated standards, respectively. While these violations result in big fines and penalties for your company, they also mean your team is vulnerable to life-threatening accidents.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that about 423 fatalities in construction in 2022 were due to falls, slips, and trips. About 80% of these fatalities happened due to falls to lower levels. To prevent these accidents from happening, your team must be aware of the best safety practices and know-how about scaffolding through training.
What is a scaffolding course?
A scaffolding course is a lesson plan about everything a construction worker needs to know about scaffolding. As a temporary structure, your team must know how to inspect, construct, access, and disassemble it for a safe scaffolding operation. This can be done through face-to-face demonstrations or online scaffolder training courses.
A scaffolding course may differ from one another because your company may use multiple kinds of scaffolds. For example, for painting and plastering jobs, your team may need a mobile scaffold course to cover all the specifics. Usually, a scaffolding course has a lesson about all kinds of scaffolds and their safety requirements.
What is the purpose of scaffolding training?
Scaffolding training increases the overall safety of your construction team. As your team reviews the most up-to-date safety standards and practices, the risk of accidents and injuries will decrease. It will make sure your daily operations run smoothly and increase the amount of competent persons you have on your team.
Some labor organizations may require scaffolding training for retraining. For example, OSHA requires that an employer retrain an employee if there’s a new hazard, there are changes in the scaffolds being used, or if the employee’s performance is unsatisfactory.
Prevent falls and injuries with scaffolding training courses
Scaffolding is the best structure for working with heights. To keep your team safe at high elevations, they should know how to secure themselves with guardrails, use access points, wear personal protective equipment, and inspect the scaffolding for hazards.
Use Mitti (by SafetyCulture) to make your scaffolding training programs engaging and interactive. This powerful tool can upskill, retrain, and onboard your team in a few clicks. Sign up now to keep your scaffolding worksites safe.