When walking on a scaffold, the danger you are in may not seem obvious at first. Collapsed scaffolding is often a source of spinal cord and brain trauma.
Whether you are facing negligent coworkers or unsafe structures, learning about how scaffolds can harm you is important.
Loose electrical wires
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, working near metal on a scaffold is dangerous when electrical wires are active. If a place does not turn off the electricity, then you can face serious harm and burns when power lines touch a scaffold since they conduct electricity so well.
Slip and falls
A coworker who is rushing across a platform or pushing others to get to a certain place faster can potentially make you fall from several feet above the ground. A slip and fall at that height is serious enough that you may struggle to walk or go to work after those injuries.
Falls can also happen when coworkers leave tools or hammers out in the open spaces where people walk. If these items are not put away safely, you can slip on them and fall over the edge of a scaffold.
Collapses
A poorly-made scaffold can buckle under the weight of even just one person. If the people who built the scaffold you are on do not get it checked by a competent person, it could fall to the ground when you step on it.
Being aware of how scaffolds can harm you is just one way to stay safe while on a construction site.
