Ensuring the tail-end of the wire ropes do not touch the ground.Insulating the excess wire rope on the roof when using J-clips (fist grips).The most commonly overlooked precautions include the following: Often key components of this diagram are overlooked. It then came in contact with the suspension wire rope melting it – the result the worker’s fatal 19 story fall. The high amperage welding cable had been improperly repaired using electrical tape. It is unfortunate that equipment inspections and needed improvements were overlooked.
#SWING STAGE SCAFFOLD MANUAL#
The company had an extensive safety manual and on-site, weekly safety talks and the majority of workers were experienced journeymen. On the University of Iowa’s public health portion of its website, a detailed accident report from the Des Moines Register describes a 1996 accident in which a 43-year old welder fell 19 stories to his death. In another similar case, the outcome was fatal. The worker was hospitalized for his injuries. The welding current passed through the wire rope supporting the scaffold and the wire rope separated. This caused arcing between the scaffold and the building. Since the scaffold was not grounded, it became energized. The frayed section of the welding cable was tied around the guardrail of the scaffold. The work lead on the welder had frayed insulation in one area, leaving the bare conductor exposed. Most students are not familiar with the additional requirements called for when welding occurs from a suspended scaffold.įrayed insulation causes arc, damages suspension wire rope:Īn employee was arc welding from a suspended scaffold. Welding is discussed in detail in the SAIA’s Competent Person Training: Suspended Scaffold course. Many times the rental company finds that the end-user is unaware of these lifesaving welding codes. In the above scenario, if the codes had been followed prior to shipment, the fire drill described could have been avoided. “When welding is being performed on suspended scaffolds, the following precautions must be taken, as they apply to reduce the possibility of welding current arcing through the suspension wire ropes.” OSHA’s website has a significant amount of information, including codes and case reports on welding incidents from a swing stage. OSHA’s Guidelines for Welding from a Swing Stage
The result was a considerable increase in cost because of overtime and airfreight costs a necessary measure in order to protect the users and to avoid accidents. The rental company then had to scramble to get the additional required equipment to the site to avoid the job being shut down. The end-user said no, but when the equipment was delivered to the site the customer changed his mind. The rental company asked if welding was to be performed from the stage. In one case, equipment was supplied to a contractor who was working on a large project. Common scenarios where welding on swing stages takes place are at boilers, power plants, and shipyards however, a manufacturer and rental company may not always be aware of how the equipment ends up being used.
Welding on suspended scaffolds occurs more often than is considered.
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