Dear Raghu
Nice to see you reply and first of all sorry for late reply.
I appreciate that you have got a good safety record. Keep it up and may God help you to maintain it.
One doubt again which comes in my mind after read your reply is that, you mentioned the employee committing mistake was not undergone safety orientation. Even after you are having international safety standards how it comes? Again system failure comes in picture. I am just pointing out my observation. Surely I am also beleiving penalising is very much required even upto the termination of a contract or upto the termination of an employee . But On a later stage. Training, Counsiling, verbal warning, written warning, penalizing then termination. I am sure if you showing your real concern towards employees on safety termination is much far away. Through training one should understand the value of safety. We have to conduct it in such a way that they should feel that, yes the company is taking care of me. They will surely comply. You may get 10% again not complying in which you must go ahead.
Regards,
Dipil Kumar V
From India
711Nice to see you reply and first of all sorry for late reply.
I appreciate that you have got a good safety record. Keep it up and may God help you to maintain it.
One doubt again which comes in my mind after read your reply is that, you mentioned the employee committing mistake was not undergone safety orientation. Even after you are having international safety standards how it comes? Again system failure comes in picture. I am just pointing out my observation. Surely I am also beleiving penalising is very much required even upto the termination of a contract or upto the termination of an employee . But On a later stage. Training, Counsiling, verbal warning, written warning, penalizing then termination. I am sure if you showing your real concern towards employees on safety termination is much far away. Through training one should understand the value of safety. We have to conduct it in such a way that they should feel that, yes the company is taking care of me. They will surely comply. You may get 10% again not complying in which you must go ahead.
Regards,
Dipil Kumar V
From India
@ Keshav Pillai
Dear Sir
Attaching few more photos of Unsafe Scaffolding... May be useful to you for training purpose...
Can you please answer the following two more questions:
1. What should be the ideal material for sole plates and the base plates? Can we avoid use of these and allow direct placement of pipes directly to the ground if its sound and rigid?
2. I am attaching a Scaffold Checklist. Please go through it and give your valuable feedback. Whether this checklist covering bare minimum requirement for ensuring Safe Scaffolding or if not what all bullet points to be added?
Looking forward for a positive response.
Regards,
Dipil Kumar V
From India
Dear Sir
Attaching few more photos of Unsafe Scaffolding... May be useful to you for training purpose...
Can you please answer the following two more questions:
1. What should be the ideal material for sole plates and the base plates? Can we avoid use of these and allow direct placement of pipes directly to the ground if its sound and rigid?
2. I am attaching a Scaffold Checklist. Please go through it and give your valuable feedback. Whether this checklist covering bare minimum requirement for ensuring Safe Scaffolding or if not what all bullet points to be added?
Looking forward for a positive response.
Regards,
Dipil Kumar V
From India
Dear Dilip,
Thanks for the photographs. It is the reflection of present status of scaffolding.
THE LAW REQUIRES THAT NO SCAFFOLD SHALL BY ERECTED, MOVED, DISMANTLED OR ALTERED EXCEPT UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF A COMPETENT PERSON.
Tags for access scaffold more than 6 mtrs., in height shall be signed off by a competent supervisor and an inspector. Up to 6 mtrs it need be signed by only supervisor.
Scaffolding is a specialisation. Unless specifically trained I do not advise one to take up scaffolding work.
Safety officers and engineers if they have not undergone the required training and are not certified to that effect are not competent enough to erect and certify a scaffold.
In India we are yet to take up scaffolding seriously.
The check list posted by Mr.Dipil is not sufficient.
When a check list is provided normally one will check only those listed items and as such it should reflect each and every item requiring scrutiny. Remember that the life of a worker on a scaffold is guaranteed safe when we attach a green tag such that we start checking from ground preparation to the tag. You can modify the check list accordingly to include every item to suit safety requirement.
Regards,
Kesava Pillai
From India, Kollam
Thanks for the photographs. It is the reflection of present status of scaffolding.
THE LAW REQUIRES THAT NO SCAFFOLD SHALL BY ERECTED, MOVED, DISMANTLED OR ALTERED EXCEPT UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF A COMPETENT PERSON.
Tags for access scaffold more than 6 mtrs., in height shall be signed off by a competent supervisor and an inspector. Up to 6 mtrs it need be signed by only supervisor.
Scaffolding is a specialisation. Unless specifically trained I do not advise one to take up scaffolding work.
Safety officers and engineers if they have not undergone the required training and are not certified to that effect are not competent enough to erect and certify a scaffold.
In India we are yet to take up scaffolding seriously.
The check list posted by Mr.Dipil is not sufficient.
When a check list is provided normally one will check only those listed items and as such it should reflect each and every item requiring scrutiny. Remember that the life of a worker on a scaffold is guaranteed safe when we attach a green tag such that we start checking from ground preparation to the tag. You can modify the check list accordingly to include every item to suit safety requirement.
Regards,
Kesava Pillai
From India, Kollam
Dear dipil,
Thanks for ur photos. . ..
Dear kesav,
Thanks for ur valuable comment. . . surely its to us. . .
Dear dipil,
Please find the attached Scoffolding checklist i hope its meet ur requirement. . .
Thanks & Besafe
Raghu
From United States, Fpo
Thanks for ur photos. . ..
Dear kesav,
Thanks for ur valuable comment. . . surely its to us. . .
Dear dipil,
Please find the attached Scoffolding checklist i hope its meet ur requirement. . .
Thanks & Besafe
Raghu
From United States, Fpo
Dear all, Please see the attached checklist folder i hope its help to us. . . Wait for ur commends. . . Thanks & Besafe Raghu
From United States, Fpo
From United States, Fpo
Dear Raghu
Thanks for the checklist...
I would like to make a checklist with bare minimum mandatory requirement... Not like to make a long list of check oints and nobody following the same... Just wish to make a smaller one and wsih to implement that strictly... However I can add points from your checklist...
@ Keshav Pillai
Sir, I am attaching few more photos of unsafe base of scaffoldings... Please share with me if you are having any photos which is showing the safe footing/base of scaffolding? How it should be? Can we allow the practices which showing in the picture? Awaiting your comments please?
Dear all please participate in the thread and let us make it as a great refferance for scaffolding construction?
Regards,
Dipil Kumar V
From India
Thanks for the checklist...
I would like to make a checklist with bare minimum mandatory requirement... Not like to make a long list of check oints and nobody following the same... Just wish to make a smaller one and wsih to implement that strictly... However I can add points from your checklist...
@ Keshav Pillai
Sir, I am attaching few more photos of unsafe base of scaffoldings... Please share with me if you are having any photos which is showing the safe footing/base of scaffolding? How it should be? Can we allow the practices which showing in the picture? Awaiting your comments please?
Dear all please participate in the thread and let us make it as a great refferance for scaffolding construction?
Regards,
Dipil Kumar V
From India
Hello everybody,
I have been following this discussion. Very nice and educative.
This surely highlights the bad state of Scaffolds. I was thinking about the reasons for this poor condition. I would like to share my thoughts with all.
Reasons for using non standard Scaffolds -
1. Lack of Knowledge -
Most construction workers are uneducated, having skills developed by working for years, starting as a helpor to becoming a specialised masion, carpenter etc. They just know hou to do their job and are adapt to doing the work in hazardous conditions without complaining.
Also most of the times the unskilled labours are hired on daily basis and the same person may not turn up or may not be hired daily. Hence traing such unorganised mass is not a very easy task.
2. " Sab chalta hai" attitude -
Most of the time workers and even the supervisors dont take the extra effort to fabricate a perfect scaffold as it takes time and other resources. Instead they use whatever material they have, saying they have worked like this for years and nothing has happend.
3. Lack of willpower of the management -
Since the management has its efforts focused on achiving the target at the earliest, and within the prdefined budget (and certainly safety expenses are most of the time not considered while planning the budget of most of the projects), fabricating a standard scaffold is considered wastage of time and money.
4. Natural human tendency to adopt the shortcut -
but it should always be kept in mind that " short cut may hurt "
5. Much of the responsibility lies on the safety professionals -
The management is only able to see the tip of the iceberg. Certainly we should try to bring into managements view the complete iceberg and the cost of accident should be calculated and highlgted after every accident investigation.
These points I think hold good for any unsafe practices as well as the Scaffolds, which is the focus of this discussion.
I hope this is in line with the discussion going on.
My best regards to all contributors.
Raman.
From India, Varanasi
I have been following this discussion. Very nice and educative.
This surely highlights the bad state of Scaffolds. I was thinking about the reasons for this poor condition. I would like to share my thoughts with all.
Reasons for using non standard Scaffolds -
1. Lack of Knowledge -
Most construction workers are uneducated, having skills developed by working for years, starting as a helpor to becoming a specialised masion, carpenter etc. They just know hou to do their job and are adapt to doing the work in hazardous conditions without complaining.
Also most of the times the unskilled labours are hired on daily basis and the same person may not turn up or may not be hired daily. Hence traing such unorganised mass is not a very easy task.
2. " Sab chalta hai" attitude -
Most of the time workers and even the supervisors dont take the extra effort to fabricate a perfect scaffold as it takes time and other resources. Instead they use whatever material they have, saying they have worked like this for years and nothing has happend.
3. Lack of willpower of the management -
Since the management has its efforts focused on achiving the target at the earliest, and within the prdefined budget (and certainly safety expenses are most of the time not considered while planning the budget of most of the projects), fabricating a standard scaffold is considered wastage of time and money.
4. Natural human tendency to adopt the shortcut -
but it should always be kept in mind that " short cut may hurt "
5. Much of the responsibility lies on the safety professionals -
The management is only able to see the tip of the iceberg. Certainly we should try to bring into managements view the complete iceberg and the cost of accident should be calculated and highlgted after every accident investigation.
These points I think hold good for any unsafe practices as well as the Scaffolds, which is the focus of this discussion.
I hope this is in line with the discussion going on.
My best regards to all contributors.
Raman.
From India, Varanasi
Helloo Everybody.
I am an Engr working in SPCL. It was nice to see you all taking initiative and discussing about good practices of scaffolds. It is really one of the least looked after part of the construction industry. Safety harnesses PPEs etc are used for climbing and working on scaffolds but no one is really bothered to check the stability of the scaffolding (casual approach) if the scaffold is not proper there is no use of all the PPEs.
Anyways, my real point of discussion is that I want to know how can v analyse the frame strucure of the scaffolds, the flow of load transfer etc.
2) How can v caculate the load transfered to the scaffolds through inclined bracings (inclined in both vertical and horizontal planes)
3) We are using cuplock system at SPCL.
Regards
waiting for reply
From India, Pune
I am an Engr working in SPCL. It was nice to see you all taking initiative and discussing about good practices of scaffolds. It is really one of the least looked after part of the construction industry. Safety harnesses PPEs etc are used for climbing and working on scaffolds but no one is really bothered to check the stability of the scaffolding (casual approach) if the scaffold is not proper there is no use of all the PPEs.
Anyways, my real point of discussion is that I want to know how can v analyse the frame strucure of the scaffolds, the flow of load transfer etc.
2) How can v caculate the load transfered to the scaffolds through inclined bracings (inclined in both vertical and horizontal planes)
3) We are using cuplock system at SPCL.
Regards
waiting for reply
From India, Pune
Dear Friends,
“but no one is really bothered to check the stability of the scaffolding”
It is a pathetic situation !
But why it is so ?
To look at a scaffold-it is nothing! With match sticks children can make better skeletons. More or less a scaffold too looks like it, right?
Just few years before in Dubai airport a scaffold failed and the death toll was nearly 150. Scaffolding is not as simple as we look at.
Scaffolding is a specialization. From ground preparation to tag off making of it must be supervised by a competent person.
“THE LAW REQUIRES THAT NO SCAFFOLD SHALL BY ERECTED, MOVED, DISMANTLED OR ALTERED EXCEPT UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF A COMPETENT PERSON.”
Not only the supervisor who supervises the scaffolding work, but the inspector who inspects and puts a tag of acceptance and the entire scaffolding crew must under go training and certification.
If you are using system scaffold like cuplock the manufacturer gives you the loading details.
Even access scaffold more than 20 feet and special scaffolds shall be designed by a qualified structural engineer.
There is more to it.
For safety’s sake leave the scaffolding work only to trained scaffolders.
I am attaching few questions.
Please friends try to answer those questions. We can learn together if really interested.
Regards,
Kesava Pillai
From India, Kollam
“but no one is really bothered to check the stability of the scaffolding”
It is a pathetic situation !
But why it is so ?
To look at a scaffold-it is nothing! With match sticks children can make better skeletons. More or less a scaffold too looks like it, right?
Just few years before in Dubai airport a scaffold failed and the death toll was nearly 150. Scaffolding is not as simple as we look at.
Scaffolding is a specialization. From ground preparation to tag off making of it must be supervised by a competent person.
“THE LAW REQUIRES THAT NO SCAFFOLD SHALL BY ERECTED, MOVED, DISMANTLED OR ALTERED EXCEPT UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF A COMPETENT PERSON.”
Not only the supervisor who supervises the scaffolding work, but the inspector who inspects and puts a tag of acceptance and the entire scaffolding crew must under go training and certification.
If you are using system scaffold like cuplock the manufacturer gives you the loading details.
Even access scaffold more than 20 feet and special scaffolds shall be designed by a qualified structural engineer.
There is more to it.
For safety’s sake leave the scaffolding work only to trained scaffolders.
I am attaching few questions.
Please friends try to answer those questions. We can learn together if really interested.
Regards,
Kesava Pillai
From India, Kollam
Dear Friends,
“If u work at height above 6 feet u should wear safety harness!”
This is from a post from Mr Reghuvaran chakravarthy.
Kindly confirm as to what type of a safety harness can be worn at just above 6 feet and what purpose it serves at that height please ?
We just worship what is written by others especially Americans. Time is up. Let us start questioning and get ourselves convinced before accepting things.
Regards,
Kesava Pillai
From India, Kollam
“If u work at height above 6 feet u should wear safety harness!”
This is from a post from Mr Reghuvaran chakravarthy.
Kindly confirm as to what type of a safety harness can be worn at just above 6 feet and what purpose it serves at that height please ?
We just worship what is written by others especially Americans. Time is up. Let us start questioning and get ourselves convinced before accepting things.
Regards,
Kesava Pillai
From India, Kollam
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