OSHA · Free course
Scaffold Safety
How to work safely on and around scaffolds: the types and terms, who must erect and inspect them (the competent person), how load capacity and a sound foundation…
OSHA
Scaffold Safety
What you’ll learn
By the end of this course.
Identify the main scaffold types and key Subpart L terms, and the role of the competent person and qualified person — 1926.450(b)
State that scaffolds and components must support their own weight plus at least 4 times the maximum intended load, and that suspension ropes/hardware support 6 times the load — 1926.451(a)(1),(a)(4)
Describe platform and foundation requirements: fully planked platforms with gaps no wider than 1 inch, base plates and mud sills, and the 4:1 height-to-base restraint trigger — 1926.451(b),(c)
Explain the fall-protection requirement above 10 feet, guardrail top-rail height of 38–45 inches, and falling-object protection — 1926.451(g),(h)
Recognize electrical clearance distances and prohibitions on working during storms, high winds, or on ice/snow-covered platforms — 1926.451(f)(6),(f)(12),(f)(8)
Explain that scaffolds must be inspected by a competent person before each work shift and that employees must be trained by a qualified person — 1926.451(f)(3), 1926.454
References & standards
Grounded in the source material.
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L — Scaffolds
- 1926.450 — Scope, application, and definitions
- 1926.451 — General requirements
- 1926.452 — Additional requirements for specific scaffold types
- 1926.453 — Aerial lifts
- 1926.454 — Training requirements
This is awareness training. It supports your program; it is not a substitute for site-specific procedures or hands-on competency where a standard requires it.
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