The application of occupational health and safety regulations and the prevention of work accidents during the assembly and use of scaffoldings in construction works

Most of occupational related accidents that occur in the construction industry are a result of falling from height while working. Several hazards contribute to falling from height such as gaps at work area, the lack of guardrails, scaffolding etc. When these accidents are due to scaffoldings, there are several reasons that contribute, including its misuse; the lack of education and experience of the staff mantling and dismantling the scaffolding; and unsafe work practices. In this study, scaffoldings used in the construction of industrial plants and residential buildings have been observed and compared. Their compliance with the standards has been investigated. Statistical data focusing on fatal and non-fatal accidents related to the use of scaffoldings have been gathered and the reasons behind these accidents have been investigated. As a part of the investigation, an inspection form was created and a total of four construction sites (three domestics and one abroad) were visited to evaluate the scaffoldings at each site. Previous studies on the topic were reviewed and compared to the results obtained in this study. An unsuitability ratio for all the scaffoldings observed as a part of this study was computed. The unsuitability ratio calculated for the scaffoldings used in the residential project was found to be much higher than those calculated for the scaffoldings used in the industrial plant projects. Apart from this, in all the industrial plant projects investigated, the contractors signed a mutual Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) specification with the subcontractors. This was not the case with the residential project. In light of these findings, recommendations were made regarding safe scaffolding installation, its use and necessary precautions for dismantling.