Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 8, § 1658 - Suspended Scaffolds-General
(a)
Hoisting machines or winches that are a part of a suspended scaffold, and are
used in raising or lowering that scaffold, shall be approved.
(b) All scaffolds shall be fastened or hung
so as to avoid swaying from the building or structure. Window cleaners' anchors
shall not be used for this purpose. Supporting cables shall be vertical for
their entire length, unless otherwise designed by a currently registered civil
engineer in California. The baskets of single-unit, power-driven suspended
scaffolds shall not be swayed nor shall support cables be fixed to intermediate
points to change the original paths of travel.
(c) Design. All scaffold members, including
related parts and rigging, shall be of adequate strength to support intended
loads to which they will be subjected, without exceeding stresses established
by factors of safety specified in these Orders; or if no safety factors are
given, those generally accepted by the engineering profession.
(d) Ladders shall not be used as scaffold
platforms, even if a horizontal working surface has been placed over the rungs.
Other Orders in this Article call for the use of stage ladders, planking, or
specially designed platforms for such service.
(e) Supporting Ropes. Ropes supporting
scaffolds shall have a factor of safety of at least 6. They shall be inspected
on each job before being used to determine if they are unsafe because of
damage, wear, chemical action or similar defects. The use of repaired wire rope
as suspension rope is prohibited.
(f) Manila, or other fiber or synthetic ropes
shall not be used to support scaffolds upon which workers are using welding or
burning equipment of any type, sandblasting equipment, or any chemical
substance which may damage the rope by chemical action if splashed or spilled
on the rope. Wire rope is required for the above uses. Further, the wire shall
be protected against burning or a welding arc to a height of 8 feet above the
platform with a rubber hose or equivalent protection.
(g) Inspection. Suspended scaffolds that are
in service shall be inspected by a qualified person daily and tested as
frequently as is necessary in order to provide proper maintenance. Special
attention shall be given to ropes and other rigging.
(h) Suspended scaffolds shall be hung so as
to avoid overlap or possible interference with movement from a scaffold above
or below.
(i) When suspended
scaffolds are supported by a second wire rope, employees shall fasten their
lanyards to the work platform trolley line or droplines hanging from secure
overhead anchorages between each pair of hangers or falls. One line shall be
provided for each employee. It shall be a continuous rope in good condition and
free of imperfections, serious wear, or fraying.
(j) Outrigger beams used as supports for
suspended scaffold shall be tied back or secured in place and placed in saddles
or otherwise positively secured against the possibility of turning or twisting.
The attachments on these beams for support of suspended loads shall consist of
well-anchored L-hooks fitted with ½ inch shackle bolts, or equivalent.
See Plate B-24, Appendix.
(1) The outrigger
beams and supporting system shall be capable of safely sustaining 4 times the
rated load of the platform or hoist whichever is greater.
(2) When a counterweight system is used, the
counterweights shall consist of solid materials such as steel or concrete (See
Plate B-39, Appendix) and the tiebacks shall be at least equivalent in strength
to the suspension ropes and anchored securely.
(k) Unless otherwise designed by a currently
registered civil engineer in California, each suspended stage or plank-type
platform shall be supported at two or more places by rigging that receives its
load from only that one platform. Thus, two or more suspended scaffolds,
suspended stage, or plank type platforms shall not be combined into one by
bridging the distance between them with planks or similar connecting
platforms.
(l) Metal hangers for
suspended scaffolds shall be made of mild steel or equivalent material, capable
of sustaining 4 times the maximum rated load.
(m) Except where overhead protection is
required and which would result in a greater hazard, employees working in
single or two-point suspended scaffolds, shall be required to use safety belts
and lanyards attached to independently anchored droplines.
(n) Where the use of independently anchored
drop line is not possible, alternate safety measures shall be used.
(o) Railing. All scaffolds or staging
referred to in this Article suspended more than 7 ½ feet from the ground
or floor below shall have a standard guardrail of 2-inch by 4-inch of selected
structural grade lumber, free of knots or defects, not less than finished size
of 1 7/8 inches by 3 ½ inches, or of other equally rigid materials of
equivalent strength. This railing shall be not less than 36 inches nor more
than 42 inches above the platform with midrails attached at half the distance
from the platform floor to the top rail. All wood members shall not contain any
splices that fail to provide full strength and rigidity to the wood member.
When railing is longer than 10 feet between stirrups, it shall have a vertical
support near the midpoint of the span.
(p) Unattended Scaffold. When a suspended
scaffold is left unattended in an elevated position, it shall be securely
lashed to the building and be cleared of all tools, buckets, or other moveable
materials.
(q) When employees on
the scaffolds are exposed to the hazards of falling objects, overhead
protection not more than 9 feet above the platform shall be
installed.
(r) Hooks used as a part
of rigging for scaffold support shall be closed or "moused" (See Plate C-4,
Appendix).
(s) Where a single
outrigger beam is used, the steel shackles or clevises with which the wire
ropes are attached to the outrigger beams shall be placed directly over the
hoisting machines.
(t) The free end
of the suspension wire ropes shall be equipped with proper size thimbles and
secured by splicing or other equivalent means. Where applicable, the running
ends shall be securely attached to the hoisting machines and at least four
turns of wire rope shall at all times remain on the drum.
(u) Multi-level platforms and suspended
scaffolds with overhead protection shall be equipped with additional
independent lines equivalent in strength to the suspension ropes to support the
units if the primary suspension system fails. These additional independent
lines shall be tied to a structural member other than the primary suspension
member, capable of supporting the resulting suspended load imposed. (See Plate
B-42, Appendix.)
(v)
Gasoline-powered equipment and hoists shall not be located on suspension
scaffolds.
(w) Devices whose sole
function is to provide emergency escape and rescue shall not be used as working
platforms. This provision does not preclude the use of systems which are
designed to function both as suspension scaffolds and emergency
systems.
Notes
2. Amendment of subsection (a) and (b) and new subsection (k) filed 11-14-75; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 75, No. 46).
3. Amendment of subsection (c) filed 3-19-79; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 79, No. 12).
4. Amendment filed 7-24-87; operative 8-23-87 (Register 87, No. 33).
5. Amendment of subsection (e) and new subsections (v) and (w) filed 4-6-2001; operative 5-6-2001 (Register 2001, No. 14).
6. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (p) filed 11-19-2008 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2008, No. 47).
Note: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Sections 142.3 and 7152, Labor Code.
2. Amendment of subsection (a) and (b) and new subsection (k) filed 11-14-75; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 75, No. 46).
3. Amendment of subsection (c) filed 3-19-79; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 79, No. 12).
4. Amendment filed 7-24-87; operative 8-23-87 (Register 87, No. 33).
5. Amendment of subsection (e) and new subsections (v) and (w) filed 4-6-2001; operative 5-6-2001 (Register 2001, No. 14).
6. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (p) filed 11-19-2008 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2008, No. 47).
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