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The dangers you face when you work on or near scaffolding

If you, like many others, make your living working at Georgia construction sites, you probably know a thing or two about how to protect yourself on the job. Working in the construction industry involves inevitable dangers, and while new workers always face a high risk of injury, experienced workers, too, commonly suffer injuries on the job, many of which involve scaffolding. At Harris and Hartman Law Firm, P.C., we understand that catastrophic injuries often result from scaffolding accidents, and we have helped many Georgians who suffered injury on construction sites pursue what they needed to rebuild their lives.

According to Safety + Health, while working on or near scaffolding is always dangerous, so, too, is erecting these temporary work platforms. Many construction workers across the state and nation suffer scaffolding-related injuries throughout the erection process, but there are certain steps you can take to reduce your risk. Among the most important safety precautions you can take when erecting scaffolding involves always using level, load-supporting footings and properly utilizing plumb and brace equipment to prevent the platform from swaying.

While such efforts can help reduce the risk of a scaffold collapsing, which can cause falls, crush injuries and more, you and your team also want to exercise extreme care when it comes to where you erect your work platforms. Avoid doing so too closely to power lines, and this can lead to accidental electrocution. Once you are working on the scaffold, make sure to secure everything you need to avoid it falling and injuring someone below. Additionally, always avoid overloading the scaffold, as this is one of the primary causes of scaffolding collapses.

While taking these steps can reduce your risk of a scaffolding-related injury, your employer, too, has a responsibility to enhance safety around the jobsite as much as possible. Find more about workers’ compensation on our web page.