Risks associated with working on or near scaffolding

Construction sites across Connecticut undergo constant change, and when workers are regularly erecting and dismantling construction-related equipment and infrastructure, mistakes and accidents can occur. Working on or around scaffolds, specifically, presents clear occupational risks, and the injuries that can result from scaffolding-involved accidents can prove quite serious and even deadly. At Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, P.C., we understand how devastating the effects of scaffolding accidents often are, and we have helped many workers who suffered injuries in such accidents pursue solutions that meet their needs.

Per the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, scaffolds are elevated, short-term work platforms that help construction workers, building erectors and others access otherwise hard-to-reach areas. Scaffolds come in a variety of different types, but they can all pose dangers to workers if they are not erected, dismantled or used properly.

For example, if workers overload or improperly erect a scaffold, this can increase the chances of a scaffold collapse, which endangers both the people working on top of the platform and those working below. Scaffold collapses can lead to crush injuries, fall-related injuries and blunt-impact injuries, among others, and in especially serious cases, scaffold collapses can prove fatal.

While falls are an obvious risk when scaffolds collapse, employees who work on scaffolds can fall at any time, highlighting just how dangerous these work platforms can be. You and your colleagues can typically mitigate your fall risk to some degree by making sure you always erect scaffolds properly and exercise care when working on or under them. You can also reduce your injury risk by always wearing protective gear when working on or near scaffolds. You can find more about workplace injuries by visiting our webpage.