As with any construction equipment, people need to use scaffolding with a focus on safety. This kind of system can easily cause an accident due to many factors workers cannot control.

Learning about what injuries working on scaffolding can cause is important for any employee.

Tripping on items

According to the United States Department of Labor, items and tools left scattered on the walkways of a scaffold can cause someone to trip and fall. Even a hammer or drill sitting out can lead to a hazardous fall from multiple feet above the ground.

Not only can those items harm someone walking on the scaffold, but they can also fall down and hit you on the head below the scaffold. Taking all precautionary safety measures outlined in the handbook while using equipment on a platform is important for anyone working near it.

Collapsing platforms

Loose or cracked planks on a platform can easily break and collapse underneath someone’s weight. In order to prevent this kind of accident, workers must properly construct and check a scaffold before use.

If people rush to assemble a structure or forget to replace old areas, then these pieces can shift or break apart when more weight is on the platform. This unstable construction can cause parts to fall on workers’ heads or cause collapses during work.

Electrocution

Live wires that are in the middle of a platform with metal on it can seriously harm someone working on a scaffold. A shock from loose wires can cause serious damage as well as send someone falling onto the ground.

Even brief contact with these wires or other scaffolding problems can leave you with lasting health issues.