swingstage requirments

Swing stage scaffolds, also known as two-point adjustable suspension scaffolds, have specific safety requirements to ensure worker safety. These requirements cover various aspects of the scaffold, including its components, assembly, use, and maintenance.

Here's a breakdown of the safety requirements:

Platform Specifications:

• The platform must be securely fastened to the hangers (stirrups) using U-bolts or equivalent means that meet safety standards [6] [4]

• Platforms should be of the ladder-type, plank-type, beam-type, or light-metal type. Light metal-type platforms with a rated capacity of 750 pounds or less and platforms 40 feet (12.2 m) or less in length must be tested and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory [6] [4]

• Platforms should be at least 500 millimeters wide and fastened to the stirrups [2]

• Platforms shall not be more than 36 inches (0.9 m) wide unless designed by a qualified person to prevent unstable conditions [6] [5] [4]

Enclosure:

• The swingstage scaffold platform should have an enclosure on the three sides that are not adjacent to the building [1] [2]

• The enclosure must be made of wire mesh or another material that is at least as effective at containing materials or equipment [1] [2]

• The enclosure should extend not less than 1 meter above the platform [1] [2]

Ropes:

• The hoisting equipment must be equipped with automatically operating locking mechanisms to prevent suspension ropes from slipping or running free [1]

• For manually operated swingstage scaffolds, the hoisting mechanism must be securely locked in a positive drive position, and the scaffold must have a secondary anti-fall device that connects it to the suspension rope above the hoisting mechanism [1]

• The suspension rope must be long enough to reach the next working surface below the scaffold, with the end doubled back and securely held by a cable clamp to prevent the hoisting machine from running off the end of the rope [1] [1]

• Suspension ropes supporting adjustable suspension scaffolds shall be of a diameter large enough to provide sufficient surface area for the functioning of brake and hoist mechanisms and shall be shielded from heat-producing processes. When acids or other corrosive substances are used on a scaffold, the ropes shall be shielded, treated to protect against the corrosive substances, or shall be of a material that will not be damaged by the substance being used [9] [9]

Additional Safety Measures:

• Powered swingstage scaffolds must have manually operated secondary mechanisms or escape devices if workers cannot reach a safe exit due to mechanical or power failure [1]

• Workers on the scaffold stage must be able to use the secondary mechanism or escape device to move the scaffold to a safe exit point [1]

• Two or more swingstage scaffolds should not be linked together by bridging the distance between them [1]

• Ensure that rollers or fenders are installed on the platform to bear against the side of the building or structure. These should hold the platform at a sufficient distance from the wall to avoid obstacles, but not so far as to allow a worker to fall through the space between the wall and the platform [2]

• A hook used in a swing stage suspension system shall be moused or have a safety latch [8]

Thrustouts and Counterweights:

• Thrustouts, clamps, or parapet hooks must be tied back or secured to a solid part of the structure to prevent movement or dislodgement [2]

• Counterweights must be firmly attached to the thrustouts and heavy enough to counterbalance 4 times the maximum weight likely to be on the scaffold. Bagged or loose material are not allowed as counterweights [2]

Worker Responsibilities:

• Workers must inspect the scaffold before starting work to ensure that thrustouts or parapet hooks are secured and counterweights meet requirements [1]

• Workers must remain between the stirrups at all times and not bridge the distance between the scaffold and any other scaffold [3]

• Vertical lifelines used for fall protection must not be used as a means of entering or leaving a swingstage, and bagged or loose materials must not be used as counterweights [3]

• All ropes from the scaffold that extend to the ground or a landing must be prevented from tangling [3]

• When the scaffold is moved up or down on its suspension ropes, the stage must not be out of level by more than 10 percent of its length [3]

Fall Protection:

• If a worker may fall 3 meters or more while working from a suspended swingstage scaffold, their personal fall arrest system must be connected to a vertical lifeline [3]

• An employer may allow a worker to connect a personal fall arrest system to a horizontal lifeline or anchorage on the swingstage scaffold if the failure of one suspension line will not substantially alter the position of the swingstage scaffold [3]

Other requirements:

• A swing stage shall not be used without the prior permission of the minister when there are 2 or more work platforms at different levels on one swing stage assembly; one swing stage is used above or below a portion of another swing stage; there is bridging between swing stages; a work platform exceeds 10 metres in length; or the suspension height exceeds 90 metres [7]

• A swing stage shall be suspended from parapet clamps, cornice hooks, thrust-out beams or other solid anchorages having a working load limit that is at a minimum equivalent to that of the suspension system for the swing stage [7]

• A suspension line for a swing stage shall be secured at the upper end using a safety hook, shackle or other method acceptable to the minister [7]

• The working load limit of a cornice hook or parapet clamp shall be determined by the manufacturer or professional engineer and be clearly marked on the hook or clamp [10]

• A cornice hook or parapet clamp shall be installed to engage structurally sound portions of a building or structure having adequate strength for the purpose [10]

• A cornice hook, parapet clamp or thrust-out beam shall be secured by a tieback to a solid anchorage on the building or structure or to another parapet clamp secured on the far side of the structure [10]

• A thrust-out beam used to support a swing stage shall provide a minimum safety factor of 4, based on the ratio of the ultimate load carrying capacity of the thrust-out beam to the static load [10]

• A thrust-out beam used for supporting a swing stage shall be counterbalanced to support a load of at least 4 times the static load [10]

• Where a suspension line, tieback, lifeline or other part of the rigging for a swing stage comes into contact with a rough or sharp edge, the line shall be protected from damage [8]

Training:

• The employer shall have each employee who performs work while on a scaffold trained by a person qualified in the subject matter to recognize the hazards associated with the type of scaffold being used and to understand the procedures to control or minimize those hazards. The training shall include the nature of any electrical hazards, fall hazards and falling object hazards in the work area; the correct procedures for dealing with electrical hazards and for erecting, maintaining, and disassembling the fall protection systems and falling object protection systems being used; the proper use of the scaffold, and the proper handling of materials on the scaffold; the maximum intended load and the load-carrying capacities of the scaffolds used [11]

These requirements are put in place to ensure that swing stage scaffolds are used safely and that workers are protected from falls and other hazards.