Why Is Scaffolding Important In Construction

Without scaffolding, construction workers would have to rely on ladders to work at any kind of height. Scaffolding is important in construction as it provides a temporary stable base that minimises the risk for workers who are working at a height.

As well as providing better health and safety, scaffolding is important for allowing workers to place themselves directly in front of a building and put themselves in an efficient position to carry out their duties. This means they can easily carry out all kinds of work.

The platform provided by scaffolding also means that more than one worker can work together, making projects run more efficiently, saving time and costs.

Health & Safety

Health and safety is a big concern in the construction industry. The Health and Safety Executive have found that 40% of accidents resulting from falls occur on ladders. Using scaffolding makes a construction site safer.

Scaffolding, provided and assembled by a legitimate scaffolding company, is a great way to increase safety. Alongside well-built platforms there can be barriers, netting and fencing to protect workers. These barriers also protect the workers below from any falling debris.

Always check out the health and safety policy of a scaffolding company so you can be assured that your workers will be protected.

Access

Without scaffolding, it would be almost impossible for construction workers to access high rise or multi-storey buildings. Installing scaffolding allows work to be carried out safely at considerable heights or in hard to reach places.

Some construction work involves awkward access or structures that block access. Scaffolding can be built to allow work to be carried out in those tricky places.

The different designs of scaffolding can be used in a wide variety of situations where access would be difficult without it. Traditional tube and fitting is used on most commercial sites but there is also scaffolding that is specialised for working on roofs and chimneys.

Scaffolding is assembled in very close proximity to the walls of a building and therefore can be used even when a construction site is close to a road as it will not block road access.

Position

If you have tried painting the ceiling at home on a stepladder you will understand that just being able to reach is no guarantee for success. Having to hang on with one hand while balancing a paint pot is an accident waiting to happen.

In the construction industry, scaffolding provides a stable sturdy platform for workers to carry out their work. They can get into the right position with their tools to carry out all aspects of the building work required.

Scaffolding allows access to windows, walls, ceilings, and roofs and can be used with a variety of equipment that is needed to complete a job.

Efficiency

Time is money on a construction site and every project manager wants to optimise efficiency to get the work done quickly whilst maintaining excellent standards. Scaffolding provides a safe platform for workers to complete their jobs efficiently as they can maneuver about easily and work alongside others to get work done quickly.

Scaffolding also enables workers to achieve the perfect balance to carry out both intricate and heavy work as well as specialised jobs.

Materials

It’s not just people that need access to heights and awkward places. Workers need materials and tools to complete their jobs.

One additional advantage of scaffolding is that a wide platform can provide storage for essential materials and tools while the work is carried out. This increases efficiency and allows workers to get on with the job easily.

Time

Managers on a construction site always want to get started and then finish as quickly as possible as timescales are almost always critical. The benefit of scaffolding is that it can be erected easily and then disassembled just as quickly.

You might be surprised to learn that scaffolding will add very little time to the completion date of a project and can even reduce the amount of time it takes construction workers to complete their jobs as they will be able to work more efficiently on a steady platform.

Enduring

Many construction projects take a long time to complete. Scaffolding is designed to be long-lasting and will survive most weather conditions.

This means that once assembled, the scaffolding can remain in place for the duration of the project, enabling workers to get every aspect of the work completed before it is removed.

Bridging

Without scaffolding, many construction sites would have difficult and long routes between working areas. Not only does this increase the length of time it takes to complete a job, adding significantly to the cost but it can also increase the tiredness of the workers, making them less productive.

Bridging between platforms can help to reduce the number of time workers take to move between different areas of the building and this can increase the efficiency of a long build as well as improve the comfort of workers.

Flexibility

On a large construction site, there will be a whole host of trades required to finish a job. Scaffolding provides a platform for all kinds of workers to carry out their duties.

Whether on a new build or a renovation, scaffolding can be put up to allow access for bricklayers roofers, carpenters and any other specialists that need access.

The benefit of scaffolding is that it stays in place until all the work is done and the same platform can be used for all types of work that are needed to complete the build.

Final Words

When considering why scaffolding is important in construction, it’s worth remembering that there are bespoke solutions for different kinds of construction problems. A good scaffolding company can help you to find a solution for many kinds of projects and will work to industry standards to calculate your needs.

If you are looking for a quality scaffolding company, you need to consider a company that has a skilled experienced team with an excellent health and safety record and the knowledge to advise you on the type of scaffolding that will meet your needs.

Matthew Duff

Managing Director of M1 Scaffolding
01908 984858
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