# Job Hazard Analysis: Scaffold erection URL: https://hardhatbinder.com/en/jha/masonry/scaffold-erection Last updated: 2026-10-23 Masonry crew erecting a frame-and-brace (welded tubular) supported scaffold along a building wall to lay brick or block. Covers site check, base setup, erecting each lift, planking, guardrails, ties, access, inspection, and cleanup. Erection is supervised by a competent person and follows the scaffold manufacturer's instructions. > A general example for this task. Your JHA should reflect your crew, equipment and site — review it with a competent person before work starts. ## Steps, hazards and controls ### 1. Plan the layout and inspect the site and all scaffold parts - **Contact with overhead power lines while raising frames or planks** (High): Look up and locate all overhead lines before setting the first frame.; If the scaffold will come within 10 ft of a line, call the utility to de-energize, move, or cover it first.; Assign a spotter whenever frames or planks are carried or raised near a line. - **Damaged or mismatched frames, braces, pins, or planks causing collapse** (Medium): Inspect every frame, brace, coupling pin, and plank before use; look for bends, cracks, rust, and split wood.; Tag damaged parts 'Do Not Use' and set them aside.; Do not mix parts from different manufacturers unless the competent person approves. ### 2. Unload and stage scaffold materials - **Back and shoulder strain lifting 40–60 lb frames and planks** (Medium): Use a forklift or telehandler to unload bundles when available.; Carry frames and long planks with two workers.; Stage material close to where each section goes up to shorten carries. - **Struck by vehicles or falling bundles in the staging area** (Medium): Barricade the unloading area and post signs.; Stack frames and planks flat on level ground, cross-stacked and not too high.; Stay out from under suspended loads. - **Pinched fingers when stacking or handling braces** (Low): Keep hands off the ends and contact points when setting parts down.; Wear work gloves. ### 3. Set the base: mudsills, base plates, screw jacks, and level the first lift - **Scaffold settling or collapsing on soft, frozen, or uneven ground** (High): Set base plates on full mudsills (solid wood pads) on compacted, level ground.; Never use bricks, block, or loose shims to level the scaffold; use screw jacks within the manufacturer's extension limit.; Check plumb and level with a level before going up.; Keep the base away from trench edges and freshly backfilled soil. - **Hand injuries adjusting screw jacks and base plates** (Low): Keep fingers clear of threads and the frame leg when lowering.; Wear work gloves. ### 4. Erect frames and cross braces lift by lift - **Falls from the scaffold while erecting upper lifts** (High): The competent person decides how erectors are protected and checks it before work starts.; Fully plank the lift you are standing on before raising the next frames.; Wear a full-body harness and tie off to an anchor the competent person approves when it is feasible.; Never climb cross braces; use the built-in or attached ladder. - **Frames, braces, pins, or tools dropped on workers below** (High): Barricade the area below and keep everyone not erecting out of it.; Raise parts with a hand line or gin wheel, not by tossing.; Wear a hard hat at all times. - **Partly built scaffold tipping in high wind or storms** (Medium): Stop erecting during high wind, storms, or lightning, and come down.; Install cross braces on each frame as soon as it is set, and lock all pins. ### 5. Install planks, guardrails, toeboards, and access ladder - **Falls through gaps or off open sides and ends of the platform** (High): Plank the full width of each working level with no wide gaps between planks or at the wall.; Install top rails at 38–45 in, midrails, and toeboards on all open sides and ends 10 ft or higher.; Install the access ladder or stair as the scaffold goes up. - **Planks sliding, tipping, or breaking** (Medium): Use only scaffold-grade planks or manufacturer decks.; Extend planks 6 to 12 in past supports, cleat or hook them, and overlap at least 12 in over a support.; Never use a plank that is split, warped, or covered with dried mortar. ### 6. Tie the scaffold to the building and set outriggers if needed - **Scaffold tipping over from missing ties or heavy brick and block loads** (High): Install ties to the structure at the spacing in the manufacturer's instructions once height is more than 4 times the base width.; Tie only to solid structure, never to windows, pipes, or fresh masonry.; Do not remove ties until the scaffold above is taken down. - **Silica dust when drilling masonry for tie anchors** (Medium): Use a hammer drill with a dust shroud and HEPA vacuum.; Wear a respirator if dust controls are not available. ### 7. Inspect and tag the scaffold before use and each shift - **Crew using an incomplete or overloaded scaffold** (Medium): The competent person inspects before each shift and after any storm or impact.; Hang a green tag when ready and a red tag when not; no one climbs a red-tagged scaffold.; Know the platform load rating; stack brick, block, and mortar tubs over the frames, not mid-span. ### 8. Clean up the area and secure leftover materials - **Trips over loose pins, straps, and debris around the base** (Low): Pick up pins, clips, and scraps and keep walkways clear.; Stack spare frames and planks in a marked storage area. - **Tools or debris left on platforms falling later** (Medium): Clear tools and loose items off every platform before leaving.; Keep barricades in place until the scaffold is tagged green. ## Required PPE - Hard hat — At all times on and around the scaffold. - Safety glasses — ANSI Z87.1 at all times; add a face shield when drilling. - Work gloves — Leather or cut-resistant when handling frames, braces, and planks. - Safety-toe boots — Slip-resistant soles; at all times. - Full-body harness with shock-absorbing lanyard — When the competent person says tie-off is feasible during erection; inspect before each use. - High-visibility vest — During unloading and near vehicle or equipment traffic. - Respirator and hearing protection — N95 or better and earplugs when drilling masonry for tie anchors without full dust controls. ## Training - Scaffold erector training by a qualified person: erection sequence, hazards, fall and falling-object protection, and load ratings. - A competent person on site to supervise erection and inspect the scaffold. - Fall protection training, including harness inspection and fitting. - Forklift or telehandler operator training if used to unload or lift materials. - Site hazard briefing on power lines, weather, and emergency procedures. ## Emergency If a worker falls or the scaffold collapses: stop all work, call 911 and give the site address, and do not move the injured worker unless they are in more danger. Give first aid until help arrives. If a worker is hanging in a harness, rescue them right away—suspension can become deadly within minutes. ## Official sources - [29 CFR 1926.451](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.451) — Scaffolds — general requirements - [29 CFR 1926.502](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.502) — Fall protection systems criteria and practices - [29 CFR 1926.501](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.501) — Duty to have fall protection - [29 CFR 1926.21](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.21) — Safety training and education - [29 CFR 1926.100](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.100) — Head protection - [29 CFR 1926.250](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.250) — Materials storage - [29 CFR 1926.1153](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.1153) — Respirable crystalline silica - [29 CFR 1926.20](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.20) — General safety and health provisions --- Source: HardHat Binder, operated by Leadspire LLC. Templates to be reviewed by a competent person before use; not legal advice; not affiliated with OSHA.