When erecting scaffolds, there are various parts that qualified scaffolders need to put up the framework safely and securely, and each plays an important role.
You will also find that many health and safety stipulations must be adhered to when building a scaffold. We have written a guide below outlining which parts should be used, how they are applied, and the specific requirements for erecting scaffolds.
Below are some frequently asked questions and details of the specifications that are required when building scaffolds. However, if you are looking to buy scaffold components, browse our full range of surplus scaffolding supplies here or contact us if the materials you need are not listed.
Sole boards parts are placed on the floor underneath the baseplates which hold the standards in place. They are required on areas where the ground is soft for example grass or mud and are made from timber. They should always be put on level ground and should be at least 160 sq. inches with a width of 225mm and a thickness of 38mm (this is why cut scaffold boards are generally used for this). You do not need to use a sole board where the surface is hard for example on flat concrete.
When erecting the standards or uprights to create a bay the maximum distance between each set of standards should be 2.1 metres for general use (e.g. maintenance, painting etc) and a maximum of 1.8m apart if the scaffold(s) are to carry a heavy load. The distance between the standards is called the bay length.
Transoms are scaffolding parts that should be fixed horizontally on top of the ledgers in each bay against the standards, with the intermediate transoms secured at various points in the middle of the bay and the distance these should be apart depends on the boards thickness.
For non-load bearing scaffolds, transoms should be set no more than 1.2m apart if used for supporting 38mm scaffolding boards, but if you are using 50mm boards then each transom should be a maximum distance of 2.6m apart.
Face or sway braces which are located at the front of the framework are required to be fixed at each fourth bay as well as at the first and the last bays as these provide the structure with additional sturdiness. The parts which make a sway brace are tube.
Transverse or ledger bracing parts are fixed to the width of the scaffolding and should be fixed every other bay.
When securing the braces to the structure with coupler parts they should be placed within 300mm of the joint of standards, transoms, and ledger joints.
The couplers that should be used when bracing the framework are swivel and double couplers as they are a load bearing part. You must never use a single coupler as they do not have the strength to take on heavy loads. There are different classes of coupler and this should be taken into consideration when using these parts on a scaffold.
Class A – 6.1kN load capacity.
Class B – 9.1kN load capacity.
When fixing these scaffolding parts to the tubes they must be fully tight either using a wrench drill or a handheld spanner. Always ensure they are tightened to their full potential.
Ties are a scaffolding part that is used to control the standards in their vertical position, and this is to prevent movement and overturn the higher scaffolds go. Ties are to be installed where there is a height and width ratio of 4:1 with the first tie being added at a 2.4m height and any following ties should be added every 6m.
When building a working lift it should be a minimum of 2.0m high.
The main scaffolding part used for creating the walking area of the platform is scaffold boards, and these should be of good quality and not have any cracks. The boards must have the following dimensions, a width of 225mm with a thickness of 38mm. When placing them over the transoms there should be a slight overhang of 2 to 6 inches on the end transoms and there should also be a gap between the boards of no more than 25mm. These scaffolding parts should then be fixed to the scaffold using board retaining clips to ensure they are unable to move.
Toe boards are parts that have to be added to the perimeter of the working platform again using scaffold boards, and this part should have a vertical space of no more than 6mm from the toe board itself and the walking surface.
Handrails are scaffolding parts which are used to protect the user from falling from height. Handrails are placed in two different positions which are the top guard rail which is placed at a height between 38 inches and 45 inches, and a middle guardrail which is usually fixed 470mm below the top rail. To fix the rails to the standards at each joint you need to use the scaffolding part known as a double coupler.
There are other scaffold components and accessories that can be used when putting up scaffolds but it all depends on what type of work you need the platform for and where abouts the structure would be located (e.g. on a high street or public area) so additional health and safety parts may be required. The information we have supplied covers simple scaffolding structures around domestic properties. If you have any further questions about scaffolding parts and their uses please just ask.
