Masonry Magazine August 2007 Page. 28
SCAFFOLD PLANK
There isn't any real policing being done of what's being used out there, in my opinion.... OSHA has limited resources, and they can't possibly address each and every job site on a regular basis," Gilleran said.
Colby Hubler, president of sales and marketing for Mill Direct Lumber Sales Inc. in Tualatin, Ore., and chairman of the PPC, said the non-compliant planks are those that look and feel like compliant products but, because of the lack of quality control in some countries, the final product does not meet the U.S. industry standard. "The effect is potentially a plank that cannot handle the proper loads and tragically injury [has occurred] in some cases," he said. "With respect to solid sawn plank, we are seeing 'non-scaffold' grade lumber being sold and used as scaffold plank. Not only is this in violation of OSHA, but it is a deliberate disregard for safety."
Educating the contractor is key, Hubler said, to ensuring that only safe scaffold plank is used on construction sites. "The goal is to develop a dialogue of questions and answers between the buyer and the supplier that will outline the products' compliance, the manufacturing process, how to identify the plank and if the supplier has the resources to support the product from all angles," Hubler said. "We feel, if the buyer is aware of what to look for in a legitimate manufacturer and a compliant scaffold plank, eventually there will be no room for a substandard, unsafe product."
John Warlikowski, LVL product manager for Kennison Forest Products Inc. in Riverside, Calif., and a member of the PPC, couldn't agree more. He first became aware of the "knock-off" LVL scaffold planks, as he calls them, about one year ago and actually had the questionable planks tested by an independent laboratory. "I was able to obtain several hundred of the planks that had not been used, but were in brand new, off-the-shelf, ready to sell condition," Warlikowski said. He then asked that the planks be evaluated based on what was embossed along their edges.
"The edges read, 'Proof Tested Scaffold Plank 6-20-05 2.2E OSHA. Any unsuspecting contractor or building material supplier would certainly believe they were pur-
"The effect is potentially a plank that cannot handle the proper loads and tragically injury [has occurred] in some cases."
- Colby Hubler, president of sales and marketing for Mill Direct Lumber Sales Inc.
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