Masonry Magazine August 2005 Page. 32
CASE STUDY
Masonry: When you have so many different systems going on in so many different places, how many competent persons do you need to have available for something like that?
Bounds: We had to have at least three competent scaffolding personnel on this job site. And we had one for each system. Then we went beyond that, and we required our superintendent and foreman for this job to take competent scaffold training. So, as this project was being built, there were times I had up to as many as 10 competent scaffold people on this job site.
Masonry: Other than the safety issues, what were some other issues with having so many different types of scaffolding on the same project?
Bounds: Well, our big issue with having so many different scaffold systems was that other trades wanted to borrow our scaffolding. And we're very, very particular as far as requiring them to sign releases and making sure they have the proper insurance in place. But even beyond that, we also require that these individuals have the proper scaffolding training to even get on a particular system.
PURCHASE DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER
* SCAFFOLDING
* SHORING
* ACCESSORIES
* VISIT US AT WOC 2006, BOOTH #C8221
As this project was being built, there were times I had up to as many as 10 competent scaffold people on this job site.
We've always tried to work with other project teams and allow them to use our scaffold as long as it did not delay our activities. It was a much bigger challenge on a project like this because so many other trades wanted to get in there and use our scaffolding. That was another reason we had to have a full-time safety person - just to keep our fellow trade companies in line with safety and proper training on our scaffold.
Masonry: Was there an issue scheduling the different scaffolding as far as 'this one needs to be here at a certain time? Was that an issue or was it fairly plain and simple for your foreman and supervisors?
Bounds: It was a commonsense decision. It was not a real challenge for us to meet the schedule. We knew the CMU had to get started at a very early stage - we went to the conventional scaffolding system. We were scaffolding off of a concrete surface from the interior. We also knew that, for our brickwork to flow as it needed to, we had to get the swing stage out and ahead of the jack-up system. But at the same time, we had take into consideration, 'OK, there are other trades that are having to get preparation done, too' We couldn't interfere with them, but we didn't want them interfering with us. It was commonsense that we put the swing stage up out in front of the jack-up system and get the damproofing system and flashing in place, before the jack-up system was ever set up.
Masonry: Did you not also use a boatswain's chair?
Bounds: On the punch list once again, due to schedule they had to get their grass, landscape and sidewalks in.