California Code of Regulations › Title 8 - Industrial Relations › Division 1 - Department of Industrial Relations › Chapter 4 - Division of Industrial Safety › Subchapter 4 - Construction Safety Orders › Article 22 - Scaffolds-Various Types › Section 1644 - Metal Scaffolds

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) General.
(1) Metal scaffolds shall be designed to
					 support all dead, live, and wind loads to which they will be
					 subjected.
(2) No metal scaffold
					 equipment that is broken or deteriorated to the extent that its section is
					 structurally weakened shall be used.
(3) All stationary scaffold legs, including
					 those of outriggers, shall rest upon base plates available from the
					 manufacturer for this service. Each base plate shall have support adequate to
					 sustain the load and prevent horizontal movement. When the scaffold or
					 outrigger is resting on earth or soft material, the base plate shall rest on
					 and be secured to the equivalent of a 2-inch by 10-inch by 10-inch wooden base.
NOTE: A 1 1/8 -inch by 10-inch by 10-inch piece of
						exterior grade plywood may be used in lieu of the wooden base mentioned
						above.
(4) Platform planks
					 shall not be placed on guardrails to obtain greater height.
(5) Metal scaffolds shall be securely tied to
					 the building or structure by means of a double looped No. 12 iron wire, or
					 single looped No. 10 iron wire or equivalent at intervals not to exceed 30 feet
					 horizontally and subject to the following:
(A)
					 Ties shall be required at the free ends of the scaffold when the height of the
					 scaffold platform exceeds 3 times the least base dimension. The remaining ties
					 of the first row shall be required when the height of the scaffold platform is
					 four times the least base dimensions.
(B) Ties for subsequent levels shall be
					 installed at 26-foot intervals vertically, with the last tie no further from
					 the top than four times the least base dimension.
(C) As an alternate means, scaffolds shall be
					 guyed or outriggers shall be used to prevent tipping or upsetting.
(D) Wind Loading. When scaffolds are
					 partially or fully enclosed, specific precautions shall be taken to assure the
					 frequency and adequacy of ties attaching the scaffolding to the
					 building.
(6) Securely
					 attached railings as provided by the scaffold manufacturer, or other material
					 equivalent in strength to the standard 2- by 4-inch wood railing made from
					 "selected lumber" (see definition), shall be installed on open sides and ends
					 of work platforms 7 ½ feet or more above grade. The top rail shall be
					 located at a height of not less than 42 inches nor more than 45 inches measured
					 from the upper surface of the top rail to the platform level. A midrail shall
					 be provided approximately halfway between the top rail and the platform.
NOTE: Toeboards or side screens may also be required.
						(See Section
						1621.)
(A) "X" bracing is acceptable as a toprail if
					 the intersection of the "X" occurs at 45 inches (plus or minus 3 inches) above
					 the work platform, provided a horizontal rail is installed as a midrail between
					 19 and 25 inches above the work platform. The maximum vertical distance between
					 the "X" brace members at the uprights shall not exceed 48 inches.
(B) "X" bracing is acceptable as a midrail if
					 the intersection of the "X" falls between 20 inches and 30 inches above the
					 work platform.
EXCEPTIONS:
(1)
					 Railings are not required on that side of bricklayers' and masons' scaffold
					 adjacent to the work under construction provided the wall is higher than the
					 adjacent work platform.
(2) For end
					 rail openings less than 3 feet, double wrapped iron wire at least No. 12 gauge
					 in thickness, or wire rope at least ¼ inch minimum diameter is
					 permitted, provided the wire or wire rope is securely
					 fastened.
(7)
					 Platform planks shall be of 2-inch by 10-inch or wider material and of such
					 length that they overlap the ledgers at each end by at least 6 inches.
A plank shall not overlap an unsupported end of another
						plank.
The working platform shall cover the entire space between
						scaffold uprights, except for the open area under the back railing. Such open
						area shall not exceed 10 inches in width.
The inboard edge of the work platform shall be no more
						than 16 inches from the building or structure wall except for those scaffolds
						used by bricklayers and stonemasons the platforms of which shall extend to
						within 7 inches of the finish face of the building or structure on which the
						work is being performed.
(8)
					 All ladders used for access shall conform to ladders, Article 25. When only a
					 part of the width of the metal scaffold frame conforms to ladder spacing, then
					 these frames must be erected in a manner that makes a continuous ladder bottom
					 to top, with ladder sides of the frames in a vertical line.