Weather Conditions To Avoid When You Use Scaffolding

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Weather Conditions To Avoid When You Use Scaffolding

8 February 2017
 Categories: , Blog

Renting a few sections of scaffolding can be a easy way to help you get a wide range of jobs done around your house safely. Even if you have your mind set on completing a given job in a specific amount of time, it's important to be mindful of the weather and ensure that changing weather conditions don't jeopardize your safety. There are a number of different types of weather that pose a risk when you're working on scaffolding. If any of these weather situations emerge, it's best to stop the job and wait until the weather clears — even if you're close to being done.

Wet Conditions

Provided you wear shoes that prevent you from slipping, it can be safe to work on scaffolding when it's raining. However, you should be wary of setting up scaffolding if the rain has been falling heavily for a lengthy period. This can cause the ground beneath you to get extremely soft. You might not notice the feet of the scaffolding sinking into the ground when you set it up, but as soon as you put your weight on it, some of the feet can sink in and leave the scaffolding at a precarious angle.

High Winds

High winds are also a concern when you're working on scaffolding. You probably don't need to worry if you're only on one flight of scaffolding that is set up in a sheltered area, but being higher can be a concern. Some people choose to tie the higher sections of scaffolding to a tree or another sturdy object to combat high winds, but your presence on the upper level of the scaffolding when the winds are high could put you at risk of being blown over. Additionally, if you have a helper on the ground below you, winds could knock over any of your tools and cause an injury to this person.

Lightning

Any signs of lightning should prompt you to climb down the scaffolding as quickly as possible and seek shelter indoors. If the lightning appears close, don't even take the time to carry your tools down to ground level; simply focus on getting down quickly and safely. On top of scaffolding is the last place you want to be during a period of lightning, especially given the amount of metal used in scaffolding and the fact that you might also be holding metal tools in your hands when you're working.