Routine maintenance and inspections of scaffolding are crucial to ensuring its safe and stable operation, enabling timely detection of potential hazards and preventing accidents. The following details four aspects: inspection frequency, inspection content, maintenance measures, and problem resolution:
First, Daily Inspection Frequency
1. Daily Inspection: This is conducted by the on-site safety officer or scaffolding team leader, focusing on the working floor and areas used that day, to check for immediate issues such as skewed uprights, loose scaffolding boards, and damaged protective equipment.
2. Weekly Inspection: This is conducted by the project technical leader, covering the entire scaffolding structure, including wall ties, support systems, and load conditions, and identifying potential risks in conjunction with the weekly construction plan.
3. Special Inspection: After severe weather such as heavy rain, strong winds (force 6 or above), or heavy snow, or after modifications to the scaffolding (such as adding poles or adjusting height), or after it has been in use for at least one month, a comprehensive special inspection is required to confirm structural stability. 4. Regular and comprehensive inspection: The project manager will take the lead, and the supervisor and construction team will participate in the inspection every month. The inspection will be carried out item by item against the special construction plan, and a written record will be made and filed.
Second, specific inspection contents
(1) Foundation and support parts
- Check whether the foundation is waterlogged or subsided. If there is waterlogging, it must be drained in time. If the subsidence exceeds 10mm, it must be reinforced (such as adding pads and compacting the base).
- Check whether the base and pads are loose or shifted, whether the wooden pads are rotten, and whether the steel pipe base is rusted and deformed, and ensure close contact with the ground.
- Check whether the cantilever beams of the cantilever scaffolding and the guide rails of the attached lifting scaffolding are firmly connected to the wall, and whether the embedded parts are loose or the concrete is cracked.
(2) Frame structure – Vertical poles and horizontal poles: Are the vertical poles vertical (the vertical deviation should be ≤1/200 of the frame height)? Are there any bends or deformations? Are the horizontal poles horizontal? Are the fasteners tight (use a wrench to check the torque; the tightening torque of the fastener bolts should be 40-65N·m), and is there any slippage or breakage? – Wall connectors: Check whether the connection with the wall is firm (it is strictly forbidden to use iron wire or electrical wire instead of special connectors), whether the number meets the requirements of the plan (generally at least 1 wall connector for every 50-60㎡ frames), and whether they have been removed or loosened. – Scissor braces and diagonal rods: Are they set according to the plan (scaffolding with a height of more than 24m should be equipped with continuous scissor braces at an angle of 45°-60°), whether the rod connections are firm, and whether there are any missing or deformed ones. – Working layer: Are the scaffolding boards fully laid and firmly fixed (probe boards are strictly prohibited, i.e., protruding from the horizontal bars by more than 15cm)? Are there any gaps at the joints? Are the footboards (height ≥18cm) and guardrails (upper railing height 1.2m, middle railing in the middle) complete? Is the safety net tightly hung and not damaged?
(3) Safety protection facilities
- Check whether the entrance and exit protection sheds are firm, whether there are guardrails on both sides of the passage; whether the safety net under the working layer is hung in place, and whether there are any damages or missing.
- Check whether the gap between the scaffolding and the building is closed with scaffolding boards or safety nets to prevent people from falling or objects from falling.
(4) Load and usage
- Check whether there is overloading (the uniform load of the scaffolding is generally not more than 2kN/㎡m², and the concentrated load is not more than 1kN), whether the materials are evenly stacked, and it is strictly prohibited to place heavy equipment (such as welding machines) on the working layer for a long time. – Open flame operations such as cutting and welding are prohibited on scaffolding. If necessary, use a fire extinguisher and keep surrounding flammable materials clear to prevent ignition of the scaffolding materials (especially bamboo and wooden scaffolding).
Third, Daily Maintenance Measures
1. Material Maintenance:
- Regularly rust and paint components such as steel pipes, fasteners, and scaffolding boards (apply anti-rust paint and topcoat to steel pipes, and oil fasteners after cleaning) to prevent rust.
- Bamboo and wooden scaffolding should be regularly inspected for insect infestation and rot, and damaged components should be promptly replaced. Fireproofing measures should also be implemented (e.g., applying fire-retardant paint).
- Aluminum alloy scaffolding should be protected from contact with corrosive materials and stored to prevent deformation from compression.
2. Component Repair and Replacement:
- Broken fasteners and stripped bolts should be replaced immediately. Vertical and horizontal poles with bending deformation exceeding the allowable value (e.g., steel pipe bending deflection > L/150, where L is the pole length) should be scrapped. – Immediately replace scaffolding boards if they are cracked, broken, or rotten. Repair or replace damaged safety nets promptly to ensure they are free of holes and loose components.
3. Environmental Maintenance:
- Regularly clear scaffolding of construction debris and other debris to prevent increased loads or injuries from falling.
- Ensure drainage around the foundation to prevent rainwater from soaking the ground and causing subsidence.
4. Storage Management:
- Stack unused components by category. Store steel pipes and poles upright to prevent deformation under pressure. Place fasteners in designated containers to prevent loss or rust.
- Cover with a tarpaulin when storing outdoors to protect against wind and rain.
Post time: Aug-12-2025