2006 New York Code - General Provisions For All Scaffolds.

 
    §  27-1042 General provisions for all scaffolds. * All scaffolds shall
  be erected and maintained so that the safety of public and property will
  not be impaired by falling material, tools or debris or by  collapse  of
  the scaffold.
    * NB Effective until November 19, 2006
    * All scaffolds shall be erected, dismantled, repaired, maintained and
  modified  so that the safety of public and property will not be impaired
  by falling material, tools or debris or by collapse of the  scaffold.  A
  permit   shall  be  required  for  the  erection,  dismantling,  repair,
  maintenance or modification of any supported scaffold forty feet high or
  more in height.
    * NB Effective November 19, 2006
    (a) Materials and construction.
    (1) All lumber used in scaffolds or their supports shall be  at  least
  equal in strength and quality to construction grade Douglas fir.
    (2) All lumber and timber shall be fastened at the various joints with
  sufficient  nails  or bolts of a suitable size to produce a secure joint
  capable of withstanding the design load.  Table  19-4  provides  minimum
  requirements  for  size  and  number of nails. All nails shall be driven
  full length.
    (3) Any other  suitable  material,  or  dimensions  other  than  those
  indicated, may be used for scaffold construction provided it is at least
  equivalent  in  strength and suitability to the comparable wood scaffold
  it is designed to replace, and approval of  the  commissioner  has  been
  obtained.
 
   Table 19-4 Size and number of nails required for scaffold construction
  ========================================================================
      Thickness of                Trade Size               Length of
  Smaller Member (in.)               of Nail               Nail (in.)
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
          1                            8d                    2 1/2
          2                           20d                    4
          3                           60d                    6
          4                           ..                     8
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Width of                                         Minimum Number of
  Smaller Member (in.)                                    Nails Required
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
          4                                                   2
          6                                                   3
          8                                                   4
         10                                                   5
         12                                                   5
  ========================================================================
 
    (b) Loading and design.
    (1)  DESIGN  REQUIRED.  All  exterior pole scaffolds over seventy-five
  feet high and all multiple-point  suspension  scaffolds,  including  all
  supports,  fastenings,  connections,  and  details,  shall  be designed.
  Design drawings shall be prepared and kept at the site available to  the
  commissioner. The construction shall be executed in accordance with such
  design.  All other scaffolding shall be constructed of sizes and numbers
  of  members  as  hereinafter  required  or,  in  the  absence  of   such
  requirements  shall be demonstrated to be capable of supporting, without
  collapse, not less than four times the maximum  weight  required  to  be
  suspended therefrom or placed thereon when in use.


    (2)  LOADING.  No standard scaffold as defined herein, shall be loaded
  in excess of the maximum load for which it is  designated  in  paragraph
  three  of  this  subdivision.  Loads  shall not be concentrated so as to
  cause  stresses  in  excess  of  the  allowable  values  designated   in
  subchapter ten of this chapter.
    (3) STANDARD SCAFFOLD DESIGNATIONS.
    a.  Light  duty  scaffold.  The  light duty scaffold is to be used for
  loads up to twenty-five psf, and is  intended  for  use  by  carpenters,
  painters,  or  others of similar trades. It shall not be used to support
  loads more severe than those imposed  by  such  workers  and  a  minimum
  amount of lightweight materials.
    b.  Medium  duty scaffold. The medium scaffold is to be used for loads
  up to fifty psf, and is intended for use by bricklayers  or  plasterers.
  It  shall not be used to support loads more severe than those imposed by
  such workers and a moderate amount of their materials.
    c. Heavy duty scaffold. The heavy duty scaffold  is  to  be  used  for
  loads  up  to seventy-five psf, and is intended for use by stone masons.
  It shall not be used to support loads more severe than those imposed  by
  such workers and a reasonable supply of their materials.
    (4)  FOOTINGS  AND  ANCHORAGE.  The  footings  and anchorage for every
  scaffold shall be sound and rigid, capable of carrying the maximum  load
  without  settlement  or  deformation, and secure against movement in any
  direction. Supports such as barrels, boxes, loose brick, loose stone, or
  other unstable constructions shall not be used.
    (c) Planking.
    (1) The minimum width of every  planked  platform  shall  be  eighteen
  inches,   except   as  otherwise  noted  hereinafter.  Unless  otherwise
  indicated, the sizes in this subchapter for  load-bearing  planks  shall
  denote undressed lumber, full thickness.
    (2)  Except  as  otherwise  indicated  in  this  section, planks shall
  overhang their end supports at  least  six  inches,  or  they  shall  be
  securely fastened to prevent dislodgement. In no case shall the overhang
  exceed  eighteen  inches.  Planks  shall  be  laid  tight,  and inclined
  planking shall be fastened in place.
    (3) The maximum permissible spans for two inch plank shall be as shown
  in table 19-5.
 
        Table 19-5 Maximum Permissible Spans for Two-Inch Plank Used
                                on Scaffolds
  ========================================================================
                               Full Thickness         Lumber of Nominal
       Material               Undressed Lumber           Thickness
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Working Load (psf)           25    50    75           25   50   75
  Permissible Span (ft.)       10     8     6            8    6    5
  ========================================================================
 
    (4) The maximum permissible span for one and one-quarter inch plank of
  full thickness shall be six feet. The maximum permissible  working  load
  shall be fifty psf.
    (d)  Erection and removal. Only workers with experience in erecting or
  removing  scaffolds  shall  be  employed.  They  shall  work  under  the
  supervision  of a designated superintendent or foreman who shall enforce
  such measures as necessary for the protection of public and property.
    (e) Maintenance and repair. All scaffolds shall be maintained in  safe
  condition.   No   scaffold  shall  be  altered,  removed,  or  partially
  dismantled while it is in active use. Every damaged or weakened scaffold
  shall be immediately repaired and shall not be used until  such  repairs


  have  been completed, and, in the case of suspended scaffolds, tested as
  required under subdivision (b) of section 27-1045 of this article.
    (f)  Fire  retardant construction. With the exception of the planking,
  all  scaffolds  shall  be  noncombustible  material  when  used  in  the
  following applications:
    (1) Exterior scaffolds exceeding seventy-five feet in height.
    (2) Interior scaffolds exceeding twenty-one feet in height.
    (3)   All  scaffolds  used  in  the  alteration,  repair,  or  partial
  demolition of buildings in occupancy groups H-1 and H-2.
    (g) Guard rails and toeboards.
    (1) Except for scaffold platforms ten feet or less above the ground or
  for scaffolds used on the interior of a building at a height ten feet or
  less above a floor, the open sides and ends of every  scaffold  platform
  shall  be  provided with a standard guard rail and toeboard as described
  in section 27-1050 of this article, unless otherwise specified  for  the
  particular type of scaffold.
    (2)  Where  it  is possible for the public to pass under, or next to a
  scaffold, the space between the top rail and toeboard shall be  enclosed
  with a wire screen composed of not less than no. 18 steel wire gage with
  a maximum one-half inch mesh.
    (3)  Toeboards shall be installed so that no open space exists between
  the platform and the toeboard.