In many cases, when you are working on roofs or working at height more broadly, scaffolding is essential for maintaining a stable working environment that allows for the best and safest work possible.
In general, if you are in any doubt about your ability to safely complete a job either on solid ground or with a ladder, you will most likely need some form of scaffolding as part of your work preparations.
As there are lots of uses for scaffolding and countless jobs, here are five simple questions to ask yourself in order to determine when scaffolding is necessary when working at height, when it is not, and when the decision should be made on a case-by-case basis.
How Exposed Are You To Falling?
Work undertaken on uneven and fragile surfaces, or on the edge of a high place, increases the risk of falling far enough to cause injury, and since any fall from height can cause serious injury or even death if someone lands badly, scaffolding should be considered in most cases.
How Long Is The Work From Height Job?
If the job is simple, straightforward and quick, such as clearing a drain blockage or sorting out a television aerial, then you might be able to get away with using a ladder.
Anything beyond a one-off job starts to risk safety to the point that it becomes difficult to justify using a ladder compared to setting up scaffolding or a scaffold tower.
Do You Need To Use Both Hands When Working At Height?
Whilst it is rarely advisable to just use a ladder, if the work is simple enough that it can be done with one hand whilst securely keeping hold of a ladder, there may be some justification to using a ladder, particularly if it involves work that needs to be done quickly.
For example, if you need to inspect a roof following a storm or after hearing a noise which causes concern, it is perhaps prudent to use a ladder rather than wait to arrange a scaffold.
However, if you have to handle tools, multiple components, additional materials, paints, rendering materials, or anything that would require two hands, the stability and safety of a scaffold is more essential.
Do You Need To Move Sideways?
Unlike the ladders on wheels used in libraries, most outdoor ladders are pretty bad for jobs where you need to move along a wall to complete the job.
Typically, this means placing the ladder, climbing, doing part of the job, descending and then repositioning the ladder.
This is a lot of unnecessary extra work, and it accidentally incentivises taking greater risks. Erecting scaffolding across the entire work site is more initial effort but is much safer in the long run.
Are The General Public At Risk?
If there is a risk that work materials can fall from the roof and land near other people, a public path, a neighbour’s home or on the road, it becomes less about your safety and more about the safety of others around you.
This is usually a major consideration and why scaffolding is recommended for a wider scope of jobs than you might expect.
