Picture This: Forklifts and Scaffolding

Can you spot the OSHA violation in this photo?

It’s a bit hard to make out, but the workers in this picture are using the forks of the forklift to support one end of the scaffolding another worker is working on. This is an unstable and dangerous arrangement that violates OSHA requirements for supporting scaffolds (Sec. 1910.28(a)(2) for General Industry, Sec. 1926.451(c)(2)(v) for Construction).

The Moral: Don’t use forklifts to support scaffold platforms. Exception: Such an arrangement may be okay for construction sites if:

• The entire platform is attached to the fork; and
• Steps are taken to ensure that the forklift isn’t moved horizontally while workers are on the platform.