Broken Scaffold Boards - what can we do to minimise risk?
Unfortunately Gents IT IS NOT A ONE OFF. We at Woodexperts were being asked to give reports on around 5 or 6 broken boards per year, a figure that has now doubled in last couple of years.
The board you have included pictures of Toppers, contains large edge knots. They are well beyond the size allowed in the grading rules used to comply with BS 2482. The rate of growth is actually OK – the min allowable in the standard is 5 growth rings per 25mm ( 5 per inch).
Jakdan says boards are machine graded in response to GM’s question on safe loading capacities but Scaffold Connect is correct in saying that not all boards with bands on are graded and therefore not all safe – even when the industry FOOLISHLY calls these ungraded boards – “Grade A boards”!!
Please note well, unless the number of the Standard – BS 2482:2009 - is stamped on each band, then the board is not a “BS” board. It does not necessarily need to have a Kitemark, or some other third-party assurance mark on it: although that would be desirable. But unless it claims compliance with the British Standard and it has been graded by a competent person or a correctly-calibrated machine, then it should not be trusted and it should not be put onto a scaffolding, where someone's life may be at risk - not until it has been inspected and passed by a competent, properly-trained person.
HSE have picked up on this and are asking all contractors to ensure that if they have these “Grade A”(ungraded) boards in their system somewhere that they train their staff to cull out the ones which may fail in use due to them having strength reducing characteristics ( e.g. large knots or groups of knots, excessive slope of grain, excessive rate of growth).
Woodexperts are already working with board suppliers and contractors giving their staff practical training (not "calculation based") on how to recognise a safe scaffold board with short courses taking place on and off site.
Are reliable suppliers, who should already be aware of the risk involved with “Grade A” boards employing trained staff and is the company you work for doing all it can to keep inferior boards out of the system? Hopefully yes to both but we will be pleased to help wherever it is needed.
Here is a link to the "How Safe is your Board?" item that we wrote for NASC.
Scaffold Board Problems | TFT Woodexperts