Cert III Scaffolding cheat sheet

Duty of care under WHS law: PCBU must eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable; workers must follow SWMS, use PPE and report hazards.

Hierarchy of control, highest to lowest: elimination, substitution, isolation/engineering, administrative controls, then PPE as the last barrier.

Scaffold classes and duty loadings (AS/NZS 1576): Light duty 225 kg per bay, Medium 450 kg, Heavy 675 kg, Special duty above 675 kg with design.

Working platform minimum width: 450 mm for light duty; 225 mm minimum where the platform is used only for access between levels.

Guardrail requirements: top rail 900-1100 mm above platform, mid-rail between 450-600 mm, plus toe board at least 150 mm high.

Scaffold planks must overlap at least 300 mm over a support and be secured against uplift; plank thickness no less than 38 mm.

Maximum bay lift height for a working platform is 2.0 m; a person must not stand on a platform higher than the last tied or braced level.

Inspection: scaffolds must be inspected before first use, after alteration, after any event likely to affect stability, and at intervals not exceeding 30 days.

Rigging: 10 mm wire rope sling WLL = SWL; always derate for sling angle - a 60-degree included angle reduces capacity to 87 percent of vertical.

Mobile tower scaffolds: height-to-base ratio must not exceed 3:1 for indoor use and 2:1 outdoors unless outriggers or ties are fitted.

Scaffold tube and coupler: right-angle couplers carry the load; swivel couplers are for bracing only and must not be used as load-bearing joints.

Cantilever and spur scaffolds require design certification; the inner end of the spur must bear on a solid member and be tied back to the structure.

EWP operation: a harness with lanyard must be anchored to the designated anchor point inside the basket, not to the structure.

Scaffold dismantling: reverse order of erection, keep ties in place until the level above is removed, and never drop components from height.

Load calculation for a suspended scaffold: total load = platform dead load plus person and tools, checked against the hoist rated capacity with a safety margin.