HK Truss-out Scaffolder (CIC) flashcards

31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

FIUO and CSSR relationship

The Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance is the parent legislation; the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations are subsidiary regulations made under it, so scaffold duties in the CSSR are enforced through the FIUO.

CSSR scaffold inspection interval

A scaffold must be inspected by a competent person before first use, after alteration or weather affecting stability, and at intervals not exceeding 14 days, with a written report kept.

Code of Practice status

The Code of Practice for Bamboo and Metal Scaffolding Safety gives practical guidance; breaching it is not itself an offence but is admissible as evidence of failing the FIUO or CSSR duties.

FIUO section 6 duty

Every employer must provide safe plant and systems of work, safe premises, and adequate information, training and supervision, so far as reasonably practicable, for all workers on the site.

Competent person definition

A person with the training, experience and knowledge to inspect and certify scaffolding, able to recognise deflection, corrosion, missing ties and inadequate anchorage against the relevant code.

Scaffolder scope of work

A scaffolder erects, alters and dismantles only to a defined design or instruction, keeps fall protection anchored, checks components and stops work to report unsafe conditions.

Subcontractor scaffold duty

A subcontractor must work only within its competence, must not alter another party's scaffold without authorisation, and must report defects rather than improvise repairs.

Defect reporting chain

Any person finding a scaffold defect reports it to the supervisor or competent person; the affected section is isolated and tagged until repaired and re-inspected.

Truss-out scaffold principle

A cantilevered frame projecting from a facade, relying on anchorage and triangulated raking struts for stability rather than ground bearing, so overturning and anchor pull-out govern design.

Overturning check

The design must resist the overturning moment of the cantilevered span about the anchorage line, with a factor of safety against overturning and against anchor pull-out.

Acceptable anchorage substrate

Anchors must fix into sound structural concrete or structural masonry; render, cladding, tiles and lightweight block are not acceptable unless specifically designed and tested.

Truss-out spacing rule

Truss-out units are spaced at centres set by the designer, commonly around 1.5 to 2.0 metres; no unit may be omitted and no span increased without re-design.

Steel tube rejection

Reject tube that is bent, kinked, dented, cracked, heavily corroded with section loss, or has a deformed end; check straightness by sighting and thickness where corrosion is suspected.

Coupler rejection criteria

Reject a coupler if its threads are damaged, the bolt is bent, the plate or wedge is deformed, or it fails to grip and tighten properly on the tube.

Timber board rejection

Reject boards that are split, warped, rotted, excessively knotty, or not of the specified grade and thickness; boards must not be springy underfoot at the designed support spacing.

Protective mesh inspection

Check mesh for tears, UV degradation, broken fixings and correct overlap; damaged mesh must be replaced before work continues because it forms part of falling-object protection.

Erection sequence

Survey and confirm anchor positions, install anchors and frames from a safe platform, add ties and raking struts, lay platform and edge protection, fit mesh, then inspect and tag.

Tie removal rule

No tie, raking strut or guardrail may be removed without authorisation; if a tie must be temporarily removed, the design must specify a temporary replacement approved by the competent person.

Dismantling direction

Dismantle top-down, member by member, in reverse of erection; never drop components or release anchors while a platform above is still loaded.

Post-typhoon re-inspection

After a typhoon, severe storm, impact or suspected overload, the scaffold must be inspected by a competent person before reuse, regardless of the normal 14-day inspection cycle.

Independent lifeline

A separately anchored lifeline, not the scaffold tube or truss-out frame, used where the scaffold is the work location and anchored for the fall-arrest load.

Fall-arrest hierarchy

Eliminate work at height first, then provide a platform with guardrails and toe boards; fall arrest by harness and lanyard is the last line of defence, not the primary control.

Harness inspection points

Check webbing, stitching, D-rings, buckles, lanyard and shock absorber before each use; reject items with cuts, fraying, heat damage, corrosion, or after any fall arrest.

Suspension trauma risk

A worker suspended in a harness can deteriorate rapidly, so a rescue plan must be briefed before work and the casualty recovered promptly and treated for suspension trauma.

Covered walkway purpose

A designed roof over the public footpath protects pedestrians and residents from falling tools, couplers, boards and waste during facade scaffold work, and must stay clear.

Overhead cable control

Identify and isolate or divert power lines before erecting near them, keep the statutory safe clearance, and treat all cables as live until the utility confirms they are dead.

Resident interface controls

Agree access times, protect windows and property, keep escape routes clear, and stop residents opening windows into the scaffold or using it for access.

Facade drilling hazards

Drilling anchors can release loose render, spalling concrete, tiles, asbestos-containing material and hidden services; survey and make safe the facade before drilling.

Scaffold tag content

A tag shows the scaffold ID, inspection date, pass or do-not-use result, inspector and next inspection date; a red tag or missing tag means no access.

Pre-use user check

Before each shift the user checks guardrails, toe boards, boards, ties, mesh, tags and access; any defect means stop work and report it to the supervisor.

Incident reporting duty

Fatalities, serious injuries, dangerous occurrences and specified accidents must be reported to the Labour Department and other authorities as required, with the scene and records kept.