Materials and components
Materials and components is the domain that tests whether you can select compatible scaffold parts and reject damaged items before they go into a truss-out scaffold.
Tubes and couplers
Steel scaffold tubes are commonly 48.3 mm outside diameter and must be straight, free of cracks, deep dents, severe corrosion and crushed ends. Couplers must match the tube system and be used for their intended purpose: right-angle for 90° joints, swivel for angled joints, sleeve for end-to-end joints. Check bolts, nuts, threads, washers and hinged parts; a coupler that will not tighten to the specified torque, or has a cracked body or worn thread, is rejected.
Boards, toe boards and mesh
Working boards must be sound, correctly supported, close-boarded and free of splits, rot, large knots or protruding nails. Toe boards should be at least 150 mm high and fit closely so tools cannot slide under. Protective mesh or netting must be intact, correctly fixed and not used as a structural member. Only use boards and mesh that are suitable for the scaffold and the fire/fallen-object risk.
Inspection and rejection
Inspect before loading and at intervals. Reject any component with cracks, bends, corrosion thinning, missing parts, incompatible thread, damaged galvanising exposing heavy rust, or evidence of heat damage. Tag or quarantine rejected items so they cannot return to the rack.
Worked example
A scaffolder finds a swivel coupler with a stiff bolt and a small crack near the hinge. It would probably hold a guardrail, but it is rejected: the crack can propagate under vibration, and the stiff bolt prevents the specified torque. The coupler is removed from service, recorded and scrapped, not thrown back into the bin.
Traps
Do not mix couplers from different systems just because they fit. Do not accept a board because it 'looks dry' when it is split at the end. Do not use mesh to support boards or as a tie-back, and do not reuse a bent tube by straightening it on site.