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Masonry Information Bulletin

Masonry and Allied Trades Labour-Management Health & Safety Committee

This issue is one in a series of good scaffold practices.
It is a joint initiative between labour and management
designed to increase awareness of safe working practices
in the masonry industry.

Statistics indicate that the most common injuries are slips and falls. Over 50% of these injuries occur because of improper scaffold practices. The information presented here deals with site preparation, mudsills, baseplates and leveling screws.

Site Inspection

Check location for

ground conditions
overhead wires
obstructions
change in surface elevation

Site Preparation

Soil must be level and firm Mud and soft soil should be replaced with compacted gravel or crushed stone Where mudsills must be placed on sloping ground, the area should be leveled, if possible, by excavating rather than by backfilling. Clear ice and snow before placing mudsills

Sections 128 (1)c of the Construction regulations require that every scaffold have footings, sills or supports that are sound, rigid and capable of supporting twice the maximum load to which the scaffold may be subjected without settlement or deformation.

Mudsills

Use 2" x 10" planks for mudsills.
Lay Planks under at least two supports, either along the scaffold or across its width.
Centre scaffold baseplates on the mudsill and extend mudsills two feet past the last scaffold frame.
Use leveling screws to compensate for uneven ground and to ensure that scaffold is level and plumb.