More safety in scaffolding: advanced side protection on the scaffold

More safety in scaffolding: advanced side protection on the scaffold

How you can work as safely as possible on a scaffold is probably a timeless topic in our business. All over the world, safety standards for working on and with scaffolds are therefore regularly tightened. As honourable as this is, their implementation naturally also poses one or two challenges for modern scaffolding.

Advanced side protection on the scaffold

In particular, the principle of advanced side protection is coming more and more into focus in scaffolding. Countries like Germany even make it obligatory it in their safety regulations. The main point of advanced side protection is that a protective device is installed at every scaffold level at all times during assembly, use and dismantling of the scaffold. Of course, this also means that you must always install it from the lower, secured scaffold level. In this way, you ensure that you are always protected from falling from the scaffold by a guard, regardless of which scaffold level you are on.

There are several ways to implement the advanced side protection on the scaffold: On the one hand, you can install an advanced safety guardrail. If this is not possible, e.g. because an oriel makes it necessary to cantilever the scaffold, PPE is the way to go.

Despite the improvement in safety through the implementation of advanced side protection on the scaffold, there is also criticism. The implementation is said to be too cumbersome and time-consuming. In order to improve this, some exciting solutions for the implementation of advanced side protection on the scaffold have already been brought onto the market. We would like to introduce you to two of them today.

Modular façade scaffolding with integrated advanced side protection

Modular and facade scaffolding rolled into one? Why not? The concept is certainly convincing, so that modular facade scaffolding can be found more and more frequently on construction sites. That’s not much surprising since the advanced side protection is already integrated into this scaffolding system. So the implementation is almost automatic. The video shows how it works:

At best, the whole thing does not only go according to the motto ‘safety’, but also ‘cost efficiency’: in the case of the SUPER-RS modular façade scaffold from Scafom-rux no major new investments are required. Because every 48.3 scaffold tube fits on the tube connectors used, you can easily reuse scaffold decks, guardrails, toe boards, diagonal braces or brackets from your inventory. Further advantages of SUPER-RS can be found in our Tech Info:

Modular facade scaffolding thus also implements demanding safety regulations in a particularly time-efficient manner. For more information on SUPER RS directly from our Scafom-rux Germany technical manager, Jochen Gebauer, simply click here.

Advanced side protection with innovative expandable guardrails

We already know them from mobile scaffolds, but they are new to facade and modular scaffolding systems - yet expandable guardrails make perfect sense, especially regarding advanced side protection.

Simply place the guardrail on the upper tube connector of a frame, loosen the handle, fold it out, latch it in and you‘re done. It could hardly be easier. And all this always takes place from the lower scaffolding level and thus fulfils the corresponding safety requirements for advanced side protection. In the video you can see the advantages of the expandable guardrail using the example of Scafom-rux XGR1:

An expandable guardrail like XGR1 is especially worthwhile for you if you want to upgrade your existing scaffolding systems and thus adapt them to new safety regulations. More information about XGR1 is available for download in our Tech Info: