Summer's here: What you should consider on the scaffold now

Summer’s here: What you should consider on the scaffold now

Let's face it: it's best to work on the scaffolding when the sun is shining and the sky is clear. But as nice as the first rays of summer sunshine are, we have to reckon with more sudden, heavy rain showers, storms and heat thunderstorms in many regions. Here, there is a risk of slipping on the wet scaffolding or that the statics could be impaired by strong winds. We have summarised here how you can prepare yourself and your scaffolding for all the weather conditions that the hot season has to offer.

1. Check your scaffold regularly

Rain is often a welcome cool-down on particularly hot days. And when it finally rains after a few days of heat, it comes down in torrents. Sudden heavy rain showers are not infrequently paired with thunderstorms or even hailstorms. Not only are you not allowed to enter the scaffolding in these weather conditions, but once the rain clouds have passed, a few checks must first be carried out by a qualified person. This way you can make sure that, for example, the ground soaked by the rain has not affected the statics of your scaffolding.

2. Be prepared for storms

These checks of the scaffolding should also be carried out by a qualified person after storms or strong winds. In the summer months, storms are not as frequent as in autumn or winter, depending on the region, but the risk of storms should never be underestimated.

Not only the correct anchoring or support of your scaffolding is therefore of great importance. The falling of individual parts due to strong winds should also be avoided at all costs. This is because even small parts like a ledger pick up speed during the fall and can seriously injure people below. One of the simplest methods to minimise the risk of falling parts from the scaffold is to attach toeboards. Nets are also a good solution here.

3. Safety clothing is also a must when working on the scaffold in summer

Even if it's hot and gloves, helmet and safety shoes don't do much to cool you down: you should never do without your protective clothing. Especially in hot temperatures, a scaffolding part or tool can quickly slip out of your hand if you don't wear the appropriate gloves. If you don't wear a helmet or safety shoes, you can easily suffer serious injuries.

To minimise this risk and avoid heat accumulation at the same time, you can switch to lighter, breathable gloves with non-slip surfaces in summer.

What tips and tricks do you have for working on scaffolding in summer? Share them with uns in the comments.