What is the normal life expectancy of scaffold planking? I remember seeing something in the forum in the last few months whereby planks must be retired after a period of time, but search results have brought back nowt.

Any takers?

Badger

If there is a system of a 'use by date' for scaffold boards, it will be the first time i have ever heard of it. Surely it is down to the environment they are used in (boards used on a walkway for 6 monthly inspections insde a building would by and large last a lot longer than boards used outside) due to the extremes of weather (rain, snow, sunshine etc).
Regular inspections should highlight the need to change.

if we suggest a 'use by date' then we will be allowing suppliers to make a mint for no reason as suppliers do for food in may areas e.g. even salt has a UBD on it in some cases!

A board in good condition can last for many many many years - [my personal oak step ladders were made in 1941!] its all down to what has already been said

Hi Badger

Be careful about replies that scaff boards can be used infinitum as long as they are checked every week.
This rather pertains to tghe weekly "scaff tag type checks" which are reliant on a trained scaffolder inspecting and signing of to be safe. This is a minor snap shot and should be treated as what it is a very brief recorded check.

If you have people working on scaffold it is generally installed and checked by a service provider - therefore to comply with PUWER i would suggest that you audit the supplier and check they are working to BS 2482:2009. The least you want to know is that the scaffold company is ISO 9001 registered and keeps the relevant information itemised within the BS.

A dip check would be to check the end plates to ascertain if the scaffols as the correct BS 2482:2009 designtion. NASC do some excellent guidance in TG6:10 care and maintenance of scaffold or TG5:10 Timber Scaffold Boards - An introduction to the Standard. If you have scaffold without end plates it is suggestive of non compliance with the BS.

This standard guides the supplier on Nail Plates/Knots/Timber Quality/slope/wane/cracks and the criteria for inspection of the planks from a suitability point of view OVER AND ABOVE THE SITE CHECKS.. In any audit you would expect for the scaffold service provider to be able to show you documentary evidence of inspection regimes by batch. Also a paper trail of disposed of scaff boards so you have "assurance" that defective boards are being taken out of the system.

A quick note - if the service provider is putting up the scaffold for your operatives/sub contractors to work on the duty is yours to ensure that the boards are safe not the scaffolding provider HASAWA the employer shall ensure safe plant and equipment - also PUWER - although they have duties as well. This becomes more acute if you have a "Principal Contractor" role.

The easiest way is to have a PQQ that determines these regimes and then audit against it

Hope this helps

No