How do You Identify the Safe Load Rating for a Scaffold Platform?

22 Oct 2020 Scaffolding

If you work on a jobsite where scaffolding is present or if you have rented scaffolding for a home project, it is incredibly important to know how to identify the safe load rating for a scaffold platform. Scaffolding is extremely useful for accessing areas that are difficult to reach otherwise, but it can also be dangerous when used improperly. At United Scaffold Supply, we have a team of scaffolding experts with experience and expertise in a variety of industries, and we are always ready to help contribute to your job’s safety by helping establish safe load limits for scaffolding.

Scaffolding Safety: How Much Weight can a Scaffold Hold?

Any time that you are calculating weight loads for scaffolding and deciding what kind of scaffolding a job should use, it is vital to seek the expertise of qualified scaffolding and safety experts. Different types of scaffolding are capable of supporting various amounts of weights and loads. The amount of weight that a scaffold can support will depend on its construction and intended use. For example, most types of shoring scaffolding are designed to support much heavier loads than the majority of access scaffolding. If you are installing shoring scaffolding, make sure that you speak with an engineer about your specific needs, as it is likely that a unit will need to be designed to suit your situation.

When using access scaffolding, it is important to consider what will be loaded onto it during the job. Consider the kinds of tools, equipment, and materials that will be transported across or rested on the scaffold as well as how many people will be using it at a time. Calculate the added maximum weight that will be on the scaffold at any given time. That weight should then be used to determine the maximum load needed for your scaffolding.

Different Weight Classes of Scaffolding

Once you have determined the amount of weight that you will need your scaffolding to support, you can decide on what type of scaffolding you will need to get the job done. There are three different weight classes of scaffolding, and their capacities are listed below:

• Light duty scaffolding: can support loads up to 25lb per square foot
• Medium duty scaffolding: can support loads up to 50lb per square foot
• Heavy duty scaffolding: can support loads up to 75lb per square foot

It is important to note that these loads should be applied uniformly across the entire scaffold platform section.

If you want to find out more information about how to identify the safe load rating for a scaffold platform, or if you are interested in discussing our scaffold rental services, please contact United Scaffold Supply at 1-866-820-6341 or by filling out a contact form on our website.