Pro tip: Check your scaffold plank before you step up

Last week in St. Paul, I was setting up for a chimney rebuild and didn't give a plank a second look. My foot went right through a soft spot that had rotted from the inside out. I caught myself on the frame, but it was a real wake-up call to inspect every piece, even the ones that look fine from the top. Anyone else have a close call with bad equipment?

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3 Comments

ivanb416mo ago

Yeah, that reminds me of a story my old foreman told. He said they had a guy step on a brand new looking plank that snapped clean in half because it was full of dry rot. You just never know, right? It's not just the old, beat up boards you gotta watch for. Makes you wonder how many jobsites are running with ticking time bombs like that just because nobody took five seconds to flip the board over.

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the_nathan6mo ago

Watched my buddy's ladder slip when a perfect looking rung just crumbled inside.

8

craig.avery5mo ago

Flip that board over first, @ivanb41-saves a trip to the ground for sure.

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