If you are like a good many individuals who have been involved in home improvement projects of different types, you may have had occasion to make use of scaffolding. Like most people who utilized scaffold, you probably did not give that much thought to it. You needed a scaffold. You got a scaffold. You used a scaffold.
In fact, there exist some interesting points and facts about scaffolds that bear mentioning. These include everything from the history of scaffolding to some points about scaffold safety.
History of Scaffold
Scaffolding is believed to have originated in China and North Africa in ancient times. Most historians believed that different derivations of scaffolding were initially created in these two geographic regions hundreds of years ago.
Prior to the 20th century, scaffolding primarily was constructed from wood. Ultimately, a wood shortage send people to look for alternatives to construct scaffolding. By the 20th century, most scaffolds were crafted from metal. That remains the case to today.
There are exception around the world where scaffold is not made from metal. Examples of countries in which scaffold is not mate include:
- India
- China
- Hong Kong
Perhaps the most famous designer of scaffolding is Michelangelo. He designed, and then constructed, a scaffold to be used when he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Some historians, including art historians, maintain that the scaffold created by Michelangelo is something of a work of art itself.
Prevalence of Scaffolds in the Construction Industry
Scaffolds are widely used within the construction industry, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The Labor Department estimates that 2.3 million construction workers in the United States work on scaffolding. The agency further reports that this represents about 65 percent of the construction industry overall.
According to the Labor Department, this number of people who use scaffolding regular for their jobs includes people involved in the residential construction industry. It also can include individuals who are involved in home remodeling and redecorating projects.
Scaffold Accidents
Scaffold accidents are some of the most common in the construction industry. This includes individuals who work for companies to perform certain job tasks for homeowners, including individuals in providing home remodeling services.
When considering all scaffold related injuries in the workplace, an estimated $90 million is lost in workdays each year because of people injured in scaffolding accidents. 72 percent of workers injured in a scaffold accidents have been hurt because of one of the following reasons. These include:
- planking or support giving way
- employee slipping
- employee falling
- employee struck by falling object
Responsibility for Scaffold Accident
Most states will examine whether an injured person somehow contributed to a scaffold accident. Some states do not care if the injured person contributed to a scaffold accident. In these types of states, if a person is injured on a scaffold that has been raised over a particular threshold, the employer or person responsible for erecting or maintaining a scaffold will be deemed the responsible party when it comes to responsibilities for a person’s accidents of injuries.
New York is a prime example of a state in which the negligence of the victim of a scaffold comes into play. If the scaffold was over a certain number of feet and a person was injured, the party that ran a job site or managed the work crew could be deemed absolutely liable or responsible for the injuries, damages, and losses.
Generally speaking, if a homeowner hires a professional company to address home improvement issues, he or she likely will not be liable for injuries or other losses sustained because of a scaffold accident. On the other hand, if an owner embarks on a DIY project at his or her, and engages a solitary figure to assist with doing the work, that homeowner needs to take particular care to keep the work-related pet safe and sound.
A homeowner undertaking an improvement on his or residence may sustain injuries. If that is the case, a homeowner man he able to file a claim for compensation with a homeowners insurance company.
The nature and extent of compensation after a scaffold accident depends largely on the facts and circumstances surrounding an accident. The types and severity of injuries also come into play when making a determination regarding compensation of a homeowner in s scaffold accident case. Examples of losses for which compensation might be sought include medical bills and expenses, pain and suffering, mental disease or emotional defect, and lost wages.
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