Free checklist · Construction equipment
Daily scaffold inspection checklist for the competent person (free, printable)
OSHA requires a competent person to inspect a scaffold for visible defects before each work shift and after anything that could affect its structural integrity (29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3)). Check the footing and base plates, plumb and bracing, ties, full planking, guardrails and toeboards, access, power line clearance and the status tag. Defective parts are repaired or replaced, or the scaffold is closed.
- How often
- Before each work shift
- The rule
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3)
- Items
- 23 checks
- Takes
- About 6 minutes
By the CheckBadges team · Updated
Layout
Daily scaffold inspection checklist for the competent person
Before each work shift
| Item | OK | Problem | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Footing and structure | |||
| Base plates and mudsillsOn every leg, on firm, level footing; no settling or washout | |||
| No unstable supportsNo bricks, blocks, boxes or barrels under legs or platforms | |||
| Screw jacksWithin the maker's extension limit; set and locked | |||
| Plumb and levelUprights plumb, bearers level; no lean or sway | |||
| BracingEvery cross brace and diagonal in place and pinned | |||
| Frames, tubes and couplersNo bent, cracked or badly corroded parts; pins and clamps tight | |||
| Ties, guys or outriggersIn place per the design; needed above a 4:1 height-to-base ratio | |||
| Casters lockedWheels locked whenever the mobile scaffold is in use | |||
| Platforms | |||
| Fully planked or deckedNo gaps over 1 inch between planks, or between deck and uprights | |||
| Plank conditionNo cracks, splits, rot or saw cuts; wood not painted over | |||
| Plank ends and overlapsAt least 6 in. over the support, or cleated; overlaps only over supports | |||
| Platform widthAt least 18 in. wide on most scaffolds | |||
| Gap to the work faceFront edge within 14 in. of the work, or guarded | |||
| Clear and not overloadedNo debris, snow or ice; load within the rated capacity | |||
| Guardrails and falling objects | |||
| Guardrails on all open sides and endsOn every open side and end of working platforms | |||
| Top rail height38 to 45 in. above the platform (scaffolds in service since 2000) | |||
| MidrailsAbout halfway between the top rail and the platform | |||
| Toeboards or screensAt least 3½ in. high and secure where tools could fall on people | |||
| Area belowBarricaded, or protected by netting or a canopy, if objects can fall | |||
| Access and surroundings | |||
| Access ladder or stairProvided when 2+ ft above or below access; no climbing cross braces | |||
| Power line clearance10 ft from most lines (more above 50 kV); 3 ft from insulated under 300 V | |||
| Wind and weatherNo storm or high wind, unless a competent person approves | |||
| Scaffold status tagUpdated with today's date, the inspector and any restrictions | |||
Problems found and action taken:
If anything is a problem, don't use the machine: tag it out and report it. Free checklist from checkbadges.com — put it on a QR sticker and operators can fill it in on their phone.
What to check on a scaffold, item by item
Footing and structure
- Base plates and mudsills — On every leg, on firm, level footing; no settling or washout
- No unstable supports — No bricks, blocks, boxes or barrels under legs or platforms
- Screw jacks — Within the maker's extension limit; set and locked
- Plumb and level — Uprights plumb, bearers level; no lean or sway
- Bracing — Every cross brace and diagonal in place and pinned
- Frames, tubes and couplers — No bent, cracked or badly corroded parts; pins and clamps tight
- Ties, guys or outriggers — In place per the design; needed above a 4:1 height-to-base ratio
- Casters locked — Wheels locked whenever the mobile scaffold is in use
Platforms
- Fully planked or decked — No gaps over 1 inch between planks, or between deck and uprights
- Plank condition — No cracks, splits, rot or saw cuts; wood not painted over
- Plank ends and overlaps — At least 6 in. over the support, or cleated; overlaps only over supports
- Platform width — At least 18 in. wide on most scaffolds
- Gap to the work face — Front edge within 14 in. of the work, or guarded
- Clear and not overloaded — No debris, snow or ice; load within the rated capacity
Guardrails and falling objects
- Guardrails on all open sides and ends — On every open side and end of working platforms
- Top rail height — 38 to 45 in. above the platform (scaffolds in service since 2000)
- Midrails — About halfway between the top rail and the platform
- Toeboards or screens — At least 3½ in. high and secure where tools could fall on people
- Area below — Barricaded, or protected by netting or a canopy, if objects can fall
Access and surroundings
- Access ladder or stair — Provided when 2+ ft above or below access; no climbing cross braces
- Power line clearance — 10 ft from most lines (more above 50 kV); 3 ft from insulated under 300 V
- Wind and weather — No storm or high wind, unless a competent person approves
- Scaffold status tag — Updated with today's date, the inspector and any restrictions
How often a scaffold has to be inspected
A competent person has to inspect a scaffold before each work shift and after anything that could affect its structural integrity. OSHA's rule, 29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3), reads: "Scaffolds and scaffold components shall be inspected for visible defects by a competent person before each work shift, and after any occurrence which could affect a scaffold's structural integrity."
Three parts of that sentence do most of the work:
- A competent person. Not just anyone on the crew: someone who can recognize scaffold hazards and has the authority to correct them. See what is a competent person.
- Before each work shift. A job running two shifts needs two inspections a day.
- Any occurrence. High wind, a storm that softens the ground, a load or machine striking the scaffold, or another trade removing ties or planks all call for a fresh inspection before anyone goes back up.
The same section says scaffolds are erected, moved, dismantled or altered only under the supervision of a competent person ((f)(7)). Aerial lifts are excluded from 1926.451 and covered by 1926.453, but OSHA treats many scissor lifts as mobile scaffolds; see the scissor lift inspection checklist.
How to do the inspection
Inspect from the ground up, the way the loads travel:
- Walk the base. Every leg on a base plate and mudsill or other firm foundation, with no settling, washout or thawing ground, and nothing unstable underneath ((c)(2)).
- Sight the uprights from two directions for plumb, then check the bracing: every brace pinned, and nothing removed by another trade.
- Check the ties against the design. Supported scaffolds taller than four times their base width must be tied, guyed or braced ((c)(1)).
- Climb the access, never the cross braces, and check each platform as you reach it: full planking, plank condition, overlaps and overhangs, and the gap to the work face.
- Check the guardrails on every open side and end, and the toeboards or screens wherever people work or pass below.
- Look up and around: power lines, overhead hazards, cranes swinging loads nearby, and the weather.
- Update the tag at each access point and record the inspection.
The defects that take a scaffold out of service
Any of these closes the scaffold, or that part of it, until it's fixed:
| Defect | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Missing top rail or midrail on an open side | Anyone more than 10 feet up must be protected from falling ((g)(1)) |
| Gaps in the planking, or a cracked or split plank | Feet and materials go through gaps; a broken plank drops the worker |
| Missing base plate, a sinking mudsill, or blocks under a leg | The whole scaffold settles or tips |
| Missing cross brace or tie | The scaffold can sway, rack or pull away from the building |
| Bent, cracked or badly corroded frame or coupler | Each component must hold its own weight and at least 4 times its intended load ((a)(1)) |
| Inside the power line clearance distance | Electrocution, through the scaffold or anything carried on it |
| No proper access, so people climb the cross braces | OSHA bans using cross braces as access ((e)(1)) |
What to do when something fails
Damaged or weakened parts must be "immediately repaired or replaced, braced to meet those provisions, or removed from service until repaired" (1926.451(f)(4)). In practice: get everyone off, tag every access point so nobody climbs it, and keep it closed until the repair has been inspected. 1926.20(b)(3) backs this up for any equipment on a construction site. You can print a danger tag for the access ladder, and what to do when equipment fails inspection covers the rest.
Keeping the record
OSHA's scaffold standard doesn't require a written inspection record, but a dated record naming the competent person is how you prove the inspection happened every shift. Many sites use a status tag at each access point for the people climbing, plus a record for the file. Equipment inspection record keeping covers what to keep.
On a phone, it's quicker than a clipboard: put a QR sticker on each scaffold's access point, and the competent person scans it to do this checklist, with anything wrong emailed to you with photos straight away. Anyone who scans it afterwards sees the open problem until it's marked fixed.
Skip the clipboard
Put this scaffold inspection checklist on a QR sticker.
- Operators scan the sticker with their own phone's camera. No app, account or password.
- Anything marked Problem emails you right away, with photos, and warns the next operator.
- Every check is saved by machine with who did it and when. Print one or export a CSV.
Free for 3 machines. Every item above is already filled in — edit anything. No card.
Scaffold 1
Scaffold inspection checklist
Frequently asked questions
Who can inspect a scaffold?
A competent person designated by the employer: someone able to recognize scaffold hazards and authorized to take prompt action to correct them. OSHA's 29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3) requires that person to inspect the scaffold before each work shift and after any occurrence that could affect it.
Does OSHA require scaffold tags?
No. OSHA's scaffold standard doesn't require a tagging system. Many sites use green, yellow and red tags at access points to show whether a scaffold is safe to use, has restrictions or is closed, but a tag doesn't replace the competent person's inspection each shift.
How high do scaffold guardrails have to be?
On supported scaffolds made or placed in service after January 1, 2000, the top rail must be 38 to 45 inches above the platform; older supported scaffolds may be 36 to 45 inches. Midrails go about halfway between the top rail and the platform (29 CFR 1926.451(g)(4)).
Do you have to inspect a scaffold after high winds?
Yes. The rule requires an inspection after any occurrence that could affect a scaffold's structural integrity, and a storm is the classic example. Working on scaffolds during storms or high winds is also prohibited unless a competent person decides it's safe and workers have fall arrest or wind screens (1926.451(f)(12)).
How close can a scaffold be to power lines?
Under 29 CFR 1926.451(f)(6): at least 3 feet from insulated lines under 300 volts, and at least 10 feet from insulated lines of 300 volts to 50 kV and uninsulated lines under 50 kV, with more distance above 50 kV. Working closer needs the utility to de-energize, move or cover the lines first.
Keep reading
- What is a competent person?OSHA defines a competent person as one who can spot hazards and has authority to fix them. Compare competent, qualified and authorized, and who inspects what.
- Scissor lift inspection checklistFree scissor lift pre-use inspection checklist: guardrails, gate, controls, emergency stop and lowering, pothole guards, tilt alarm and tires. Print or use QR.
- Ladder inspection checklistFree ladder inspection checklist for step and extension ladders: rails, rungs, feet, spreaders, locks, labels and rope. OSHA requires a check before each shift.
- ConstructionConstruction equipment inspections on a QR sticker per machine. Operators and subs scan with their own phone, no app or login. Defects email you with photos.
- Out-of-service tag makerPrint DANGER – DO NOT OPERATE and OUT OF SERVICE tags for defective equipment. Fill in the machine, problem and date, or leave blanks. Free, no signup.
- QR code equipment checklistA QR code equipment checklist: a sticker on each machine opens its pre-use check on any phone, with no app or login. Problems email you. Free for 3 machines.
Do your scaffold checks by QR code.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.