Section 17-8. Assembly, use and dismantling of scaffolding

The employer shall ensure that scaffolders are issued with installation guidelines and written work instructions. The requirement for use of appropriate personal protective equipment during installation work shall be stated in particular.
A qualified person who is knowledgeable about the complexity of the scaffolding in question shall prepare guidelines for assembly, use and dismantling of it. The guidelines may be a general guide from the manufacturer, but shall, if necessary, include complementary and detailed information about the scaffolding in question, to ensure that assembly, use and dismantling of the scaffolding take place safely.
If the design calculations for the scaffolding are unavailable or do not contain information about the planned arrangements, the scaffolding shall be installed in conformity with a generally recognised standard model, or strength and stability calculations shall be performed.
The scaffolding shall be stable. The load-carrying parts of the scaffolding shall be secured against sliding, either by fixing them to the foundation or by using an anti-skid device. The foundation shall have sufficient load-carrying capacity to support the load. Assembly, use and dismantling of rolling scaffolding shall take place in accordance with Section 17-17.
The dimensions, shape and positioning of the scaffold decks shall be adapted to the nature of the work and the load it entails and shall ensure that employees can work and move around safely. There shall be no dangerous gaps between the deck components and the vertical collective safeguards.
The scaffolding construction shall be planned and designed so that it is possible to hoist or move materials and equipment through or onto the scaffolding without having to move or dismantle important structural or safety components.
When some parts of scaffolding are not ready for use, for example during assembly, dismantling or alteration, physical barriers shall be erected around the hazardous areas to prevent access. Signs shall be put up to prevent the scaffolding from being used.