Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
Keeping Scaffolding Safe to Avoid Accidents on Your Construction Site
Carrying out construction work on raised scaffolding is essential if you are building a multi-storey structure. Nevertheless, despite the convenience that scaffolding provides, you have to ensure that you and your construction workers are following the right safety protocols. Below are some of the safety tips that you could employ when working on this elevated platform.
Know the appropriate load capacity
When scaffolding is in in the design stages, some people make the mistake of overlooking the different types of loads that the scaffolding will have to bear. Instead, some individuals simply factor in the weight of the maximum number of people that can be standing on the scaffolding at any given time. For you to ensure that you are maximising on the safety of every individual that will be using the scaffolding, you also have to bear in mind the different materials that may be on the scaffolding at any given time. This will include the weight of paints, concrete, plaster and any equipment that may be loaded onto the scaffolding. Once these weight considerations have been considered, you can then come up with a realistic load capacity for the scaffolding.
Securing the scaffold
Granted, scaffolding can be designed to be free standing adjacent to a building. However, this does not mean that you should overlook having it braced against the structure. By securing the scaffolding onto the structure that is being erected, you are effectively enhancing the overall stability of the scaffolding. Securing the scaffolding will ensure that it will not move about when construction workers are walking on it. In addition to this, securing the scaffolding also ensures that it will not be affected by strong gusts of wind, especially if the scaffolding is quite high. Lastly, securing the scaffolding also works toward ensuring it does not get dislodged from the structure in the event it experiences high impact at the ground level that would make it teeter.
Guardrails
Ensure that the domestic scaffolding has guardrails. Since scaffolding is typically closed off on one side by the structure it is adjacent to, some people may assume that it may not necessarily need guard rails. The reality is without guardrails it is easy for people or materials to fall over from the open side that is facing away from the structure. It would be prudent to ensure that this open area is fitted with guardrails even if construction workers are required to wear gear that functions toward fall protection.