Scaffolding is a safe way to climb up or have accessibility in the challenging areas around
buildings or structures. So, if scaffolding is built proper, we can work very, very safely in
there. It's basically a platform. If it is built correctly, installed correctly by a
professional staff that has good safety procedures of building and implementing it and inspecting it,
you'll provide very excellent working conditions. And I think we found this probably the most
efficient way without constantly removing or adding, where you can actually set it up
and continue to do the work until the work is done. You can safely take it apart. So that's,
in our way, really scaffolding will be like a safe way to do the job. There's other methods as well,
but I think this takes more time initially but actually will save a lot of time in the
long run because they don’t have to constantly, like pump jacks move it up and down, or ladders
move a couple, you know, and that’s kind of little shaky so I don't think the guys feel comfortable.
Here really, you feel stable. The guys also build themselves, they inspect themselves as well,
we obviously inspect it as well. So this way, you know, everybody knows it's safe, and we keep it
up on a daily basis, that it's safe to use, and it really truly helps us to do the job right.
We want to make sure that we have a sufficient safe space to be productive and do the right job.
So, we decided the best option is just to purchase scaffolding
and assemble it and make sure it's done correctly. And we're not pressured by anybody to
‘oh, there's another monthly payment coming up’ where you got to do this, you got to wrap it up.
We want to make sure it's done right on our terms. So, this way we don't rush with safety;
we're on the procedure. And when it's ready then we can move it ourselves.
Well, obviously it starts from the ground up. So, I want to make sure that the surface is properly
prepared; there's some uneven surfaces. I want to level that out, or want to do
some digging to stabilize it. You want to have a solid base because when I want something you
know to be depressed in the ground later on, because obviously raining season is coming,
so what we have now might be different later on, I want to have a pretty wide base underneath the
scaffolding. And then once we start building up and make sure it's level, we choose the
position where it's best, closest to the building and we can work properly and set up properly
and start basically assembling. Obviously it requires about two to three people, so one person
holds it and another one adjusts it. So, we kind of make sure the right guys have proper training
for that. And basically go from all the way up. Once we get a couple frames, a couple levels,
we want to make sure that it's properly attached to the building and keep going higher.
We always tell the guys, “hey, every time you climb on the scaffolding, really take
a look how things are set up”, you know. So, obviously we do pretty quick inspection of it,
but as a general rule anytime you climb, especially on a ladder, you want to make sure
the bolts are properly secured, the nuts all the way tightened up. You don't want
anything loose on a scaffolding, you know. If you notice anything out of place, do not use it,
immediately bring it to the attention of your supervisor and start correcting the issue.
So, I want to make sure that scaffolding, sometimes
you know you have to change some of the connections to the wall and due to the work
performance, so you want to attach the other point and anchor it and secure the scaffolding
to the building and so not at any point do you want to make it less structurally safe to use.
So, for each crew, there is a supervisor. You want to make sure that everybody is engaged
in a safety process. You know, things can fall off a scaffold very, very, easily. So,
maybe somebody is passing by; you want to make sure there is some guards against that.
You want to also make sure that you maintain your scaffolding; you clean it up; you don't put things
close to the edge; you don't put things that necessarily have to be there. So, there's other
areas for that. So, whatever stuff you bring, you want to make sure that it's not going to
disturb the balance of it. So, you want to make sure that's, kind of you know, common sense,
obviously and good training. Constantly being aware of it is a proper way, so supervisors will
kind of inspect it with the with the guys and we'll have different crews go to each other’s
scaffolding as well to look for different things. Make sure everything's properly secured and
pointed out because as it becomes in your daily routine, sometimes you don't notice things like
“hey there's too many screws here and there's some lumber there”. That can be easily knocked
down and fly over. So safety for the guys that are walking around below, they have to be aware.
We don't want it, but what if something falls, you know, you want to be constantly
aware that there's a danger. And this platform is there to, you know, to help us do the job;
we don't want anybody to get injured. So, I want to be aware of it; and walk away from it,
and keep an eye on it as you want to always be aware of who's working on the scaffolding;
what level; what's going on; what part of the job is doing what; are they going to
have any beams or 2x4s. So, you're aware of the process in order to anticipate what could happen.