Scaffold plank is a plank that is used as a platform on the scaffold tower. It is robust so that it can withstand a heavy load. Scaffold plank can be made from all kinds of materials including wood, aluminum, and steel. Most of the scaffold plank is made from lumber. The quality of the scaffold lumber is determined by the rings per inch, slope of the grain and defects. The scaffold lumber should have at least 6 rings per inch. The defects refer to the notches in the lumber.
The scaffold plank should adhere to the scaffold lumber grade determined by a professional association. The professional association has the necessary tools and equipment used to evaluate the scaffold plank. You can find out if the grading association is legitimate by checking if it is certified under the Board of Review in the American Lumber Standard Committee. Many manufacturers like to label the scaffold plank as OSHA approved. If you see the OSHA approved stamp, you should avoid buying it. OSHA never performs evaluation on the lumber of the scaffold plank.
When buying a scaffold plank, make sure you check its quality and condition. It should not have splits and notches. Planks that have splits and notches must not be used for scaffolding because it can break anytime. The scaffold planks have different load capacity including light duty, medium duty, heavy duty, one person, two persons and three persons. Light duty scaffold plank can withstand up to 25 lbs per square foot. Medium duty scaffold plank has the ability to bear up to 50 lbs per square foot. Heavy duty scaffold plank can be used to bear the weight of up to 75 lbs. One person scaffold plank is suitable to be used by one worker that weight 250 lbs. With two person scaffold plank, one worker will stand on the left while the other worker will stand on the right. Three person scaffold plank can hold the weight of three person of up to 750 lbs.
Aluminum scaffold plank has the same capability to sustain the weight of the workers. Its surface is resistant against the stain such as paint. With aluminum scaffold plank, you can easily clean the build up materials. Aluminum scaffold plank can be used with stepladders and ladder jacks. The vinyl coated caps prevent the workers from exposing to the sharp edges. Aluminum scaffold plank is available in different sizes including 6 x 9”, and 8 x 13”.
Metal scaffold planks are made of the ordinary metal. The galvanized layers increase the durability of the metal scaffold plank. The non slip surface allows the workers to work safely on the scaffold tower.
The scaffold plank should be stable. It is best that you purchase a scaffold plank that has a dimension of 4” x 4”. Most people assume that larger scaffold plank is more stable. Despite that, the scaffold plank with the smallest dimension has the highest stability. The scaffold plank that has a dimension of 6” x 2” is just as stable with a scaffold plank that has a dimension of 4” x 4”.
