CONSTRUCTION FORUM
Scaffolding on High-Rise Buildings
Soliman Khudeira
Project Director, Chicago Department of Transportation, 30 N. LaSalle
St., Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60602. E-mail: SKHUDEIRA@
cityofchicago.org
On March 9, 2002, three women were killed when a suspended
scaffold fell from the 42nd floor onto their car during high winds.
Eight others were injured, one who later died. The scaffolding
was used by a façade cleaning and window caulking crew work-
ing on the exterior of the 100-story John Hancock building, Chi-
cago’s third-tallest building.
The scaffold was stored at the 42nd floor. The accident oc-
curred when wind gust exceeded 58 mph 共according to the Na-
tional Weather Service兲 and no work was under way. But after
breaking loose from the tower, a portion of a suspended alumi-
num platform fell 42 stories to the street. A section of the staging
remained suspended from the adjacent face of the building. Win-
dows were smashed in the incident 共see Fig. 1兲.
This narrative will briefly compare the 2002 Chicago Munici-
pal Code related to scaffolding prior to and after the accident. The
main purpose of this narrative is to provide a forum for further
discussions within the structural engineering community on scaf-
folding safety, design, and construction issues.
Portions of this article were published in the previous issue of
the ASCE Practice Periodical Journal. However, this article has
additional information including OSHA Safety Standard for Scaf-
folds, Factors of Safety required by the Chicago Scaffolding Or-
dinance, additional references, and two graphs prepared by the
author using data obtained form the U.S. Department of Labor
showing statistics related to fatal and nonfatal scaffolding
accidents.
ASCE/SEI 7-05: Wind Pressure on Scaffolding
According to section 6.4 of ASCE/SEI 7-05 共ASCE 2006兲, the
wind loads on “component and cladding” using method 1, sim-
plified procedure 共City of Chicago 2007兲 is
Fig. 1. Section of the scaffold hanging from the side of the 42nd
floor of the John Hancock Building
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Pnet = ␭ . Kzt . I . Pnet 30 共1兲
where Pnet = wind pressure on a component or cladding, psf; ␭
= adjustment factor for building height and exposure; Kzt
= topographic factor evaluated at mean roof height, h; I
= importance factor to account for the degree of hazard to human
life and damage to property; and Pnet30 = net design wind pressure
for exposure B, at h = 30 ft and I = 1.0. Minimum value for
Pnet30 = 10 psf acting in either direction normal to the surface.
Scaffolds are occasionally covered with temporary protection
共plastic sheets兲 to prevent construction equipment from falling, or
to act as weather protection for workers. The use of temporary
protection on construction scaffolds is limited by the manufactur-
er’s operating instructions and the manufacturer’s stipulated op-
erating environmental load conditions. Users should check with
the manufacture to make sure that the temporary protection was
accounted for in the scaffold design, since wind loads acting on
scaffolds are increased significantly due to these covers and they
should be accounted for in determining the wind pressure on the
scaffold and ties.
In the case of fixed scaffolds 共supported by the ground兲, it was
found 共Ohdo and Kareem 2000兲 that the system reliability has
increased significantly by increasing the number of ties than by
changing attachment configuration. Scaffold failure is often due
to high stresses acting on the ties rather than on the frame, since
stresses acting on the frame are relatively smaller than those act-
ing on the ties 共Ohdo and Kareem 2000兲.
OSHA’s Safety Standards for Scaffolds
OSHA published a document in 1996 called Safety Standards for
Scaffolds Used in the Construction Industry 共OSHA 2008兲. The
documents regulate the design, construction, and use of scaffolds.
The document sets performance-oriented criteria, where possible,
to protect employees from scaffold-related hazards such as falls,
falling objects, structural instability, electrocution, and overload-
ing. Another area that the final rule strengthens is training for
workers using scaffolds; the conditions under which such employ-
ees must be retrained are also specified in the final rule.
Chicago’s Scaffolding Code Requirement prior to
the Accident
Up to date of the accident, Chicago did not require permits for
scaffolds, but city code requires scaffolding “be so constructed as
to ensure the safety of persons working on or passing under or
passing by the scaffold.”
Chicago’s Scaffolding Code Requirement after the
Accident
After the accident, Chicago building officials reviewed the regu-
lations to determine if additional safety guidelines were needed to
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protect workers and the public. As a result, a scaffolding ordi-
nance was introduce and passed the city council on July 31, 2002.
The ordinance, then, was incorporated into the Municipal Code of
Chicago by adding a new Chapter 13-34 regulating scaffolding.
Preexisting scaffolding-related code provisions are consolidated
into this new chapter. The following is a summary of the require-
ments for scaffolding design, construction,and training.
• “Scaffold” or “scaffolding” means temporary elevated or sus-
pended work units and their supporting structure共s兲 used for
supporting one or more workers or materials or both. Aerial
buckets, one-person harnesses, and ladders used singly 共e.g.,
without platforms or ladder jacks兲, shall not be considered to
be scaffolding.
• Construction: All scaffolding shall be constructed to insure the
safety of persons working on, passing under, or passing by the
scaffolding.
• Safeguards: All scaffolding shall be constructed, maintained,
and disassembled in a manner that follows accepted engineer-
ing practice and manufacturer’s specifications. “American Na-
tional Standard ANSI A10.8-2001 Safety Requirements For
Scaffolding,” and “American Society of Mechanical Engi-
neers, ASME A/20.1-2001 Safety Requirements For Powered
Platforms For Building Maintenance,” shall be considered ac-
cepted engineering practice, as shall other national standards
deemed applicable by the building commissioner.
• The scaffolding operator would be required to obtain a state-
ment signed by a structural engineer certifying that the scaf-
folding is structurally sound, and that the method of assembly
adheres to accepted engineering practice and manufacturer’s
specifications or American National Standards Institute
共ANSI兲 Safety Requirements for Scaffolding.
• Anyone who erects, maintains, and uses scaffolding must com-
plete a training course on scaffolding safety. The training
courses are offered at local colleges, but they must be pre-
approved by the Chicago Department of Buildings.
• Architects and engineers on a job site who ride a scaffold also
need to have scaffolding safety training since they are consid-
ered a “user.”
• Proof of successful completion of the training is an identifica-
7
SCAFFOLDING ACCIDENTS
NUMBER OF FATAL
0
1998 1999 2000
Fig. 2. Number of fatal scaffolding accidents in Illinois from 1998 to 2006
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tion card issued by the institution providing the training
course.
• The identification card is valid for a period of four years. At
the end of four years, a refresher training course, subject to the
approval of the Commissioner of Buildings, must be taken,
and a new identification card issued.
• “Operator” is the person erecting, maintaining, or using scaf-
folding.
• The safety training courses consist of three different programs.
Operators will attend one four-hour training course and erec-
tors will attend a full-day training course. The three programs
are:
I. Scaffold Training for Supported and Suspended Users
共four-hour program兲;
II. Scaffold Erector Compliance and Safety Seminar: Sup-
ported Scaffolds 共one-day scaffold erector class兲; and
III. Scaffold Erector Compliance and Safety Seminar: Sus-
pended Scaffolds 共one-day scaffold erector class兲.
• The proposed ordinance requires property owners to obtain a
permit and provide a schedule for the intended use of the
scaffolding before the work can begin.
• Plans and drawings need to be submitted and shall be certified
by a licensed architect or structural engineer licensed to prac-
tice in the State of Illinois.
• Those who will be using the equipment will be required to
obtain a $1 million certificate of liability insurance before the
erection of the scaffolding can begin.
• A scaffolding permit is required when scaffolding is being
used in a building in the City of Chicago that is either: 共1兲
located within the central business district, and is over 40 ft
above grade; or 共2兲 any building over 80 ft above grade.
• The scaffolding or “swing stage” must be lowered to either the
ground level and secured or raised to the roofline and secured
during windy conditions when wind gusts exceed a velocity
identified in the manufacture’s specifications as posing a
hazard.
• During periods of nonuse—defined as more than two hours—
scaffolding must be safely and securely attached to the build-
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
YEAR
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 400
350
SCAFFOLDING ACCIDENTS
300
NUMBER OF NON-FATAL
250
200
150
100
50
0
1998 1999 2000
Fig. 3. Number of nonfatal scaffolding accidents in Illinois from 1998 to 2006
ing in accordance with federal regulations, ANSI standards.
and the manufacturer’s specifications.
• If the scaffolding will remain on a building for six months or
longer, then an affidavit would need to be executed by the
operator verifying that the scaffolding is being operated and
maintained in full compliance.
Since the incorporation of the scaffolding ordinance in the
Chicago Municipal Code, Chicago has avoided fatal scaffolding
accidents similar to the John Hancock building incident. The U.S.
Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics provides online
data 共DOL 2008兲 for various types of accidents. The data related
to fatal and nonfatal scaffolding accidents in Illinois from 1998 to
2006 were obtained and presented graphically 共Figs. 2 and 3兲.
Factor of Safety
The Chicago Scaffolding Ordinance 共City of Chicago 2007兲 re-
quires a relatively high factor of safety 共SF兲 for window-washing
power-operated equipments of a permanent type. The following is
a summary of the required minimum safety factors for the various
components of this type of equipment:
1. Roof machinery
• Counterweight stabilizing factor: 3 to 1.
• All structural members: SF= 5.
• All other components of the hoisting machinery 共based on
the total static load兲: SF= 8 for wrought iron or wrought
steel; SF= 10 for cast iron, cast steel or other materials.
• Cast iron shall not be used in any load-carrying capacity in
the design of this equipment where it can be subjected to
torsion, bending, or tension.
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2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
YEAR
• Hoisting cables: SF= 10.
2. Suspended Platform
• Platform’s girders and trusses: SF= 8.
• Platform shall be fabricated of steel or aluminum or alloy
of these basic structural metals.
Summary
This narrative provides an overview of the Chicago scaffolding
ordinance before and after a major accident. The narrative is only
intended as a means to open a forum for additional discussions on
the subject. Readers are invited to discuss other issues and ordi-
nances related to design requirements and construction safety
implemented in other major cities.
References
ASCE. 共2006兲. Minimum design loads for buildings and other structures,
ASCE/SEI 7–05, ASCE, Reston, Va.
City of Chicago. 共2007兲. City of Chicago municipal code, Title, 13, Chap-
ter 13–34, American Legal Publishing Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio.
DOL. 共2008兲. “Databases and tables/workplace injuries.” U.S. Depart-
ment of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D.C., 具www.
bls.gov典.
Ohdo, K., and Kareem, A. A. 共2000兲. “Reliability analysis of construction
scaffolding systems under wind storms.” Proc., 8th ASCE Conference
on Probabilistic Mechanics and Structural Reliability, PMC2000–
329, Reston, Va.
OSHA. 共2008兲. “Safety standards for scaffolds used in the construction
industry. Final Rule-61:46025–46075; Section 1926.450 Subpart
L—Scaffolds, occupational safety, and health administration.” Wash-
ington D.C., 具www.osha.gov典.
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