Scaffolding Compliance
Federal standards applying to scaffolding generally can be found in title 29 of the Federal Code of Regulations section 1926. Federal codes can be complicated, but there are a number of great resources on the web you can browse to inform yourself. This page is ScaffoldMart’s attempt to contribute to those resources.
OSHA Resources pertaining to Scaffolding Law
State OSH Plans
States are allowed to maintain their own occupational safety and health plans so long as the codes are at least as strict as the federal counterparts. If a state has no independent state regulations, federal codes are enforced. A state may have an independent rule for a certain aspect of scaffolding law, but follow federal code on every other issue. This can make it difficult to be certain you are up to code.
The following states maintain independent state OSH plans:
Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming
If you live in one of the states listed above, you should be aware that codes may differ from federal regulations.
It is always advisable to have a representative of your most local OSH office inspect your jobsite to make sure you are up to code.