The responsibility for designing a scaffold depends on the project size, complexity, and scaffold type:
- For smaller projects or simpler scaffolds like frame and brace scaffolding, the design is often done by an experienced scaffolding contractor or a qualified foreman
- For larger, more complex projects, or scaffolds with higher safety demands such as system scaffolding, shoring scaffolding, or swing stage scaffolding, a qualified professional engineer or a certified scaffold designer must supervise or perform the design
- Shoring scaffolding, which supports heavy loads, must always be designed by a professional engineer with expertise in structural loads
- The scaffold designer must ensure the design meets local safety standards, can bear the intended loads, and complies with OSHA and other relevant regulations
- The design process includes calculating strength and stability, selecting scaffold type and materials, preparing detailed drawings, and considering site-specific factors like ground bearing capacity and loading requirements
- Besides the designer, other stakeholders such as site managers, safety officers, competent persons, scaffold erectors, and users play roles in ensuring the scaffold is installed and maintained according to the design
In summary, scaffold design responsibility ranges from qualified scaffolding contractors on small jobs to licensed engineers on complex or high-risk scaffolds, always ensuring compliance with safety standards and regulations
