Blogs

What Gets Companies Cited the Most Let’s talk about what actually gets companies fined—because it’s usually not complicated. It’s not some obscure regulation buried in a manual. It’s the basics… not being followed. The same mistakes show up again and again on jobsites—and they’re the ones costing companies the most. Top Scaffold Violations 1. Lack of Fall Protection This is the big one. No guardrails. No harnesses. No proper protection in place. …

It usually sounds like this: “Set it up there for now.”“It’ll be fine.”“We’re using it today anyway.” One pallet of brick.Then another.Tools. Mortar. Extra material. And suddenly the platform isn’t a work surface anymore —it’s a structural gamble. Welcome to Episode 4 of Scaffold Fails & Fixes. What Is an Overloaded Platform? Every scaffold system is designed with a specific load capacity. That capacity accounts for: Work …

Scaffolding accidents rarely happen because of one big mistake. More often, they’re caused by small oversights that stack up over time: rushed setups, skipped inspections, or ignoring load limits. At Southwest Scaffolding, we’ve seen these patterns and help crews prevent problems before they become incidents. Here are the most common scaffolding mistakes and how to avoid them. Skipping Training or Rushing Setup Speed is often the enemy of safety. Common issues include: Missing pin …