Celtic Scaffolding Co. • Reference Library
NYC Scaffolding Overview & Glossary of Terms
Primary NYC Scaffold Types
Although there are numerous types of scaffolds in use in cities, two primary types are most visible on city streets:
- Pipe Scaffold (Stationary): Constructed with pipes and erected from the ground up along a building's exterior. In NYC, jurisdiction falls under the Construction Division within each borough office of the Department of Buildings (DOB).
- Hanging or Suspension Scaffold: Supported from the roof or setback and held by cables or rope. Work must be contracted by a licensed Master Rigger or Special Rigger, and all operators must be employed by them. Jurisdiction falls under the Cranes and Derricks Division within DOB.
Standard Scaffolding Definitions & Industry Terms
| A — C | |
| Adjustable Suspension Scaffold | A suspension scaffold equipped with hoist(s) that can be operated by an employee on the scaffold. |
| Bearer (Put log) | A horizontal transverse scaffold member upon which the platform rests, joining scaffold uprights, posts, and poles. |
| Boatswains' Chair | A single-point adjustable suspension scaffold consisting of a seat or sling designed to support one employee sitting. |
| Body Belt / Body Harness | Straps secured around the waist/body attached to a lanyard, lifeline, or deceleration device to distribute fall arrest forces safely. |
| Brace | A rigid connection holding one scaffold member in a fixed position relative to another or to a building structure. |
| Bricklayers' Square Scaffold | A supported scaffold composed of framed squares which support a platform. |
| Carpenters' Bracket Scaffold | A supported scaffold consisting of a platform supported by brackets attached to building or structural walls. |
| Catenary Scaffold | A suspension scaffold consisting of a platform supported by two horizontal and parallel ropes attached to structural members. |
| Chimney Hoist | A multi-point adjustable suspension scaffold used to provide access to work inside chimneys. |
| Cleat | A structural block used at the end of a platform to prevent it from slipping off supports or to provide footing on sloped surfaces. |
| Competent Person | One capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in working conditions, with authorization to take prompt corrective measures. |
| Continuous Run Scaffold | A two-point or multi-point adjustable suspension scaffold constructed using interconnected braced scaffold members. |
| Coupler | A device for locking together the tubes of a tube and coupler scaffold. |
| Crawling Board (Chicken Ladder) | A supported scaffold consisting of a plank with cleats secured to provide footing on sloped surfaces like roofs. |
| D — F | |
| Deceleration Device | Any mechanism (rope grab, rip-stitch lanyard, self-retracting lifeline) dissipating energy during a fall arrest. |
| Double Pole (Independent Pole) | A supported scaffold with platforms resting on cross beams supported by ledgers and a double row of uprights independent of building support. |
| Fabricated Frame Scaffold | A scaffold consisting of platforms supported on fabricated end frames with integral posts, bearers, and intermediate members. |
| Failure | Load refusal, breakage, or separation of component parts when ultimate strength is exceeded. |
| Float (Ship) Scaffold | A suspension scaffold consisting of a braced platform resting on two parallel bearers hung from overhead supports by fixed-length ropes. |
| Form Scaffold | A supported scaffold consisting of a platform supported by brackets attached to form-work. |
| G — L | |
| Guardrail System | A vertical barrier consisting of top-rails, mid-rails, and posts erected to prevent workers from falling off platform edges. |
| Hoist | A manual or power-operated mechanical device used to raise or lower a suspended scaffold platform. |
| Horse Scaffold | A supported scaffold consisting of a platform supported by construction horses (saw horses or trestles). |
| Interior Hung Scaffold | A suspension scaffold consisting of a platform suspended from a ceiling or roof structure by fixed-length supports. |
| Ladder Jack Scaffold | A supported scaffold consisting of a platform resting on brackets attached directly to ladders. |
| Lean-to Scaffold | A supported scaffold kept erect by tilting and resting it against a building or structure wall. |
| Lifeline | A flexible line connected to anchorages vertically or horizontally serving as part of a fall arrest system. |
| M — P | |
| Masons' Multi-Point Suspension | A continuous run suspension scaffold designed and used specifically for masonry operations. |
| Maximum Intended Load | The total combined weight of all persons, equipment, tools, and materials anticipated on a scaffold at one time. |
| Mobile Scaffold | A powered or unpowered portable, caster- or wheel-mounted supported scaffold structure. |
| Needle Beam Scaffold | A platform suspended directly from horizontal structural needle beams. |
| Outrigger Scaffold / Beam | Structural beams projecting outward beyond a wall face to support an extended platform or increase base stability. |
| Personal Fall Arrest System | A safety system consisting of an anchorage point, connectors, body harness/belt, and optional deceleration lanyard or lifeline. |
| Pump Jack Scaffold | A supported scaffold consisting of a working platform supported by vertical poles and movable pump brackets. |
| R — S | |
| Qualified Person | One possessing a recognized degree, professional standing, or extensive knowledge and training to resolve technical problems. |
| Rated Load | The maximum manufacturer-specified working weight capacity allowed on a hoist or scaffold component. |
| Roof / Repair Bracket Scaffold | Supported platforms held by brackets attached around rooftop structures, chimneys, tanks, or walls. |
| Scaffold (General Definition) | Any temporary elevated platform (supported or suspended) and supporting structure used to hold workers, tools, or materials. |
| Shore Scaffold | A supported scaffold placed against a building or structure wall and held securely in place with props. |
| Single-Point Suspension | A platform suspended by a single wire rope from overhead supports, equipped with hoisting controls. |
| Single-Pole Scaffold | A platform resting on bearers whose outer ends rest on upright posts and inner ends anchor directly into a building wall. |
| T — W | |
| Tube and Coupler Scaffold | A scaffold consisting of structural tubing connected using interlocking coupling devices. |
| Two-Point Suspension (Swing Stage) | A platform supported by stirrups suspended by two ropes from overhead supports, movable via hoists. |
| Unstable Objects | Items (barrels, loose brick, boxes) prone to dislocation that must never be used as scaffold base supports. |
| Window Jack Scaffold | A platform resting on a bracket or jack mechanism that projects directly through a building window opening. |
Celtic Scaffolding Company • 2515 Newbold Ave, Bronx, NY 10462 • Phone: (718) 794-1400