Temporary structures, permanent liability.

Every scaffold and scaffold component must support its own weight plus at least four times the maximum intended load; suspension ropes must hit a 6:1 safety factor. Design flows from those numbers — which is why §1926.451 leans so heavily on the competent person for erection oversight and a qualified person for design questions on complex configurations.

Platform rules are where everyday violations live: full planking with gaps no more than 1 inch around uprights, platforms at least 18 inches wide in most configurations, front edges within 14 inches of the face of the work (18 for plastering), and guardrails or personal fall arrest above the 10-foot threshold. Cross-brace climbing — the classic shortcut — is flatly prohibited; ladders, stair towers, or built-in access are required.

Scaffolding compliance rises and falls on one role: the competent person who inspects the scaffold before each work shift and after any occurrence that could affect structural integrity, supervises erection and dismantling, and has authority to remove workers from unsafe conditions. In citation contests, OSHA routinely probes whether the designated competent person actually had the training and authority the standard assumes — a title on a form isn't competence.

Training under §1926.454 completes the system: every employee working on a scaffold must be trained by a qualified person to recognize the hazards, and erectors/dismantlers need training from a competent person on the specific procedures involved.

Subpart L runs from general requirements through 25+ scaffold-type-specific rules in §1926.452 — tube and coupler, fabricated frame, mast climbers, suspension rigs. RegLogic's search jumps straight to the paragraph for your configuration, the color-coded outline keeps requirement and exception straight, and the whole subpart rides along offline on the GR Reader app, where scaffolds actually get built.