All About Scaffold Boards - Kennison Forest Products, Inc.

In the building and construction industry, scaffold boards—also referred to as walkboards or scaffold planks, scaffold wood, and scaffolding wood (when made from wood)—are materials used along scaffolding structures to facilitate safe working conditions at height. Typically, these boards are made from treated and finished wood, such as southern yellow pine or spruce, which then undergo inspection for compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. Alternatives to traditional wood boards include laminated veneer lumber (LVL)—consisting of multiple layers of thin wood assembled with adhesives.

The following blog post provides an overview of scaffold boards, outlining some of the wooden types available and the requirements for OSHA compliance.

Types of Wooden Scaffolding Board

Equipped with 80 years of combined experience in the scaffold plank industry, the team at Kennison Forest Products has the skills and knowledge to source and supply quality wooden walkboards for use in a wide range of scaffolding and contractor applications. Our product offerings include:

MSR Solid Sawn Scaffolding Planks

Our MSR Solid Sawn Scaffolding Planks offer a higher machine stress rating (MSR) per the grade rulebook that meets and exceeds industry requirements for functional and visual characteristics. Features include:

Compliance with OSHA/ANSI standards
Availability in S4S and rough surfaces and 2 inch by 10 inch and 2 inch by 12 inch sizes
Rodded ends and clipped corners
Precision end trimming and painting
Options for custom embossing and paper wrapping
Made in the USA guarantee

Made from Southern pine—a species of lumber known for its reliability—our MSR Solid Sawn Scaffolding Planks offer exceptional stability and durability, making it a cost-effective and dependable option for use by scaffold manufacturing companies and professional contractors in the masonry, plastering, and stucco industries.

Laminate Veneer Lumber (LVL)

We are the exclusive distributor of SURE-LAM 2.1E and 2.3E——made entirely in the USA from high-quality Douglas fir. The strength of the base material combined with advanced manufacturing techniques makes for a scaffold board that offers superior reliability at a competitive price. Features include:

Compliance with OSHA/ANSI standards
Rigorous testing and inspection, including by an independent third-party
Options for custom lengths, sizes, and embossing
Choice of end seal color
Made in the USA guarantee

Requirements for OSHA Compliance

According to OSHA estimates, thousands of injuries that occur in the workplace are a result of not following regulations or improper employee training regarding scaffolding safety. In regard to scaffold boards, this refers to both incorrect selection and usage.

When choosing and using wooden scaffold boards in a scaffolding application, it’s important to consider, among other factors, size, load capacity, number required, and condition. Some of the considerations to keep in mind include:

OSHA standards require at least six inches of overlap on each side of the frame.
Scaffolds should not defect—i.e., warp—more than 1/60th of their length.
Each component of a scaffolding system must be able to support at least four times the maximum intended load before being used on a project.
Safe use of scaffolding requires that the quality and strength of the system increases with more substantial applications.
Before using a scaffold board, ensure the board is properly treated and sealed by the manufacturer, which is essential to maintaining safe and sturdy conditions during construction operations.

Using scaffold grade lumber—which is of a higher quality than construction grade lumber—is also of the utmost importance. To be classified as scaffold grade lumber, the material needs to have more than six rings per inch, have few defects (e.g., knots and notches), and, for Southern pine, have a grain slope of one inch to the side for every 14 inches along the length. Additionally, the lumber should be inspected, graded, and clearly marked by a certified independent third-party agency.

Quality Scaffolds Boards From Kennison

At Kennison Forest Products, we are the premier provider of scaffold planks—including solid sawn and LVL boards—for scaffolding companies and contractors around the world. For quality products at a competitive price, you can count on us.