DIVISION 33 – SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION

CHAPTER 13-34
SCAFFOLDING

13-34-010   Definitions.

13-34-020   Scaffolding – General requirements.

13-34-030   Scaffolding – Permit required.

13-34-040   Scaffolding permit – Training and insurance required.

13-34-050   Rulemaking authority.

13-34-060   Penalty for violation.

13-34-010 Definitions.

   For purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

   (a)   “Operator” shall mean the person erecting, maintaining or using scaffolding.

   (b)   “Owner” shall mean the owner, manager, agent or other person in charge, possession or control of a building located within the City of Chicago. Where an owner is in charge, possession or control of only a portion of a building, the requirements of this chapter applicable to owners shall apply only to that portion.

   (c)   “Scaffold” or “scaffolding” shall mean one or more temporary elevated or suspended work units and their supporting structure(s), used for supporting one or more workers or materials or both. Aerial buckets, one- person harnesses, and ladders used singly (e.g., without platforms or ladder jacks), shall not be considered to be scaffolding for purposes of this chapter.

   (d)   “Scaffolding work” shall mean erecting or using, or allowing the erection or use of, scaffolding on a building located in the City of Chicago.

(Added Coun. J. 7-31-02, p. 91334, § 1)

13-34-020 Scaffolding – General requirements.

   (a)   Construction. All scaffolding shall be so constructed as to insure the safety of persons working on, or passing under or passing by the scaffolding.

   (b)   Material. When the extent or location of scaffolding is such as to create an unusual fire hazard, the building commissioner may require the use of noncombustible material or of treated fire-resistive lumber.

   (c)   Safeguards. All scaffolding shall be constructed, maintained and disassembled in a manner that follows accepted engineering practice and manufacturer's specifications. “American National Standard ANSI A10.8-2001 Safety Requirements For Scaffolding”, as amended, and “American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME A120.1-2014 Safety Requirements for Powered Platforms and Traveling Ladders and Gantries for Building Maintenance”, shall be considered as accepted engineering practice, as shall other national standards deemed applicable by the building commissioner.

   (d)   When scaffolding is, or is expected to be, unoccupied for more than two hours, such scaffolding shall be safely and securely attached to the building in accordance with federal regulations, ANSI standards and the manufacturer's specifications.

   (e)   When wind conditions actually do, or are predicted or expected to, or based on other measurements can reasonably be extrapolated to, exceed a velocity at the scaffold level identified in the manufacturer's specifications as posing a hazard, such scaffolding shall be lowered to the ground and secured or, if required by the manufacturers' specifications, raised to the roof and secured.

(Prior code § 76-3; Amend Coun. J. 9-13-89, p. 9604; Amend Coun. J. 7-31-02, p. 91334, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 3-28-18, p. 74459, Art. II, § 6)

13-34-030 Scaffolding – Permit required.

   (a)   With respect to any building in the City of Chicago that is:

      (i)   Anywhere within the central business district, as defined in Section 9-4-010 of this Code, and is also over 40 feet above grade, or

      (ii)   Over 80 feet above grade, the building's owner must obtain a scaffolding permit before scaffolding work may proceed on the building. A separate scaffolding permit shall be required for each building requiring scaffolding work. A scaffolding permit shall be effective for one year from the date of issuance. The scaffolding permit shall be valid only upon the operator's compliance with Section 13-34-040. The fee for a scaffolding permit and any amendments thereto shall be $50.00. A new permit, and accompanying application, shall be required upon expiration of the existing permit.

   (b)   Application for the scaffolding permit shall be made to the building commissioner, who shall make available forms for this purpose. The applicant shall provide to the department of buildings a complete schedule of prospective scaffolding work for that owner's building for a one-year period. In the event that the owner intends to undertake scaffolding work not stated on the application, the owner shall obtain an amended scaffolding permit before commencing the erection or use of any such scaffolding.

   (c)   The applicant shall provide such information on the application as the building commissioner may require by regulation, including the name of the owner, the address of the building, the periods of time during which the scaffolding work will take place, the nature of the scaffolding work to be done, the type and size of the scaffolding to be used, and a telephone, wireless telephone, or pager number that will enable the city to contact the applicant at all times in case of emergency. The application shall include a signed statement by the applicant attesting that the applicant is familiar with all laws, rules and standards applicable to the scaffolding proposed in the application to be erected and used.

   (d)   The owner shall keep a copy of the scaffold permit at the scaffold site and at the owner's office, and shall produce that document for inspection upon the request of an authorized city official.

   (e)   The building commissioner is authorized to approve the erection of scaffolding on an emergency basis without issuance of a permit; provided, however, that a permit shall be applied for within three days of the erection of any such scaffolding.

(Added Coun. J. 7-31-02, p. 91334, § 1)