NYC DOB SCAFFOLD TRAINING
16-Hour Suspended Scaffold User
The DOB-approved 16-hour course for workers who install, use or remove suspended scaffolds. Lecture can be live online. The hands-on scaffold work is in person.
- In person · Hybrid
- 16 hours
- English
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Contact usCourse at a glance
- Format
- Instructor-led, in person or hybrid (lecture live online, hands-on in person). Not available fully online or self-paced.
- Length
- 16 hours of instruction, not counting breaks, usually over two or more sessions. No session may run longer than 9.5 hours including breaks.
- Assessment
- Written multiple choice test and a hands-on performance test on a scaffold.
- Credential
- Suspended Scaffold User certification on your DOB Worker Wallet card.
About the 16-hour suspended scaffold user course
The 16-Hour Suspended Scaffold User course is an NYC DOB-approved course for workers who use or work on suspended scaffolds in New York City. It covers how suspended scaffolds are rigged, attached, loaded, raised, lowered and shut down, and how to inspect the equipment. Topics run from DOB rules and incident case studies to hands-on rigging and inspections.
NYC Building Code section 3314.4.5.4 requires this 16-hour training for anyone who installs, adjusts, repairs, maintains, uses or removes a suspended scaffold. Four years after the course, and every four years after that, you take an 8-hour refresher. DOB's outline also notes that suspended scaffold users may need a Certificate of Fitness from a licensed rigger or sign hanger, depending on the job.
When you pass, your training provider issues the Suspended Scaffold User certification on your DOB Worker Wallet card. The Worker Wallet is the only card accepted on NYC job sites for this certification. Job sites check the card with DOB's Training Connect app. It does not replace your SST card.
Classes are instructor-led. DOB allows this course in person or as a hybrid, where lectures and demonstrations can be taught live online over video. The hands-on scaffold work is done in person, with the whole class together. The course cannot be taken fully online or self-paced. You must attend all 16 hours, and you finish with a written multiple choice test and a hands-on performance test on a scaffold.
Hands-on training
Done in person: harness fit test and inspection, scaffold set-up and start-up, attaching with C-hooks, outriggers, pennants and parapet clamps, platform loading, raising, lowering and shutdown, knots and rigging set-ups, lifelines, motors, inspections, and a hands-on performance test on a scaffold.
What you'll learn
Drawn from the training objectives in DOB's outline.
- Identify suspended scaffold types and major components, and the incidents that most often go wrong.
- Set up a scaffold and attach it to sound structure with C-hooks, outriggers, pennants and parapet clamps.
- Load the platform safely, raise and lower the scaffold, and shut it down and secure it.
- Tie the knots and hitches used in suspended scaffold work and set up basic rope, hoist and block rigging.
- Inspect equipment and rigging hardware, use safety checklists, and apply rejection criteria.
- Fit test and inspect your harness, use lifelines and rope grabs, and follow emergency procedures.
Course topics
Everything in DOB's outline for this course.
Part 1 · Rules, incidents and the DOB
- Suspended scaffold types and major components
- Incident causes, statistics and NYC case studies
- OSHA 1926 Subparts E (PPE), L (Scaffolds), M (Fall Protection) and X (Stairways and Ladders)
- NYC Construction Codes, including 1 RCNY 104-20 to 104-22 and BC 3314
- DOB procedures, permits, notifications, forms, plans, inspection logs and weather advisories
Part 2 · Fall protection and PPE
- Fall clearance, total fall distance, fall forces and tool tethering
- Harness selection, donning and fit test, and inspection (hands-on)
- Lifelines, rope and cable grabs, and chafing gear (hands-on)
- Care of fall protection equipment and systems
Part 3 · Scaffold use
- Set-up and start-up, and attaching with C-hook, outrigger, pennant and parapet clamp (hands-on)
- Fire and power line hazards
- Safe platform loading, raising and lowering, and shutting down and securing the scaffold (hands-on)
- Hoist, platform and rigging practices, modular and corner scaffolds, and special rigging conditions
- Maximum intended loads and capacity reducing factors
Part 4 · Rigging, inspection and emergencies
- Rope, knot and hitch configurations and basic rope, hoist, block and tackle set-ups (hands-on)
- Wire rope termination and fist grips; electric motors, controls and cables (hands-on)
- Equipment and rigging hardware inspections (hands-on) and rejection criteria
- Pre-start, operation and shutdown checklists, and emergency procedures
- Written test and hands-on performance test on a scaffold
Credit & certificate
Suspended Scaffold User certification on your DOB Worker Wallet card, needed to install, adjust, repair, maintain, use or remove a suspended scaffold in NYC.
Renewal: 8-Hour Suspended Scaffold User Refresher four years after this course, then every 4 years (NYC Building Code 3314.4.5.4).
Who it's for
- Workers who ride or work from suspended scaffolds on NYC buildings
- Crews who rig, install or remove suspended scaffolds
- Facade, window, masonry and sign workers who use suspended platforms
- Workers who adjust, repair or maintain suspended scaffold equipment
Before you buy
- Format and schedule
- Taught by an instructor in scheduled classes, in person or live online. The dates, times and place of each class are listed under Upcoming classes; registered students in a live online class get the join link.
- Certificate and credential
- When you finish, Training Directory issues a course certificate.
- Identity verification
- No identity verification or proctoring is required for this course.
Questions
Can I take this course online?
Only part of it. DOB allows this course in person or as a hybrid, where lectures and demonstrations are taught live online over video and the hands-on parts are done in person. For the live online sessions, your training provider must confirm your identity before you get access, you must attest that you are the person taking the class and will finish it without help, and your webcam must stay on for the whole class while the provider monitors attendance. The course cannot be taken fully online or self-paced.
What do I get when I finish?
When you pass both tests, your training provider issues the Suspended Scaffold User certification on your DOB Worker Wallet card through DOB's Training Connect platform. Providers may charge an administrative fee for the card. The Worker Wallet card does not replace your SST card.
Who needs this course?
Anyone who installs, adjusts, repairs, maintains, uses or removes a suspended scaffold in NYC. If you supervise that work, you need the 32-Hour Suspended Scaffold Supervisor course.
How do I keep my certification current?
Take the 8-Hour Suspended Scaffold User Refresher four years after this course and every four years after that, as NYC Building Code 3314.4.5.4 requires.
Are there any prerequisites?
DOB's outline lists none. You must attend all 16 hours of instruction and pass both the written test and the hands-on performance test.
Is this course all I need to work on a suspended scaffold?
It covers the DOB training requirement. DOB's outline notes you may also need a Certificate of Fitness from a licensed rigger or sign hanger, so check with your employer before you start work.
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