Matthews requires scaffolding on commercial and multi-story residential projects to meet NC State Building Code and OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L standards. Building permits issued by Matthews Planning and Development cover temporary scaffold erection adjacent to public rights-of-way.
Scaffold installations within Matthews must comply with the NC State Building Code (2018 edition, based on 2015 IBC) as administered by the Town of Matthews Planning and Development Department. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.451 governs worker safety including guardrails at 38-45 inches, midrails, toeboards on platforms over 10 feet, and competent-person inspections before each shift. Scaffolds encroaching on sidewalks or streets along Matthews Station Street, Trade Street, or John Street require a right-of-way encroachment permit and pedestrian canopy protection. Supported scaffolds must rest on base plates and mudsills; suspended scaffolds require tiebacks to structural anchors. Electrical clearances of 10 feet from Duke Energy power lines are mandatory.
OSHA citations range from $15,625 per serious violation to $156,259 for willful violations. Town stop-work orders halt projects until corrections pass re-inspection. Scaffolds blocking ADA sidewalk access face code enforcement citations.
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