Understanding the Kwikstage Scaffolding Components

Humans have been relying on various forms of elevated work platforms for thousands of years. For some, these structures offered a means to produce works of art, from Palaeolithic cave paintings to the iconic works of Michaelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Others used similar setups to erect tall buildings and monuments of brick and concrete. Those early artists and artisans used primitive frameworks of bamboo poles bound together with rope. Today, these have been replaced mainly by sophisticated alternatives like the extensive range of Kwikstage scaffolding components.

While this present-day replacement is manufactured from top-quality steel, its metallic nature is not its greatest strength. In practice, the product’s main benefit lies in the fact that it is a modular system consisting of multiple purpose-designed parts. When these parts are assembled correctly, the resulting framework will allow the user to trace even the most complex building profile with exceptional accuracy, providing optimum accessibility for the workers who will operate from it.

While ease of access is critical for workers, so is their safety. Consequently, the manufacturers of Kwikstage scaffolding components have included many crucial safety features in their design. These measures are intended to protect workers and ensure that passers-by are safe from injury due to loose tools or building materials falling from the platform above. There are handrails attached to ladders to safeguard workers, while tightly fitting toe boards will protect the public and workers below from any danger due to falling objects.

In addition to these safety measures, every effort must be made to ensure the platform will remain sufficiently stable when in use. Kwikstage scaffolding components include ledgers with built-in wedges, which, when tapped home with a hammer, provide a bracing action that ensures the overall structure will remain rigid during use. At ground level, adjustable base jacks enable the user to level the entire system by rotating a wing nut upwards or downwards along a threaded pole, as indicated by a spirit level.

As its brand name suggests, the system’s designers have recognised the need for a product that can be assembled as quickly as possible. 

The same system of wedges that provides the necessary rigidity also speeds the assembly and dismantling processes. Other Kwikstage scaffolding components, such as toe board clips, hook-on boards, and cantilever brackets help scaffolders save precious time assembling their framework.

The system is used throughout the world and is the first choice for many of the largest construction companies in South Africa, where we at Disc-O-Scaff manufacture it. We are based in Elandsfontein and use only SABS-approved materials to produce the safe and versatile Kwikstage scaffolding components.