Whenever you are planning to build a business structure, many questions come to mind. You start thinking of the design, the color as well as the materials to use. While there are simple questions like which flooring, which kind of windows, the best roofing material, and so on, there are also the detailed ones that are rarely ever thought of especially by the building owners. An example is the safety of your laborers, their working conditions, and so on. Most of the time, owners leave such details to the contractors. But it is important to have a general knowledge of every material used. So, what are OSHA planks?
OSHA planks are very tough and sturdy lumbers. They are used in the construction industry to facilitate builders in accessing the outer portion of tall buildings during construction. They are also very instrumental in helping builders to reach and repair different heights and parts of buildings. OSHA planks are generally used in tall commercial buildings and they are available in three different configurations, that is, the glued laminated lumber(glulam), Laminated Veneer Lumber, and the pinned planks.
1.Glued laminated Lumber (Glulam)
The glulam are pine boards with measurements 2×6 that are glued together to come up with a beam measuring around 6×10. Thereafter, three scaffold planks with measurements 2×10 are created from the beam.
2. Pinned Planks
The pinned planks consist of three southern yellow pine measuring 2×4 and with dense structural grade pinned together using a steel pin. This helps to do away with issues of damage or accidents that may be as a result of overloading. This type of plank is mostly used in wet areas due to its ability to dry fast as compared to other types.
3. Laminated Veneer Lumber
In the case of LVL, thin layers of wood are peeled off, followed by oven-drying and then grading. Unidirectional orientation is then done and a weather-resistant adhesive is finally used to glue the planks.
Features of OSHA Planks
After answering the question, what are OSHA planks? The next question to ask yourself is what makes the OSHA planks more preferable.
i. Stiff and strong
The first quality of the OSHA planks is the stiff and strong nature. They are designed in a way that they can support heavy loads placed on them without breaking. This as a result will minimize the issues of accident occurrence and guarantee long durability.
ii. Durable
The planks usually undergo a series of rigorous tests to ensure they have the best quality and that they can withstand heavy loads. This ensures they have the ability to resist end splits and side splits and can, therefore, guarantee that your workers will not be involved in any accidents.
iii. Less maintenance cost
Basically, the initial cost of these planks is higher than that of the other types of planks. However, looking at the average cost and durability, you will realize that these planks are cost-effective. This is from the point of view that they can be used over and over again without damage. Using them will also ensure that there are no accidents, and, therefore, no additional costs in hospitals.
iv. Premium quality
For compliance, manufacturers test and emboss every plank before releasing it to the market. This is to ensure that they are all performing as intended and that they are of the right quality.
When it comes to issues of maintenance and care for the planks, you have to ensure that they are kept in areas where they will have minimum contact with moisture. This is because moisture interferes with the strength and quality of the plank. You must also ensure air circulation by leaving one end of the plank uncovered and covering the remaining sides. All this is to ensure that the longevity and quality of the planks are intact.
So, as a business person and soon to be building owner, it is important to ask questions like, what are trims? Which is the best trim brand to use? What are plywoods? What are their uses? Which plywood brand is the best? and so on. On the other hand, it is also important to be concerned about your worker’s safety and ask questions like, What are OSHA planks? Which types of planks are there to choose from? What are OSHA planks’ rules? and so on. Answering such questions will not only ensure you get the best delivery from your workers but will also help you save a few dollars.
