Mobile & Rolling Scaffolds (Baker Scaffolds)

Rolling towers and narrow “Baker” (or “perry”) scaffolds are popular for interior work like drywall, ceilings, electrical and painting. They’re quick and handy, which is exactly why people skip steps. They tip over when overloaded, moved with people on them, built too tall for their base, or pushed off a slab edge or into a hole.

• Construction
• General Industry

Why rolling scaffolds tip

• Too tall for the base: a tower more than four times as tall as its narrowest base width must be tied, guyed or braced, or fitted with outriggers.
• Rolling into something: a caster drops into a floor hole, off a slab edge or onto a cord.
• Side force: pushing or pulling on a wall or ceiling, drilling overhead, or pulling wire can roll the scaffold or tip it.
• Overloading: stacks of drywall or block on one end.
• Moving with people on it.

Set-up checklist

• All casters or wheels locked before anyone climbs
• Caster stems pinned or secured so they can’t fall out of the legs
• Set on a firm, level floor; no holes, debris, cords or slopes in the path
• Platform fully decked, with deck pins or locks engaged
• Cross braces or horizontal braces in place to keep the frame square
• Height no more than the manufacturer’s allowed height-to-base ratio, with outriggers if needed
• Guardrails installed when required (10 feet or more for most construction work; many companies require them at any height on Baker scaffolds)
• Rated load on the label is more than the people, tools and material you’ll put on it

Getting on and off

• Use a built-in ladder, an attached ladder or a stairway when the platform is more than 2 feet above or below where you’re stepping from.
• Climb end frames only if the manufacturer designed them as a ladder, with evenly spaced rungs.
• Don’t climb cross braces.

Moving a rolling scaffold

• Get everyone off before moving it. Riding a moving scaffold is allowed only under strict conditions (see below), which most sites don’t meet.
• Remove tools and material from the platform, or secure them.
• Push at or near the base, no more than 5 feet above the floor, never at the top.
• Look for overhead obstructions, lights, sprinklers, power lines, floor openings and slopes.
• Re-lock all casters when it’s in the new position.

Riding a scaffold: only if all of these are met

• The floor is within 3 degrees of level and free of holes, pits and obstructions.
• The scaffold’s height is no more than twice its base width during the move (unless designed otherwise).
• Outriggers, if used, are on both sides.
• Powered scaffolds move no faster than 1 foot per second.
• Workers on the platform know it’s moving and no one stands on any part that sticks out past the wheels.

Working on it

• Don’t pull or push hard on walls or ceilings while standing on it. This can roll or tip the scaffold.
• Don’t lean over guardrails or stand on them.
• Don’t use a step ladder, bucket or box on the platform.
• Don’t exceed the rated load printed on the scaffold.
• Don’t extend the platform past the base unless outriggers are installed.
• Don’t mix parts from different manufacturers.

Inspection and training

A competent person must inspect the scaffold before each shift and after anything that could damage it. Anyone who uses it needs scaffold training, and anyone who builds, moves or takes it apart needs training from a competent person. See Scaffold Safety Basics.

Last updated: October 1, 2026