Portability is imperative in the modern industrial workplace. For instance, industrial facilities today feature small compact trucks and cordless tools that make a workplace safer and more efficient. A construction site is not different, and the best way to improve portability is by using scaffolding on wheels. Mobile scaffolding makes working at height easy because workers can move the vertical support structure from one point to another with ease. However, given that working in elevated positions exposes workers to risk, you should choose the right castor wheels. This article highlights tips for choosing scaffold castor wheels.

Braking System

When working on a scaffold, workers look forward to getting off the platform in one piece. However, the thought of working on a wheeled scaffold can be scary for some people, mainly because they think that the platform can easily roll off. To allay the fears, you need to analyse the braking system on scaffold castors thoroughly. Ideally, castor wheels come with different brake mechanisms, including side brakes or dual brakes. When choosing scaffolding castor wheels, check for easy operability. For instance, the best scaffold castor wheels allow for easy operability at any height. It means that workers can pull the brakes regardless of how high they are if a scaffold starts to roll away.

Castor Wheel Brackets

The brackets on castors determine the orientation of the wheels. Notably, some castor brackets can make the wheels roll in a specific direction, while others are designed to make wheels turn in a universal direction. When buying casters for office chairs, you can get away with brackets that allow for universal wheel movement. However, the same cannot apply to scaffold castors because the last thing you need is a platform that moves in all directions. The best scaffold castors have brackets with a fixed wheel orientation. Even if a scaffold starts to roll accidentally, it can only go one way instead of wobbling and crashing into a wall.

Wheel Diameter

Castor wheel diameter can affect durability and resistance. For instance, castor wheels with a small diameter are excellent for equipment with a low centre of gravity. However, small castors on scaffolding are a safety hazard because they make the platform unstable. It makes it easy for a scaffold to topple over due to the reduced ability to deal with rough ground conditions. Castors with wider diameters are best suited for tall scaffolds since they can ride easily on uneven surfaces without the risk of toppling over.

For more information, contact a castor wheels supplier.