Good safety plans for the formwork system ensure execution of construction project as per established construction practice and avoid undesired events such as failure of formwork and consequent delay in construction and possible loss of life. Commonly, safety shall begin in the planning and management of a project.

Construction work supervision, equipment utilization practices, and construction procedure used must ensure the safety of workers and the public. Formwork designers, project planners, and managers need to follow the requirements of applicable standards such as OSHA regulation in order to produce good safety planning.

#1 Supervision and Inspection

Practicing proper supervision during formwork placement, concrete pouring, and stripping of formworks is essential for obtaining safety in the use of forms. A supervisor’s task is to ensure the erection of formwork according to the design and practicing a safe erection procedure to avoid overloading of members.

Filed modification in the falsework, forms, or erection procedure should be permitted unless the form designer is consulted. The exertion of unusual loads shall be prevented if the formwork system is not designed for such loads.

#2 Platforms and Access for Workers

An accessible working platform shall be prepared for works executed at elevated positions. A long ladder to the tops of falsework needs to have rest or passing platform. In certain structures such as bridges, it might be necessary to use special scaffolds or any other suitable equipment for stripping decks and piers forms.

Safety signs and barriers should be placed to keep unauthorized individuals out of the working area during the erection and striping formwork system. Platforms and access mean for workers need to conform with applicable codes such as OSHA requirements. The provision of accessible and safe working area can be provided if engineers and experienced field personnel cooperate with each other.

#3 Control of Concreting Practices

Controlling concrete pouring is a major factor in the safety plan establishment. The sequence and rate of concrete placement should consider limitations provided in the formwork drawings.

While concrete is placed, unbalanced form loading shall be prevented. For instance, in beam and slab construction, fill the beams first and then work outward equally on both sides when placing the slab. The stability of the formwork system can be enhanced in a column-and-slab structure by concreting the columns at least a day ahead of the slab.

Hardened concrete in the columns offers additional lateral stiffness to the formwork structure during the concreting of the slab. Frequently, the reinforced concrete column is constructed and then the erection of the floor system begins.

Hardened concrete in the columns offers additional lateral stiffness to the formwork structure during the concreting of the slab. Frequently, the reinforced concrete column is constructed and then the erection of the floor system begins.

#4 Improving Soil Bearing and Bracing

Commonly, the condition of the soil is not known when the forms and scaffolds are designed; assumed bearing capacity is used. So, it would be the task of the contractor to check whether the bearing capacity of the soil at the construction site is greater or smaller than the one assumed during the design stage. If soil bearing capacity is questionable, then it can be stabilized by tamping or covered with a layer of crushed stone. Formwork shall be designed to prevent progressive collapse due to localized failures.

#5 Shoring and Reshoring

Installation of out of plumb shores bent jacks, and defective timber shall be avoided otherwise these supporting elements would support only a small portion of design loads. During Concreting, forms shall be monitored continuously in order to observe problems and correct them as soon as they arise.