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Laminated plywood as scaffold planking

Summary A plywood association asked whether laminated veneer planks could be used on scaffolds. OSHA said planking with equivalent strength could qualify if engineering data substantiated compliance, but the data supplied in this case did not appear to show equivalence. OSHA archives the letter and warns it may no longer reflect current policy.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1979-01-25
Date issued
January 25, 1979
Status
Archived by the agency
OSHA labels this an archive document and warns that it may no longer represent OSHA policy.
Status last verified October 10, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1926 Scaffolds
Source
View the official document

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The current status of this document is unclear
OSHA labels this an archive document and warns that it may no longer represent OSHA policy. It may no longer reflect the agency's current position. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance, and verify current law before relying on anything here.
About this page: The full text below is the official document from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.

NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only.

January 25, 1979
Mr. Bradford T. Dempsey
Executive Vice President
Finnish Plywood
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Dempsey:
This is in response to your recent discussion with Mr. William Simms at this office concerning the laminated construction of wood veneers intended for scaffold planks.
Laminated planking providing the equivalent strength of scaffold grade planking is acceptable, if it meets the equivalent requirements in 29 CFR 1926.451(a)(10) and this is substantiated by engineering data.
The engineering data and attached letter dated November 27, 1978, you provided this office does not appear to meet the equivalent requirements of 29 CFR 1926.451(a)(10).
If I may be of further assistance, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
John K. Barto, Chief
Division of Occupational
Safety Programming

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