1926.452(x): Repair bracket scaffolds
Key takeaways
- 1926.452(x) is part of OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart L).
- Related part: 1926.452(x)(9).
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What this rule covers
29 CFR 1926.452(x) ("Repair bracket scaffolds") is one requirement inside 1926.452 Additional requirements applicable to specific types of scaffolds, an OSHA construction standard (Part 1926, Subpart L). It includes 11 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(x) Repair bracket scaffolds.
(1) Brackets shall be secured in place by at least one wire rope at least 1⁄2 inch (1.27 cm) in diameter.
(2) Each bracket shall be attached to the securing wire rope (or ropes) by a positive locking device capable of preventing the unintentional detachment of the bracket from the rope, or by equivalent means.
(3) Each bracket, at the contact point between the supporting structure and the bottom of the bracket, shall be provided with a shoe (heel block or foot) capable of preventing the lateral movement of the bracket.
(4) Platforms shall be secured to the brackets in a manner that will prevent the separation of the platforms from the brackets and the movement of the platforms or the brackets on a completed scaffold.
(5) When a wire rope is placed around the structure in order to provide a safe anchorage for personal fall arrest systems used by employees erecting or dismantling scaffolds, the wire rope shall meet the requirements of subpart M of this part, but shall be at least 5⁄16 inch (0.8 cm) in diameter.
(6) Each wire rope used for securing brackets in place or as an anchorage for personal fall arrest systems shall be protected from damage due to contact with edges, corners, protrusions, or other discontinuities of the supporting structure or scaffold components.
(7) Tensioning of each wire rope used for securing brackets in place or as an anchorage for personal fall arrest systems shall be by means of a turnbuckle at least 1 inch (2.54 cm) in diameter, or by equivalent means.
(8) Each turnbuckle shall be connected to the other end of its rope by use of an eyesplice thimble of a size appropriate to the turnbuckle to which it is attached.
(9) U-bolt wire rope clips shall not be used on any wire rope used to secure brackets or to serve as an anchor for personal fall arrest systems. Open (x)(9)
(10) The employer shall ensure that materials shall not be dropped to the outside of the supporting structure.
(11) Scaffold erection shall progress in only one direction around any structure.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1926.452.
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Sources
- 29 CFR 1926.452 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.