Protective fan (canopy)

An outward-sloping, close-boarded platform on the scaffold that catches falling debris above pavements, entrances and parking spaces.

Also called: fan, debris fan, pedestrian protection fan, catch fan, scaffold canopy

Scaffolds seldom stand in an empty field. Usually a pavement runs right underneath, there is a front door or cars are parked. However carefully the crew works, sooner or later a piece of render, a screw or a broken tile falls. The protective fan is an inclined, closed surface projecting outwards from the scaffold that catches such debris before it hits passers-by or residents.

The fan is not a working platform. Nobody walks on it and nothing is stored on it. It is structurally part of the scaffold but does the job of a protection scaffold, and is treated differently from the working lifts.

Components

• Support: an outside bracket with an inclined fan arm on top. Frame systems also offer folding fan brackets connected with half couplers to two frames one above the other.
• Decking: ordinary scaffold decks on bracket and arm forming a closed surface.
• Securing: deck locks, gap covers and, on wide versions, a bracket brace so nothing slides or lifts.

The outer edge is turned up so that debris does not roll straight off; many instructions ask for an upstand of at least 0.60 m. Widths depend on the system, from two decks to three decks or large brackets projecting well over a metre. The fan normally sits at the second lift, about 4 m above ground, leaving headroom for pedestrians.

Building it

Erect the scaffold fully to at least one lift above fan level, with side protection and ties. Fit the brackets to the outer standards from the protected lift, add the brace where required, lay decks on the brackets, then fit or swing out the fan arms and deck the sloping part. Secure every deck, close the gap between scaffold deck and fan, and board right up to the building. Guard rails separate the fan from the working platform so nobody steps out onto it by mistake. Strike the fan only when no more work goes on above.

Points to watch

• The fan adds leverage and wind area, so instructions usually call for extra ties, braces or ledgers in this zone.
• Clear fallen material regularly; debris on the fan is a hazard itself.
• Gaps between decks or towards the building make the protection useless.
• Fan parts are system-specific. On used arms and brackets, look for bent tubes, cracked welds and working half couplers; brackets and arms are listed under bracket frames.

Scaffolding over a public footway usually requires permission; in the UK that is a scaffold licence issued by the local highway authority. Our article on pavement and road scaffolds explains more. The fan protects people below; the roof edge protection screen catches people and material sliding off the roof, and rain is kept out only by a temporary roof.