Final answer:
Scaffolds in engineering are required to support at least four times their maximum intended load to ensure safety.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering the safety factors for scaffolding in an engineering context, scaffolds are generally required to support at least four times their maximum intended load, according to safety regulations such as those from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).
This means a scaffold designed to hold a certain amount of weight should actually be capable of supporting four times that weight before it reaches the point of failure. This four-fold capacity is designed to provide a margin of safety to account for various factors like weight distribution, moving loads, and potential overloading.