Whenever complaint is made to the mayor, director of public safety, superintendent of police, of other persons in charge of the police force, in any city of the first, second or third class in this state, that the scaffolding, or slings, hangers, blocks, pulleys, stays, braces, ladders, irons, or ropes of any sling or stationary scaffolding, used in the construction, alteration, repairing, painting, cleaning, or pointing of buildings, within the limits of any city aforesaid, are unsafe, or liable to prove dangerous to life or limb of any person, such mayor, director of public safety, superintendent of police, or other person in charge of the police force, shall immediately cause an inspection to be made of such scaffolding, or the slings, hangers, blocks, pulleys, stays, braces, ladders, irons, ropes or other parts connected therewith. If, after examination, such scaffolding or any of such parts is found to be dangerous to life or limb, the mayor, director of public safety, superintendent of police, or other persons in charge of the police force, shall prohibit the use thereof, and require the same to be altered and reconstructed so as to avoid such danger. The person directed to make such inspection shall attach such certificate to the scaffolding, or the slings, hangers, irons, ropes, or other parts thereof, examined by him, stating that he has made such examination, and that he has found it safe or unsafe, as the case may be. If he declare it unsafe, he shall at once, in writing, notify the person responsible for its erection of the fact, and warn them against the use thereof. Such notice shall be served personally upon the person responsible for the erecting, or by conspicuously affixing it to the scaffolding or part thereof to be declared unsafe. After such notice has been so served or affixed, the person responsible therefor shall immediately remove such scaffolding or part thereof, and alter or strengthen it in such manner as to render it safe, in the discretion of the person who has examined it, or of his superiors. Any person whose duty it is to examine or test any scaffolding or part thereof, as required by this act, shall have free access at all reasonable hours to any building or premises containing them, or where they may be used.
53 P.S. § 4201