Installing a drywall stabilizing clip is a work practice that secures vertically stacked drywall sheets in a leaning position so that they cannot tip over and injure workers.

Figure 1. A worker completing securing drywall with a drywall clip. (Photo courtesy of RockSteady, LLC.)

A drywall secure clip, such as the RockSteady™ Clip, is designed to secure drywall leaning against a wall, preventing it from falling over.  The clip has a fastener that slides over the first sheet of drywall.  Attached to the fastener is connecting cable wire that runs to the wall where it is screwed into a wood or metal stud. A screwdriver is required to remove the clip so that it cannot be removed by accident.

Vertically stacked drywall must always be placed four to six inches from the wall at the bottom of the stack.  It is recommended to place one clip every 6' (feet) and not less than 2' (feet) from butt end of drywall sheet. Sheets over 12' (feet) require 2 clips.  The cable wire must be pulled tight while driving down the set screw. The set screw must also be completely compressed/tightened, with the cable pinched between the set screw head and the top of the RockSteady® Clip.

RockSteady™ Clips come in two sizes, one for 5/8” sheets and one for 1/2” sheets.  They can be attached to 15, 16 and 20 gauge metal studs and to wood studs.  They are designed to secure up to 26 sheets of 5/8” or 34 sheets of 1/2” drywall.  The clips are disposable and should be thrown away after use.  There is a fluorescent warning label at the front of the stack to alert people about the falling drywall hazard.

Using the RockSteady® Clip may increase productivity when compared with placing material horizontally on the floor.

RockSteady™ Clips allow drywall to be stacked vertically to save space in smaller rooms.  In addition, many rooms cannot support the weight of drywall stacked horizontally in the center of the room.

Dan Anton, PT, PhD, ATC and Zack Sinner, SPT – Eastern Washington University