PASMA Tower
Understanding PASMA's guidance policy, derived from the need to keep employees safe when working at height, is a must for every health and safety manager, company owner and contractor, when using a scaffold tower.
Every project is different. Working environments are unique with scaffold towers being deployed on building sites, internal working environments, government offices, public footpaths and many more situations. Each usage type will require its own risk assessment to clearly identify any issues that could arise.
How does this affect you? Relevant legislation, namely, The Work at Height Regulations 2005 were drawn up to prevent death and injury caused by a fall or slip from a scaffold tower.
Those in control of any work at height activity must make sure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competently trained personnel. This includes using the right type of equipment for working at height.
For a tower scaffold to be used safely and in accordance with best practice guidelines the following principles must be observed:
Tower use must only be granted where an individual :
- has sufficiently training and experienced
- are fit to undertake the tasks that they have been asked to perform
A tower should not be used in the following circumstances:
- During strong winds
- When parts of the tower are broken, damaged or missing parts, or when there is evidence of incompatible parts
Remember to follow the instructions of the manufacturer. If in doubt, contact the manufacturer or an authorised reseller.
PASMA requires that health and safety managers must ensure that there is suitable supervision, ensuring that safe working practices are being applied. In day to day terms, it is the user or contractor who must responsibly ensure that the tower is used appropriately and that adequate inspections takes place:
- Following installation and before first use, not excluding daily inspections, when the tower is situated within public access zones
- at an interval of no more than every 7 days
- following events such as strong winds
- Inspect guardrails and never work on a platform without guardrails - never stand on an unprotected platform when building or dismantling a tower
Employers and those in control of any work at height activity must make sure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people. This includes using the right type of equipment for working at height. Low-risk, relatively straightforward tasks will require less effort when it comes to planning.
PASMA Accredited Towers
PASMA accreditation is derived from certification standard EN1004. Manufacturers such as BoSS, Lyte and Werner have a range of PASMA EN1004 accredited products that provide safety when working at height.
If you require assistance in selecting an appropriate PASMA certified EN1004 scaffold tower, please call. We can help you understand the requirements for your compliance needs.