Safety is priority. Whether in the workplace or at home. Ensuring yours or someone else’s safety is a necessity for many. That is why it is shocking when incidents occur which are caused by lack of compliance, complacency, or cutting corners to save money, time, and/or resources.
When operators are using different towers to complete work, the apparatus must supply basic safety features, providing security so that the tower does not become defected.
Unfortunately, these accidents happen, and more often than you think. 2022/2023 saw falls from heights being the most common kind of fatal accident in the workplace, constituting for approximately 36% of all fatal accidents. Although the overall number of fatalities has significantly dropped over the years, there is still too many people being injured, or worse.
So, What’s Causing These Injuries?
Also known as “DIY towers” these types of equipment are not approved by the EN 1004-1 regulations. These types of towers typically also don’t have the relevant manuals that are in line with the regulations stated.
Other factors, such as gaps big enough for a person to fall through, buckling ladder rungs and basic features (such as not being able to level the tower) are additional ways to increase incidents. The list of these alarming defects, along with individuals purchasing the non-conforming towers, are why workers are still getting injured in the workplace.
Sadly, people are still being injured from using towers which don’t comply to the safety regulations. The unfortunate case of two men who died after falling from a “…non-compliant scaffold tower…” reinforces the point that PASMA are implementing. PASMA stated in their post that “…while we don’t know the exact cause or circumstances of this accident, photos taken at the scene show a type of tower that is not safe to use, ever, in any situation.”
Using PASMA approved towers is the way to go!
You can’t put a price on safety, which is why 2 Start are at the forefront to also promote the safe use of approved towers. PASMA lead to provide design standards, highlighting why towers must be in line with EN 1004-1 regulations. This is to further help build consistency and safety in the workplace for tower use for all.
When safety is ignored during the purchase of this equipment, this gives more room for error, and increases the potential of an accident for workers and others, such as the public. This makes PASMA training all the more necessary in all industries, as individuals can understand why safe, secure and proper towers aid in accident prevention.
What factors cause injury or fatality with towers?
Little or lack of planning
Typical standards, especially in the construction sector, is to plan the work being completed prior. This is so that you know that you can in fact complete the work in a secure manner. There should be additional planning for contingencies. This helps to prevent work being stopped and ensures that employees can conduct their work.
Incorrect assembling
This goes in hand with training. If you do not assemble the tower properly and in line with the environment you will be working on, this can cause issues, such as the tower not being properly levelled for the terrain you are on, or not seeing any obstructions prior to planning.
Unsafe equipment
The use of this equipment is common in many sectors, but more so in the construction industry, as this makes the ability to complete work at hard-to-reach areas more practical and safer. This is why an approved tower should always be used in any circumstance.
Inadequate training
Although it is not a legal requirement to complete a PASMA accredited course, you must complete proper and adequate training to prove your competency on towers.
Inaccurate use
There are different types of towers for different use cases. If you purchase a DIY tower that is only for working at heights, but you want to use it to work on stairs, this is going to cause issues.
Furthering this, not knowing how to use or work on a tower (this once again relates to lack of training!) can make avoidable risks more prominent!
Approved towers come with the following
Instruction manual
This manual gives the user proper information and details regarding how to safely erect and dismantle the tower.
Slip-restraint surfaces
These are necessary for a safe use and ascending or descending of the tower.
Regularly placed platforms
These platforms help to minimise huge drops in the event that someone, or something falls.
Double guardrails
Found on all four sides, this reduces the likelihood of someone falling off the edge.
Toe boards
Toe Boards reduce the probability of slipping off the edge and injuring yourself, as well as reducing the likelihood of tools falling off the tower.
Stabilisers on each corner
These reinforce the rigidity and stability of the tower, while helping it stay secure in high winds.
Adjustable Legs
These help to level the tower properly, catering to different terrain types.
Castor wheels
This provides workers with the ability to make the tower mobile, moving it safely and with ease.
When these towers are built correctly and within the PASMA guidelines, then your staff have more confidence. Hence why DIY towers increase this risk, as many don’t provide some of the safety features mentioned above as a standard, which makes workers more prone to an incident, which in turn, increases the risk of their own safety.
DIY towers typically have (or don’t have) the following
Lack of platforms
This means an increased risk of a higher fall and causing severe injury or fatality in some cases.
Clip on stabilisers
These aren’t as robust and can vary in length.
“Additional” platforms & stabilisers
These have been classed as an “optional extra,” meaning businesses may feel more inclined to ignore these addons to save money. Safety features should not be a luxury, nor an addon feature. It is a requirement, as it is vital for workers to remain safe within their job role and while conducting their work.
PASMA’s 2024 Market Research Exposes worries
Published May 2024, PASMA conducted market research of DIY towers on the market, testing multiple models from different third party manufactures and logging their findings. You can read their full report here.
One of their concerns was that some user manuals were missing “…critical safety information” which commonly revolved around wind speeds, the moving of the tower, and how to choose the correct platform height, to name a few. Because of the lack of information, this can leave users guessing and making assumptions on how to construct, dismantle and safely operate the tower.
Other issues include one not providing a ladder, several rungs were not capable to hold weight without deforming, guardrails not being able to support the standard test weight (test weight being 125Kg, one tower buckled from a test load of 55Kg) and none of the DIY towers could be properly levelled. The results are simply shocking.
Once again, this is only a handful of points and issues raised from the report itself, and you can read the full report on the PAMSA Website.
What are PASMA doing?
This has only motivated PASMA into raising additional awareness regarding the use of certified and regulated towers. They are delivering a campaign to highlight further awareness of the risks DIY towers pose to people’s safety.
Other points noted include encouraging manufacturers of DIY towers to improve their standards to a minimum of BS EN 1004-1 & BS 1139-6. Creating towers that comply to these standards will minimise risks for many, and significantly improve the safety of both the person(s) using the tower & the people around them.
There is no excuse to be short on safety. From the employer, straight down to the tower user.
What can you do?
Ensure that you complete adequate training with a reputable provider. PASMA accredited training will reinforced the standards required for tower usage. Having PASMA accreditation can also make you a favourable candidate to businesses.
Help combat the dangerous use of towers, as well as mitigate the purchasing of DIY towers. When you complete a PASMA accredited course, you will learn:
- The safe use, operation and transportation of a tower.
- Safe erecting and dismantling.
- Correct understanding of working at heights.
- Considerations of the environment.
- Safety of the surroundings when working at heights.
Also make sure you purchase towers from reputable and PASMA authorised manufacturers, as well as look for the EN 1004-1 sticker on the equipment before use. Additionally, test the equipment to enable a safe work environment for yourself.
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