PASMA Tower Scaffold Training: What You Need to Know

PASMA (Prefabricated Access Suppliers' and Manufacturers' Association) training certifies you to assemble, inspect, and use mobile access towers safely. If your work involves any height access using aluminium towers, PASMA certification is essential.

What Is a Mobile Access Tower?

Mobile access towers are lightweight aluminium scaffold structures on wheels. They are used throughout warehousing, manufacturing, construction, and maintenance for tasks at heights typically between 2 and 12 metres. Common uses include:

• Warehouse racking installation and maintenance
• Factory equipment servicing
• Painting and decorating at height
• Electrical and lighting work
• Sign installation and cleaning

Why PASMA Matters

Tower scaffold accidents cause multiple deaths and serious injuries in the UK each year. Common causes include:

• Incorrect assembly — missing braces, wrong configuration
• Overloading — too many people or too much equipment on the platform
• Moving the tower with people on it
• Not using outriggers or stabilisers
• Building on uneven ground without proper levelling
• Climbing the outside of the tower instead of using the internal ladder

PASMA training teaches you to avoid these dangers.

The PASMA Course

The standard PASMA Towers for Users course takes one day and covers:

• Legal requirements and regulations
• Component identification and inspection
• Step-by-step assembly following the 3T method (Through the Trap) or advance guardrail method
• Safe use — climbing, working, and descending
• Dismantling in the correct sequence
• Risk assessment and method statement basics

The course involves hands-on assembly and dismantling of actual towers.

Cost and Validity

• Course cost — £200-£300 per person
• PASMA card validity — 5 years
• Renewal — same course, same cost every 5 years

Career Benefits

PASMA certification is valuable because:

• Many warehouse and manufacturing employers require it for team leaders and maintenance staff
• Construction sites require PASMA for anyone assembling or modifying towers
• It pairs well with IPAF certification to provide comprehensive height access skills
• It shows employers you take safety seriously and have versatile skills
• PASMA-qualified workers can earn £1-2/hour more in roles where tower access is needed

Contact TRS Recruit for information about PASMA training opportunities and roles that benefit from tower scaffold certification in the South West.