UPDATED STANDARD FOR TOWER SCAFFOLDS

Tower scaffolds can be a useful tool for accessing work at height and preventing falls. Where they are used it is important that the type of tower selected is suitable for the work and erected and dismantled by people who have been trained and are competent to do so.

The standard BS EN 1004-1 covers the requirements for the materials, dimensions, design loads, safety and performance requirements of mobile access and working towers made of prefabricated elements. An updated version of this standard was published in November 2020.

This new version of the standard includes a number of significant changes and clarifications including bringing towers where the working platform is below 2.5m within the scope of the standard. The standard covering instruction manuals for towers is also being revised and is due to be published as BS EN 1004-2 shortly.

While standards are usually only voluntary and it is not a legal requirement for towers to comply with BS EN 1004 there is a legal requirement for employers to provide safe work equipment and compliance with standards is one way of achieving that. Certainly this is something that should be taken into account when sourcing new equipment.

The Prefabricated Access Suppliers’ & Manufacturers’ Association Ltd (PASMA) have produced a guide to the new standard which can be viewed on their website at: https://pasma.co.uk/faqs/en-1004-revision/en-1004-complete-guide/

Please speak to your normal PIB Risk Management contact or get in touch using [email protected]  if you have any questions regarding working at height safety.