Safety & Regulations
Who is responsible
When you hire a tower, you are responsible for using it safely. Hiring certified equipment does not transfer that duty to the hire company.
Our duty is to supply equipment that is compliant, complete and fit for purpose at the point of delivery. Yours is to plan the work, use suitable equipment and make sure the people doing it are competent.
Work at Height Regulations 2005
The main regulations covering all work at height in the UK. In practice they require you to:
- Avoid work at height where you reasonably can
- Where you cannot, use equipment that prevents falls
- Where the risk cannot be eliminated, use equipment that **minimises the distance
and consequences** of a fall
- Plan and organise the work, including for emergencies and rescue
- Make sure the work is done by competent people
- Inspect equipment as required and keep records where the regulations say so
There is no "two metre rule". The regulations apply to any height where a fall could cause injury.
EN 1004-1
The European standard for mobile access and working towers built from prefabricated elements. It sets out materials, dimensions, loadings and safety requirements.
Every tower we hire complies with EN 1004-1. Components from different systems must not be mixed — that invalidates the certification and the manufacturer's assembly sequence.
PUWER 1998
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. Work equipment must be suitable for its purpose, maintained, and used only by people who have had adequate training.
Competence and PASMA
Regulations require competence but do not name a specific course. In UK practice, PASMA is the recognised standard for tower assembly. A PASMA card is what most site managers will ask to see. Read our PASMA guide.
Inspection duties
Under the Work at Height Regulations, working platforms used for construction work from which a person could fall more than 2 metres must be inspected:
- Before first use in that position
- After anything that could affect strength or stability
- At intervals not exceeding 7 days
Keep the record until the work is complete.
Where to read the source
- HSE guidance on working at height — hse.gov.uk
- The Work at Height Regulations 2005 — legislation.gov.uk
- PASMA — pasma.co.uk
> This page is a plain-English summary for people hiring towers. It is not legal > advice. Where it matters, read the HSE guidance and the regulations themselves.
Related
Frequently asked questions
Which regulations apply to tower use?
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 are the main ones, supported by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. In practice they require the work to be planned, the equipment to be suitable and inspected, and the people doing it to be competent. This page covers what that means for a tower in plain terms.
How often does a tower need inspecting?
Before first use, after assembly at each location, after any alteration, and after any event likely to have affected its stability — and at intervals not exceeding seven days while it remains erected. The inspection duty sits with whoever is using the tower, which on a hire is you.