WORKING AT HEIGHT: PASMA
“The association is
committed to delivering
world-class support to all
corners of the industry.
Providing practical skills
and knowledge are central
to meeting this objective.”
PASMA TRAINING COURSES
PASMA is committed to the highest standards of practice
and operates the industry standard training scheme which
trains thousands of delegates each year through a select
network of approved training centres. All PASMA training
centres are audited annually to ensure that they continue
to meet the stringent standard set by the association.
In addition to the renowned Towers for Users course,
the association also delivers a range of specialist courses.
These courses enjoy an enviable reputation amongst
management and health and safety practitioners, who seek
objective proof of competence for staff engaged in the
assembly, use, inspection and dismantling of towers.
The Association currently offers nine different training
courses covering everything from the essentials of working
at height and low level access, to advanced courses such
as Towers on Stairs and Towers for Riggers - which is a
specialist, intensive course designed for professional tower
riggers.
PASMA SMASHES TRAINING RECORD
Figures show that for the fifth consecutive year, PASMA
has exceeded its previous year’s total for the number of
delegates trained. Nearly 71,000 delegates were trained
during 2015, an increase of 5.5 per cent on the previous
year.
Since the beginning of 2011, almost a 1/3 of a million
delegates have qualified for a PASMA photocard and
certificate, issued at PASMA-approved training centres
worldwide.
Significantly, the figures for January and February 2016
have already exceeded those for the corresponding months
in 2015, putting 2016 on the path to break the record yet
again.
PASMA’s Marketing and Communications Officer, Gary
Chudleigh, commented: “As these latest statistics show,
the Association continues to make a major contribution
to working at height safety, positioning it as the premier
provider of specialist training in the sector.
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HSE INTERNATIONAL
“The PASMA photocard is widely regarded as
authoritative evidence of training, which is an essential
element in demonstrating competence as required by the
Work at Height Regulations 2005. Due to this, it is clear that
each year more and more people decide they need one.”
PASMA LAUNCHES NEW TRAINING COURSE – ‘TOWERS
WITH CANTILEVERS’
As part of its ongoing commitment to improving
safety and standards in the international mobile access
tower industry, the Prefabricated Access Suppliers’ and
Manufacturers’ Association (PASMA) has launched a new
advanced training course: Towers with Cantilevers.
Developed after extensive consultation with PASMA
members and the tower-using industries, and enjoying the
unqualified support of manufacturers, who, together with
PASMA’s technical and training committees contributed
wide-ranging expertise, ‘Towers with Cantilevers’ is the
latest in a series of advanced courses that reflects the fast
growing use of towers in more complex and demanding
applications.
It is aimed at a diverse range of industry sectors including construction, refurbishment, cleaning and
facilities management - where access is required over
fragile surfaces and large or awkward structures.
Developed specifically for the more experienced tower
user, ‘Towers with Cantilevers’ explains and illustrates
the essential principles of counter balance when using
kentledge/ballast in cantilever calculations.
It also interprets and explains the relevant sections
of BS 1139-6:2014, the standard that specifies the
requirements for complex structures such as towers with
cantilevers that are outside the scope of BS EN 1004, the
European product standard for normal towers.
PASMA points out that ‘Towers with Cantilevers’
focuses entirely on how to assemble and dismantle these
advanced tower structures - together with their limitations
– in standard configurations supported by the relevant
manufacturer’s instruction manual.
Available only from PASMA approved training
centres, the course is open to anyone with experience of
assembling, dismantling, altering, moving and inspecting
mobile access towers and who has successfully completed
the Association’s ‘Towers for Users’ course.
Director of training, Stuart Hopkins comments: “This
training course, which combines both theory and practical,
serves to further enhance the competency of tower users
across the access industry.”
“It joins a growing portfolio of courses designed to keep
people safe and productive - and which will shortly be
joined by other PASMA advanced courses to complete the
portfolio of training to support advanced tower use.”
CODE OF PRACTICE
The PASMA Code of Practice incorporates t