HSE International ISSUE 101 | Page 38

WORKING AT HEIGHT : PASMA
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 .
“ 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 .
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HSE INTERNATIONAL