The Two Quotations

Signing the delivery note normally confirms that the equipment has been received in good order, so the supervisor should check the tower against the hire contract before signing. The key checks are: a legible product label showing compliance with BS EN 1004-1, the manufacturer, the load class and the maximum platform height; a current instruction manual for that exact tower; all frames, braces, platforms, guardrails, toe boards, stabilisers and base plates present and undamaged; no visibly bent tubes, cracked welds, missing locking pins or distorted spigots. The supervisor should also confirm the platform width and load class are suitable for the task and that the tower can reach 6.2 m working height without exceeding its permitted platform height. A painted-over label is a serious warning because the tower cannot be identified or matched to a manual. If the paperwork or label is missing, the tower should not be accepted for use until the hire company provides the correct information or replaces it.

Mixed components should not be assembled just because the tubes fit. Different manufacturers' frames, braces and platforms can have different tube diameters, spigot sizes, locking arrangements and design assumptions, so a combination that looks secure may not have been designed or tested as a system. The supervisor should quarantine the delivery, keep it away from the work area and ask the hire company to confirm in writing that the specific combination is permitted by the manufacturer. If that confirmation cannot be produced, the correct decision is to reject the mixed bundle and require a complete matched tower with a manual and label. The fact that one platform is a 'spare from another set' increases the risk because its load rating and hook arrangement may not match the frames. The cheaper quote is not a saving if the equipment cannot be used safely or if it has to be replaced at short notice.

For the replacement, the supervisor should obtain the manufacturer's name and tower model, the product standard marked on the label, the load class, the maximum platform height and the platform dimensions. The hire company should supply the matching instruction manual and confirm which stabilisers, outriggers or ballast are required at the intended height. The supervisor should also ask for the tower's inspection status and any available test or maintenance record, and should check that the delivery includes all guardrails and toe boards needed to fully deck the platform and protect every side. Before use, a competent person should carry out a pre-use inspection on the smooth concrete floor and record the result. If the tower is to be moved during the shift, the manual should be checked for the permitted moving procedure. The aim is to match the equipment to the task and the ground conditions, not simply to replace one cheap quote with another.