PASMA Towers for Users common mistakes
PASMA Towers for Users · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Treating any tower labelled 'EN 1004' as automatically compliant with the current edition, without checking whether it is certified to EN 1004-1:2020 or the withdrawn EN 1004:2004.
Candidates learn 'EN 1004 = compliant' as a slogan and never look at the year suffix, so they cannot distinguish a tower certified to the superseded 2004 edition from one certified to the 2020 edition, which split the standard into parts and changed requirements.
What to do instead
When reading a tower's marking or data plate, always record the full standard reference including the year. State that EN 1004-1:2020 is the current product standard for mobile access towers and that a tower to the withdrawn 2004 edition is not automatically equivalent; where the edition is unclear, refer to the manufacturer's instructions and certification before use.
Assuming a tower can be assembled to a given height regardless of its configuration, instead of reading the manufacturer's height-to-base-ratio limit and the platform height classification (e.g. 3, 4, 5, 6) from the instructions.
Candidates memorise a single 'safe height' figure or a rule of thumb and apply it to every tower, ignoring that the permitted platform height depends on the specific make, the base dimensions, and whether stabilisers or outriggers are fitted.
What to do instead
For any tower, quote the manufacturer's declared maximum platform height and the height-to-base ratio from the instructions, and state that exceeding it requires stabilisers, outriggers, or a larger base as specified by the manufacturer, never an improvised fix.
Buying or hiring a tower on price alone without checking that the supplier provides a current user manual, a declaration of conformity to EN 1004-1, and a unique identification/marking on components.
Candidates treat tower purchase as a commodity decision and forget that the legal duty is to obtain equipment with adequate information and conformity evidence, so they cannot list what documentation to request.
What to do instead
Before purchase or hire, request: the manufacturer's instruction manual for the exact model, the declaration of conformity citing EN 1004-1:2020, component identification/marking, and a record of the tower's inspection and maintenance history; check that mixed components are not being supplied.
Mixing components from different tower systems or manufacturers because they 'look compatible', or accepting a hired tower where components have been substituted.
Candidates focus on whether parts physically fit rather than whether the assembly is a tested system, and underestimate that compatibility is certified by the manufacturer for a specific set of components.
What to do instead
State the rule that towers must be assembled only from components of the same system as specified by the manufacturer, that substitution invalidates conformity, and that any doubt about a component's origin means it is quarantined and referred to the supplier before use.
Describing the 3T method as 'the way to build a tower' without being able to name what the three Ts are or how the sequence works in practice.
Candidates learn the acronym as a label rather than a procedure, so they cannot explain the order of operations or why each step matters for stability during assembly.
What to do instead
Learn the 3T sequence as Through the trapdoor, Trailing (or 'T' for the guardrail level being added progressively), and Test/secure: explain that the person assembles from the platform level below, adding guardrails at each level through the trapdoor before climbing to the next, so that no one is ever on an unguarded platform.
Confusing AGR with 3T and describing AGR as an alternative name for the same method, rather than as the Advanced Guardrail system where the guardrail is fitted from the level below before the platform is occupied.
Both are advanced assembly methods that avoid working at height without protection, so candidates collapse them into one concept and cannot answer questions about which components are used and in what order.
What to do instead
Distinguish them explicitly: 3T relies on assembling through the trapdoor with progressive guardrail installation; AGR uses purpose-made guardrail frames or rails that are positioned and secured from the platform below before the assembler steps onto the new level. State that both require the manufacturer's instructions and trained assemblers.
Inspecting a tower only at the start of the week, or only after it has been erected, and not after alteration, relocation, or an event such as high wind or impact.
Candidates treat inspection as a periodic paperwork task, so they miss the trigger events that require a fresh inspection and cannot state who is competent to do it.
What to do instead
List the inspection triggers: before first use, after assembly or any alteration, after relocation, after any event (high wind, impact, overload), and at intervals set by risk assessment; state that the inspection is by a competent person, recorded, and that defective towers are taken out of service and tagged.
Describing guardrail requirements loosely ('a top rail and a mid rail') without stating heights, the need for a toe board, and the requirement that the platform is fully decked and secured.
Candidates remember the shape of a guardrail but not the dimensional and completeness requirements, so they cannot judge whether a given configuration is compliant.
What to do instead
State the elements of a compliant edge protection: a main guardrail at the specified height above the platform, an intermediate guardrail so that no gap exceeds the specified dimension, toe boards, and a fully decked platform with decking secured against movement; give the figures from the manufacturer's instructions and EN 1004-1 rather than guessing.
Allowing access to the platform by climbing the frame or standing on guardrails, or leaving the trapdoor open when the platform is occupied.
Candidates know 'use ladders' but do not connect it to the specific behaviours that cause falls, and underestimate the trapdoor as a fall hazard.
What to do instead
State the access rule: access is by the manufacturer's designated means (integral ladder or approved ladder), never by climbing the frame; the trapdoor must be closed behind the user, and the platform must not be overloaded or used as a storage area.
Ignoring the ground and environment when siting a tower - setting it up on a slope, on soft ground, or next to overhead power lines - and not using the stabilisers the manufacturer specifies.
Candidates concentrate on the tower's own components and treat the ground and surroundings as someone else's problem, so they miss stability, overturning, and electrical hazards.
What to do instead
Before assembly, check the ground is firm, level, and capable of carrying the load; fit stabilisers or outriggers as specified; check for overhead lines and maintain the safe clearance; and check wind conditions against the manufacturer's limits, securing or dismantling the tower when it is left unattended.