ExEcutivE REPORt Mixing mayhem
Carolina Marino, UK product manager for BoSS, explains the dangers of mixing mobile tower components.
I
t may not be widely known that the mixing of mobile tower components can result in a non-compliant structure. Users might see similar components and think that it’s not a problem to use them together, however this is not the case.
Falls from height continues to be the leading cause of accidents in the construction industry. Ensuring that equipment meets safety requirements and that it is used correctly is one way to lower these figures and keep users safe. According to Health and Safety Executive statistics for 2022, falls from heights caused the greatest deaths among work-related fatalities, which totalled 123 in the UK last year alone.
Setting the safety standard The new European Product Standard for towers has been around since 2004 and the updated EN1004-1:2020 came into force in November 2020, telling users what materials, dimensions, design loads, safety and performance requirements mobile access towers should conform to.
One of the main changes in EN1004-1:2020 is that tower builds under 2.5m were not previously included in the scope of EN 1004. The new standard now covers ALL towers
below 2.5m and the maximum heights remain at 8m externally and 12m internally.
Careful construction Compliance to safety standards is crucial to safely construct a tower that is suitable for work at height. The tower must be assembled according to the manufacturer’s instruction manual. If other components are used or they are assembled differently, the tower certification would be invalid.
For example, EN1004-1:2020 states that only the original manufacturer components specified in the instruction manual shall be used. If this is not the case, users may be working with towers that are not complying with the safety standard, thus increasing the risk of accidents – which might also impact a project’s bottom line.
When components from different manufacturers are combined, a new structure has been created that has not been tested to the safety standard. Although it may appear that all access towers look the same and components may be similar to each other, the actual characteristics and performance of the components can be very different. It’s important to remember that in EN 1004-1:2020 it is not the components that are approved, it is the overall tower structure.
Mixing tower components is a practice that is strongly advised against, as the safety of the structure cannot be guaranteed. Most brands will offer product liability insurance on their components and by mixing different elements this may cause it to become invalidated.
When it comes to working at height, selecting the correct access equipment and ensuring that training us up to date is vital. If these considerations are looked at prior to choosing
EN1004-1:2020 now covers access towers of all varieties, up to 12m internally.
SAFETY FIRST To find out more about the comprehensive range of BoSS access towers, manufactured by WernerCo visit
www.bossaccesstowers.com/uk
Falls from even modest heights is still the leading cause of injuries in the construction sector.
equipment for the job, hopefully many accidents can be preventable.
Falls from a height are still the leading cause of injuries in the construction sector. Ensuring that equipment conforms to safety standards, and that it is being used correctly, is one way to hopefully reduce these figures and keep users safe. n
September 2023 - Executive Hire News 13
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