A tower with one brace missing
A team builds a tower from a kit. They have lost one brace, but the tower stands. They climb. The first push on a cable makes it sway, and one worker falls.
A tower is only as safe as the manual says. Every part, every order and every check is there for a reason.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Prefabricated tower | a tower sold as a kit of ready-made frames and braces |
| Manufacturer's guidelines | the maker's own rules for using their equipment |
| Brace | a diagonal bar that stops a tower swaying |
| Guardrail | a rail at the edge of a platform that stops falls |
| Toe board | a low board at the edge that stops things dropping |
| Castor | a wheel on the foot of a tower, with a brake |
| Outrigger | a side arm that widens the base for stability |
| Pre-use check | a look and test done every time before use |
| MEWP | mobile elevating work platform, a powered lift with a cage |
| Harness | a body belt with straps that connects you to a fixed point |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can describe how to assemble, inspect, use and dismantle a low-level access tower, and how to use a MEWP safely.
Starter: height and risk
Have a go
Starter: height and risk
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Trained people only
Important
This lesson is the reasoning. You build and use towers and MEWPs only after approved training, with a trained person, and with the maker's manual in hand.
Assembling a tower
Follow the maker's manual for the exact parts. The order is always the same idea.
Check the parts against the list and look for damage. Pick firm, level ground. Fit the base, with castors or outriggers as the manual says. Add frames and braces in order. Fit the platform with its guardrails and toe boards. Check the tower is level and upright. Lock the castors.
Put the tower build in order
Have a go
Put the tower build in order
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.