DIY Tower Safety Tips

At present, Working at Height Regulations do not apply for private home/domestic use and, despite our campaigning with the top regulatory body for mobile scaffold tower safety for a standard to be created for DIY Towers similar to the EN1004-1:2020 Standard that our Trade and Industrial Towers are certified to, certification is not currently required for DIY towers.

Nevertheless, it is still best practice to follow the same safety guidelines as would be used for our certified Trade and Industrial Towers so in this blog, we cover the top safety precautions to consider before using a domestic scaffold tower.

Evaluate Task

First and foremost, evaluate the task/s at hand. Consider the following:

How often you will be using the tower? If you are only going to be using it once or twice a year, then our Light Duty DIY Towers and Medium Duty DIY Towers are ideal and if you are going to be using it more regularly, then our Heavy Duty DIY Towers are perfect.

What are the ground conditions like in all the areas that you are planning to use the tower? Is it capable of supporting the tower? Is it always flat or are there stairwells/steps to overcome or some areas with uneven/sloping ground? Is the ground hard e.g. concrete, tarmac or similar, or soft e.g. grass, gravel or mud, and will the tower stay in one position, or will it need to be moved around often?

Don’t be panicked by all these questions; We’ve only mentioned to help you start evaluating your tower uses and have options for screw threaded height adjustable base plates and screw threaded height adjustable locking wheels in each of our domestic tower ranges so there will (almost certainly!) be an option to suit your requirements.

Also, if, for example, you require a tower that needs to be moved around often on hard ground so opt for the height adjustable wheel version and have an area of soft ground to use the tower on also, then sole boards or other decking will need to be put under the wheels and outriggers, if applicable, to help distribute the load and stop them sinking into the ground. Base Bars are included with the Base Plate and Wheel versions also so you can use the tower in the standard set up, for example on soft ground with the base bars instead, too.

Finally, and most importantly, measure the height you need to stand at, reference the platform height measurement for this in our website literature. It is always better (except for avoiding overhead obstacles) to go slightly higher than you think you need as the platform can be placed on any of the lower ladder rungs and to save you needing to purchase additional components to go higher. Never over-reach, over-stretch or set up ladders, steps, or other devices to gain additional height as these will reduce the height of the effective guardrail and significantly increase the likelihood of an unnecessary, potentially fatal, fall from height if you slip, trip or stumble whilst working. Only use additional components to increase the platform height.

Overhead Obstacles

Check overhead that the area into which the tower is to be erected contains no obstructions, particular electrical or radio radiation hazards. Stay clear of overhead electrical cables and live electrical equipment to avoid the risk of electrocution. Aluminium towers are not insulated so they will conduct electricity! If you do need to work near overhead electrical cables, then
consult your local power company for advice on safe distances and be aware of the flash factor (arcing effect) particularly in wet conditions.

Adverse Weather Conditions

Try to avoid using the tower in adverse weather conditions such as snow, frost and heavy rain which are likely to affect the anti-slip properties of the frames and platform plywood, potentially making them slippery and increase the risk of falling.

Beware of high winds in exposed, gusty or medium breeze conditions. We recommend that in wind speeds over 20.0 km/h, cease working on the tower and do not attempt to move it. If the wind becomes a strong breeze, expected to reach 31.0 km/h, tie the tower to a rigid structure. If the wind is likely to reach gale force, over 52.0 km/h, the tower should be dismantled. Wind force can be magnified when using the tower in alleyways and open-ended buildings due to the funnelling effect of the wind so wind forces can often be greater in such locations, be aware of this also.

Please see page 4 of our Industrial Tower Instruction Manual for guidance on wind speed safety rules.

Outriggers

Telescopic Outriggers are included as standard on our domestic towers with working heights above 5 metres and can be added on the lower heights for extra stability also. Extra-large (XL) outriggers are supplied with the tallest Heavy Duty DIY Towers to further enlarge the footprint of the tower and result in rock solid stability and offer ultimate user confidence.

Trapdoor Platforms

All of our domestic tower platforms have a trapdoor in them – The tower is always climbed internally, ‘Through The Trapdoor’ (3T Compliant) which is then lowered to form part of the platform.

Now, the boring technical bit!!!

All our mobile access towers comply with the 3T (Through The Trapdoor) method of assembling, altering and dismantling mobile access towers, which take account of the need to prevent falls during these processes. The Through The Trapdoor method of assembly allows the user to position themselves through the trapdoor of the platform and, whilst seated in the trapdoor opening, fit the horizontal braces/guardrails so that collective fall prevention measures are in place before standing on the platform. Dismantling is the exact reverse, open the trapdoor platform and, whilst seated in the trapdoor opening, remove the horizontal braces/guardrails. Do not climb onto the platform until all the guardrails are in place.

Boring bit over!

Our domestic tower platforms are tested to EN 1004 Class 3 Standard for your safety and reassurance and have a safe working load of 150kg per platform i.e. the maximum safe working load (combined weight of the user, tools and materials) that may be placed on a single platform is 150kg uniformly distributed.

Never climb outside the tower or use external ladders with mobile access towers as this imposes a considerable side load on the tower which it is not designed for and may cause it to overturn. Additionally climbing up and over the outside means you get no fall protection
whatsoever that the braces, self-closing trapdoor platforms and guardrails provide. If you need to raise and lower components, tools and/or materials by rope, this should be conducted within the tower base area.

Guardrails

All platforms from which it is possible to fall a distance liable to cause personal injury must be fitted with guardrails. As such all our domestic towers are supplied with guardrails for every platform level which must be correctly fitted according to the assembly instructions and 3T assembly method. Never stand on an unguarded platform and always fit and remove guardrails from the protected trapdoor position.

All our domestic towers are available with additional guard rails at intermediate platform levels and a toeboard, which prevents items falling from the top platform level, making these the safest domestic towers in the marketplace.

Preparation and Inspection

Check all access equipment before use; all components are present, undamaged and functioning correctly. Lost or broken parts should be replaced. Components should be stored/transported with due care to prevent damage. Top Tip: Aluminium does not rust so you can store most of the components outside if you wish. It is advisable to store the platforms indoors though as they will wear out quicker in wet conditions.

Always level the tower using sole boards/baseplates/wheels and use a spirit level to check it is completely level before use.

Instruction Manual

All our Domestic Towers come with a poster which has step-by-step assembly instructions and a diagram showing the complete tower set up. The poster also includes safety symbols and our contact details should you need get in touch. There are foil, weather resistant stickers on the tower frames themselves with the step-by-step assembly instructions, safety symbols and our contact details also.

The poster is freely downloaded from our website, in the Manual Library section and on the individual product pages, should it get lost/wet. There’s a clickable link just beneath the product title on each of the product pages for the towers technical diagram and component list also.