Getting the right qualifications before assembling or working from a scaffold tower isn’t optional: it’s a legal requirement. Whether you’re a sole trader, part of a maintenance crew, or managing a team of operatives, understanding which certifications apply to your work keeps people safe and keeps you on the right side of the law. Here’s what you actually need to know about scaffold tower qualifications in 2026, broken down without the jargon.
Legal Requirements and Safety Standards for Tower Use
The Work at Height Regulations 2005
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 remain the primary legislation governing scaffold tower use across the UK. These regulations place a duty on employers to ensure that any work at height is properly planned, supervised, and carried out by competent people. “Competent” is the key word here: the regulations don’t specify a particular course or card, but they do require that anyone erecting, dismantling, or working from a tower has sufficient training and experience.
The CDM Regulations 2015 also apply on construction sites, adding another layer of responsibility. Duty holders must demonstrate that operatives are trained and that risk assessments are in place before any tower goes up.
Defining Competency in Scaffold Assembly
Competency isn’t just about holding a certificate. It means having the right combination of training, knowledge, and practical experience to do the job safely. For mobile aluminium towers like those manufactured by LEWIS Access, this typically means completing an accredited training programme and being able to demonstrate that you can assemble a specific tower configuration correctly, following the manufacturer’s instruction manual. A bloke who watched a YouTube video doesn’t count.
PASMA Training and Certification Levels
Towers for Users Course
PASMA (the Prefabricated Access Manufacturers’ Association) runs the most widely recognised training programme for mobile tower scaffolds. The Towers for Users course is a one-day programme covering assembly, dismantling, inspection, and safe use of mobile towers. On completion, you receive a PASMA card valid for five years, along with a certificate. Most clients and principal contractors won’t let you near a tower without one.
This course covers the 3T (Through The Trapdoor) and AGR (Advance Guard Rail) build methods, which are the two approved approaches for assembling towers safely. If you’re using LEWIS scaffold towers or compatible systems like SGB Boss, the principles are the same.
Low Level Access Qualifications
Not all work at height involves full-size towers. PASMA also offers a Low Level Access course for platforms under 2.5 metres. This half-day programme is ideal for maintenance teams doing routine tasks: changing light fittings, painting, inspecting ceiling voids. It’s often overlooked, but the legal requirement for competence applies at any height where a fall could cause injury.
Towers on Stairs and Cantilever Specialisms
Specialist configurations demand specialist training. PASMA’s Towers on Stairs module covers the safe assembly of towers on staircases and sloped surfaces, where independently adjustable legs with positive locking mechanisms are essential. Cantilever and linked tower modules exist for more complex arrangements. These aren’t niche qualifications: if your work involves anything beyond a standard tower on flat ground, you need the relevant specialism.
Alternative Qualifications and Industry Recognition
CISRS vs PASMA for Mobile Towers
There’s sometimes confusion between CISRS and PASMA. CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) cards are required for tube-and-fitting scaffolders: the professionals who erect traditional scaffolding on building sites. PASMA covers mobile aluminium towers specifically. You don’t need a CISRS card to erect a mobile tower, and a CISRS card alone doesn’t qualify you to assemble one. They’re different disciplines.
Manufacturer-Led Training Programmes
Some manufacturers run their own training sessions tailored to specific tower systems. LEWIS Access partners with She-Knows, a ProQual-accredited provider, through which users can become competent. With them, you train using our towers.
Inspection and Maintenance Competencies
Pre-Use Checks and Seven-Day Inspections
Every tower must be inspected before each shift by a competent person. This isn’t a suggestion: it’s a legal requirement under the Work at Height Regulations. A separate formal inspection is required every seven days, or after any event that could affect stability (high winds, accidental impact, relocation).
Pre-use checks should cover brakes, platform condition, guardrails, toe boards, and overall stability. Use a spirit level to verify verticality, and always check that base plates are properly seated.
Recording Inspection Results and Tagging Systems
Inspection results must be recorded and kept on site. Many organisations use tagging systems: a colour-coded tag attached to the tower showing the date of the last inspection, the inspector’s name, and the next inspection due date. This creates a clear audit trail and makes compliance visible to anyone walking past.
Employer Responsibilities and Compliance Monitoring
Verifying Photo ID Cards and Certificates
Employers have a duty to verify that operatives hold valid qualifications before allowing them to work on towers. Check PASMA photo ID cards, confirm expiry dates, and keep copies on file. Don’t just take someone’s word for it.
Refresher Training and Qualification Expiry
PASMA cards expire after five years. Refresher training should happen before expiry, not after. Some employers schedule refreshers at the three-year mark to stay ahead. Letting qualifications lapse puts your team at risk and leaves your organisation exposed to enforcement action from the HSE. Getting your scaffold tower qualifications sorted isn’t a box-ticking exercise. It’s the difference between a safe site and a preventable accident.