What is PASMA Training
The construction industry is rightly rife with different regulations and governing bodies to ensure employees are kept safe and work is carried out to the highest standard, therefore keeping the public safe as well. PASMA is a governing body dedicated to the safety and efficiency of working at height, and they have training courses to help enforce this.
Here at Charles Wilson Engineers Ltd, we provide a variety of different training courses to help ensure processes are being carried out safely and effectively. PASMA training is just one of these, so we utilise our expertise in the blog post below to help you understand further the importance of the training itself and the governing body behind it.
What is PASMA?
PASMA, an acronym for Pre-fabricated Access Suppliers and Manufacturers Association, is the governing body responsible for the safe use of aluminium and fibreglass towers in the UK, South Africa, South East Asia, and the Middle East.
They were established in 1974 and are dedicated to advancing the safety, standards, and best practices of access platforms and their users.
Different Courses Provided
There are three main courses dedicated to access platforms from PASMA, which are detailed below:
Towers for Users: This showcases the best practices for the assembly, dismantle, alteration, movement, and inspection of mobile access towers, keeping the worker and others safe throughout the process.
Low-Level Access: This covers users working with towers below 2.5m for safe and effective assembly, dismantling, alterations, movement, and inspection.
Combined Course: As the name suggests, this course covers the contents of both the ‘Towers for Users’ and ‘Low-Level Access’ courses.
While they differ slightly in specific content, all three of these courses are for the benefit of teaching users the best practices and appropriate standards for access platforms to ensure they are used effectively and safely. An insight is also offered into regulations, standards, legislation, and hazards.
Benefits
The benefits of PASMA training are relatively self-explanatory in that they help to ensure users are operating access towers in the correct ways, which helps to reduce risk and injury while working at height, which is imperative.
Safety
As one of the key factors for ensuring a good working environment, safety is naturally at the top of the list of priorities for PASMA training. An understanding and respect for the equipment used – and the dangers it presents – for those using it will help to ensure risk is minimised and accidents are avoided.
PASMA training helps to teach workers the skills to understand the equipment, their surroundings, and how they work together in order to be able to identify hazards early and prevent them from causing issues, eradicating the risk.
This works in conjunction with the right mentality from the employee, the training itself, and the correct PPE being worn at all time.
Regulations
Due to the complexity and risks involved with construction, as well as other applicable industries such as horticulture and agriculture, regulations are important for setting the boundaries of a safe working environment and legislative best practices. Understanding and implementing work that adheres to these regulations will ensure it’s effective and legally-abiding.
By earning a deeper understanding of the relevant regulations through PASMA training, employees also become banks of knowledge, able to instil best practices and knowledge into peers from the beginning of their career, which can help to eradicate mistakes and risks at different stages.
Experience
Last but not least, experience is one of the essential pillars of importance for PASMA training, as it is with any operation in these industries. Employees often learn best from practical experience, as not everything can be understood simply from images and diagrams in learning resources. Putting things into a tangible context will aid competence indefinitely as it’s far easier to identify risks in a memorable environment.
Results
Results are important as they help to quantify the process, and the results for embarking on a PASMA training course is a PASMA card and certificate. This documentation is almost universally recognised and widely accepted, even as the only acceptable certification in some areas, which makes the training and the process completely worthwhile.
Another benefit of this training is that, as Working at Height Regulations state, employees that undertake it will become competent in this area. Workers are required by law according to these regulations to be competent when working in the stated conditions, so this status is invaluable.
The Importance of Training
Training is such an important aspect of industry, regardless of the work being done, as this is often the only way that employees will be able to carry out their job in the best fashion. That’s why it’s important to embark on the right courses, earn the right certification, and employ the best practices learnt throughout all applicable projects in the future, and why PASMA training is so important.
Charles Wilson Engineers Ltd
If you’re looking for PASMA training, enquire today without our team here at Charles Wilson Engineers Ltd. We have branches up and down the country and are approved by PASMA to provide this training.
You can find your local branch using our branch locator, call our head office on 01582 763 122, or fill out our simple contact form and we will be able to help.
