Stop by our registration desk to pick up your name badge, then head to the breakout area at the Westbourne Suite to meet the PASMA team and enjoy a selection of light refreshments. You will also find a cloakroom in the Westbourne Lobby.
Step into PASMA’s history zone to embark on a journey through five decades of tower safety. Discover the key milestones that have shaped the association and the tower industry. From our founding moments to major safety advancements, the exhibition offers a unique glimpse into our past, celebrating the people and breakthroughs that have defined our commitment to safety and excellence.
There are 12 exhibits to explore, so take a walk down memory lane as we celebrate our rich history and look forward to a future where everyone who climbs a tower makes it back down safely.
Meet and mingle with industry friends past and present while you tuck into a selection of salads, mains, deli platters, and desserts.
Sponsored by Harrington Safety.
At our special 50th anniversary conference, you will learn about the past, present and future of tower safety from speakers with first-hand insight into the industry’s biggest advancements and ambitions.
Let’s get this celebration started, shall we?
Take your seats for a rousing welcome speech from our host and the first look at PASMA’s 50th anniversary video.
Our celebratory conference host is Steve Booker, managing director of Kentec Training Ltd.
A proud family business, Kentec has been a PASMA member for 21 years, delivering high quality training across Kent and the South East. During that time Steve has volunteered his time and expertise to many PASMA projects. After joining the training committee in 2009, he became a lead instructor and served two terms as committee chair. As a member of the PASMA council since 2015, Steve has helped shape the future of the association. Today, he serves as the chairman, leading with the same passion and commitment that has defined his journey so far.
From the first sketches on paper to today’s data-driven insights, explore the evolution of tower safety over the past 50 years, lifting the lid on how innovations big and small have made working at height safer, with PASMA at the forefront of change. In the digital age, new technologies will continue to shape and improve the safe use of towers and work at height.
PASMA’s deputy chair and technical committee chair, Charlie’s wealth of experience in the access industry dates back to 2007, when he began taking on director roles across various businesses. Serving as CEO of Alto Access Products at Lakeside Industries since 2015, his active participation in PASMA reflects his commitment to advancing work at height safety, standards, and practices.
With over 25 years of experience, Gail Hounslea is the founding director of Ladderstore, one of the first online resellers specialising in work at height equipment and the first to implement PASMA hirer/dealer audits. An elected member of the category’s committee, she played a role in creating our hirer/dealer knowledge academy. Beyond her professional life, Gail is actively involved in her community, supporting at-risk youth through the charity Back Up Northwest.
A manufacturing engineer for over 10 years at Youngman Group, later Werner, John’s career is firmly rooted in the access industry. Since 2020, he has lent his experience to the Test & Research Centre, managing its operations, overseeing upgrades, and putting towers through their paces, with the best earning a T&RGETMARK certification while some of the failures ended up in PASMA’s ‘DIY tower’ safety alert. John also contributes to tower standards in both European and British committees.
As PASMA’s head of digitalisation, Ross has led the advancement of TowerSure, the implementation of virtual PASMA cards, and the development of MyAccessIndustry – a single sign-on service hub to simplify our members’ access to digital services. With a background in product management, including at Werner and other engineering companies, he ensures that PASMA’s digital transformation is at the forefront of innovation.
Our training scheme has evolved from its early cartoon illustration and slideshow days to meet the expectations of today’s learners, opening them up to advancements like e-learning, virtual reality, and language translations. Now, we look towards TowerSure integration, AI support, and the future of tower safety for the next 50 years.
Chair of our training committee, vice chair of our council and past PASMA madam chairman – the first of her kind! – Gillian has provided invaluable support in modernising PASMA training and the association itself. She has served as director of our training member Skyward Access for nearly 20 years, and of our hirer/dealer member Hire Access for ten.
PASMA training committee vice chair Debbie lends her vast experience to HSS Training as a national training manager. Starting her career in the Women’s Royal Army Corps, she served across Europe before transitioning to civilian life at the Thames Valley Police, where she played many roles, including as an instructor. With a knack for training, Debbie has since left her mark in the access industry at Nationwide, AFI, UKP, and now HSS.
Our past chairman, technical committee member, and key figure in developing PASMA training, Paul’s distinguished career in the industry started in 1969. A freelance training instructor and industry consultant before joining PASMA as an auditor, his legacy includes contributions to the Working at Height Regulations and the revisions of BS EN 1004 and BS 1139-6. Now retired, Paul continues to influence the association and the industry.
The mind behind our training administration & delivery, Karen began her journey in the industry at Turner Access in 1999, where she qualified as a PASMA instructor and auditor. After joining the association in the late 2000s, she led efforts to update PASMA training and create non-standard tower courses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Karen managed our transition to e-learning, steering training towards innovation, digitalisation and gamification.
There’s time to grab a hot drink and a sweet treat as we reflect on what we’ve learned so far.
Sponsored by ET Hire.
The risks of working at height are an age old problem that isn’t going away anytime soon. Looking ahead to 2074, and with a short reprise from Mr Howard and his nemesis Nuro, trace the roots of work at height and tower safety from the bible to levitating boots and hoverboards. You may find that the latest and developing technologies make levitating boots look like horse drawn milk carts.
PASMA’s technical director and technical committee manager, Don possesses over three decades of experience in the industry. Trained as a mechanical engineer, he found his calling in access equipment safety standards and best practices after joining SGB Youngman nearly 30 years ago. Since then, he has been instrumental in developing and revising key industry standards like EN 1004 and BS 1139-6. As a leading figure on various BSI technical committees and chair of the European Committee for Mobile Towers (TC53 Working Group 4), Don remains dedicated to safety, innovation, and aligning industry standards to meet future challenges.
The Health & Safety Executive celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, alongside PASMA. How has the landscape changed for falls from height over the decades and how have PASMA and the HSE worked collaboratively to advance safety in that time?
As the HSE’s head of digital web and design unit, Paul oversees content creation, statutory guidance production, and publishing technologies. Since joining the Executive in 2009, he has led a range of senior policy and communications initiatives, including the extensive legal guidance portfolio’s overhaul and new guidance for the Building Safety Regulator following the Grenfell tragedy. With over 30 years of government service, Paul is an expert in digital communications, marketing, and leadership.
A fireside chat about the milestone moments that made PASMA what it is today. Our panellists will share their recollections of these key moments in PASMA’s history along with their hopes for the future. There are sure to be a few funny stories along the way…
PASMA’s immediate past chairman, Richard is a safety and efficiency advocate who has contributed immensely to the association’s strategic direction. Very recently retired from a nearly 30-year run at the helm of our hirer/dealer member E.T Hire, he boasts an enviable wealth of experience in the industry.
As PASMA’s managing director, Peter has dedicated over 25 years to advancing tower safety on a global scale. His PASMA chairmanship at the turn of the century helped expand the association’s membership, increasing annual trained delegate numbers from 3,000 then to 80,000 by 2023. His lifelong commitment to preventing falls from height, recognised with an OBE in 2019, extends to his involvement in setting national and international safety standards and his work with other associations and the No Falls Foundation.
PASMA’s chairman in 2002, Peter was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 for his 20+ years of dedicated service. Still deeply involved in the access industry since retiring from SGB, he now contributes to safe work at height as a leading Temporary Works trainer, having earned the CHSG Silver Award for his efforts. Peter remains active as the Edge Protection Federation’s director and a member of the British Standards Committee for access and support.
A long-serving PASMA council member and past chairman (2007-2009), Paul has been a key figure in the access industry for decades. With a career spanning over 40 years at Pop-Up Products, where he served as sales director until 2023, Paul continues to share his expertise and contribute to PASMA’s mission of advancing tower safety.
With our host closing this celebratory conference, it’s time to check into our hotel rooms and get ready for the evening ahead.
That means black tie or national dress: tuxedos, evening dresses, kilts – that kind of thing.
See you back downstairs at 18:30!
Sparkling drinks await you as we transition from conference to black tie gala dinner. Enjoy a selection of fine wines, beers, and refreshing non-alcoholic beverages while mingling with fellow guests. Let’s raise a glass to 50 years of progress and innovation in tower safety!
Thank you to Lakeside Industries for sponsoring our drinks reception.
Take your seats for dinner!
The sensationally funny magician Ben Hanlin returns to host PASMA’s 50th anniversary black tie gala dinner, following his crowd-pleasing performance at our 2023 annual members’ meeting.
He’ll start by helping us raise money for our charity of the night, No Falls Foundation. Get your QR code readers, contactless cards, or even good old-fashioned cash at the ready, and let’s have a bit of fun.
PASMA is an official platinum supporter of No Falls Foundation, the only charity dedicated to the work at height sector.
The Foundation is striving for a world where everyone who works at height comes back down safely. They undertake projects aimed at preventing falls, and offer help to people affected by the consequences of a fall, who often find themselves needing support, home adaptions, and financial assistance.
We and our members stand alongside them in their mission. We show our support by making a donation every time someone gets PASMA-trained, which is why we print the charity’s logo on every PASMA card issued. That’s how we raised around £175,000 between January 2019 and August 2024!
You can make a donation to No Falls Foundation during PASMA’s 50th anniversary celebration event by asking a PASMA staff member.
You can also join the No FallsSupporter Scheme or donate at any time by visiting nofallsfoundation.org.
Enjoy a tasty three course dinner served with wine, beer, and soft drinks by the venue’s award-winning catering team.
The wine on your tables was provided by our sponsor, Adapt UK.
The beer on your table was provided by our sponsor, UTS.
Retired Yeoman Warder Moira Cameron, who served for 15 years as a Beefeater at the Tower of London, will share her tales from the tower – albeit a different kind of tower than we’re used to.
Having served for 15 years as a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London after a distinguished 22-year career in the British Army, Moira Cameron has a thousand years of British history at her fingertips.
Holder of the Guinness World Record as the first female Beefeater, Moira has a fascinating life story: her controversial recruitment, meeting royals, world leaders and Hollywood stars, and even singing in the first-ever variety show at the Tower.
Born in Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland, Yeoman Warder Cameron has had a Beefeater gin label produced in her honour and greeted millions to the UK in her larger-than-life mural at Heathrow airport.
Her full title was Yeoman Warder of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Member of the Sovereign’s Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard in the Extraordinary.
Throughout the years, many people have helped make PASMA into the respected, trusted organisation it is today. There are too many to name, but some have truly have gone above and beyond.
On the occasion of our 50th anniversary, let’s take a minute to thank the people here tonight who have made a significant personal contribution to advancing tower safety.
By popular demand, Ben Hanlin is back with another spectacular show that promises to be even more entertaining, magical and interactive.
Prepare to be enchanted by the charismatic and talented Ben Hanlin!
Known for his extraordinary illusions and engaging stage presence, he has captivated audiences worldwide.
First rising to fame with his ITV2 show Tricked, where he amazed celebrities and the public with mind-blowing magic pranks, Ben has since taken his magic to international stages, including appearances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Celebrity Juice and Amazon Prime spots.
His talents extend beyond magic; he was a semi-finalist on ITV’s Dancing on Ice, showcasing his versatility and charm. He’s recently given his very first TEDx talk and appeared on the popular Channel 4 show Countdown. With over 1.4 million followers on TikTok alone and more than 100 TV appearances, Ben continues to dazzle global audiences with his captivating content.
The night doesn’t end there. The AlleyCatz take the stage for an energetic musical performance, so you can boogie like it’s 1974. Let’s celebrate PASMA’s five decades milestone and bust a move for each year on the dance floor.
With a fantastic selection of cocktails and mocktails provided by our after-party sponsor Kentec, we’ll dance the night away!
The AlleyCatz have become one of the UK’s most sought-after function bands, having played all over the UK and throughout Europe.
They will leave you energised with powerhouse vocals, tight harmonies, and great musicianship. The set list stars with music from the 1970s, to leave you feeling like ABBA just hit the charts with the Eurovision-winning song Waterloo, then progresses through the decades all the way to the present day.
One of London’s best kept secrets, the 5-piece band will feature music working up through the decades, from Stevie Wonder to Bruno Mars.
Well, that’s all folks. Let’s not leave it 50 years before we have another big celebration, what do you say?
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