News Detail

3/11/26 - PASMA members from across the UK and overseas came together on 8 October 2026 for our annual members' meeting (AMM), an important opportunity to hear updates about PASMA’s activities, learn about key projects and help uphold the principles of transparency and accountability. The meeting was opened by managing director Peter Bennett OBE, who began with the formal business of approving the minutes from the previous AMM and giving members access to the association's accounts and financial information.

What lies ahead

Peter then handed over to PASMA chairman Charles Wright (Lakeside Industries) who thanked members for trusting him to represent them and set the scene for an informative AMM. He promised we’d hear about the progress made towards the key priorities he outlined when he took on the role of chair last year: • Ensuring main contractors and specifiers of temporary works recognise the opportunities and benefits of quality towers • Expanding the range of tasks for which towers are recognised as a safe and effective solution More on that later!

Committees

But first, it was over to our committee chairs to update us on their activities. To start us off, Ian Hartrick (ET Hire) talked about the hire & assembly committee’s efforts to raise awareness of their specialist services and qualifications. Alex Guntripp (UTS) told us what the technical committee has been working on, including new guidance on rail trolleys, lifting components and tower component repairs. From the training committee, Debbie Forbes (HSS) updated members on how the use of smartcams, unannounced audits and the ongoing recruitment of lead instructors is supporting the delivery of consistently good PASMA training courses, and revealed the next big thing – digitalisation! Onto Martin Doran (Astley Hire), who reminded hirer/dealer members about the availability of the free PASMA training academy for operational hire staff, including a new module on the maintenance of tower components. And in our first international update of the day, Ian Fyall (Simian International) spoke about the key priorities for tower safety in the Middle East, including a focus on the growth market of Saudi Arabia. Then it was time for Daniel Ng (PASMA) to tell us about the opportunities the ASEAN regional committee has identified in Malaysia, due to upcoming release of its new work at height regulation, and in Indonesia, which remains an emerging market for PASMA with significant opportunities in awareness, training and standard development. Another key highlight from our committee chairs was the announcement of the latest election results – you can read those here.

A year of progress

It was over to the staff now, for updates on PASMA's Right Tower, Right Card campaign from Rhona McCallum, research into the potential for towers to act as edge protection from Don Aers, and what the future success of the tower industry might look like from Jason Carlton. Meanwhile, Chris Smith asked us to consider what can be done to attract the next generation of tower professionals. Then, we heard an interesting conversation between Clive Stewart (Westart Apiaries) and Sarah Nunn (PASMA). Clive talked about how towers are coming in handy for removing honeybees from hard-to-reach places – making access easier than ever and helping them win more contracts.

Digitalisation

One of the most talked-about presentations came from PASMA’s Karen O'Neill, who gave members an early look at the new digital training system that will eventually replace much of the paperwork currently used on courses. The demonstration showed how instructors and delegates will interact with the platform and generated significant interest from members, who raised questions about everything from accessibility and translations to rollout timescales and how courses will operate in practice. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with instructors describing the new system as "a game changer" and "a fantastic leap forward". The meeting concluded with an extended question-and-answer session. With 124 people in attendance and strong participation throughout, the discussion demonstrated members’ commitment to working together to shape the future of the industry and advance tower safety.