Richard Fairfield becomes new PASMA Chairman
Richard Fairfield, new PASMA Chairman (left) shakes hands with Roger Verallo our retiring PASMA Chairman (right).
19/12/2022 - Richard Fairfield was introduced as PASMA’s new Chairman on 29 September 2022 at our Annual Members’ Meeting (AMM) in Nottingham. He brings to the role over thirty years’ experience working with towers and other access equipment.
As he accepted the role of Chair, Richard said this to members:
"It’s a pleasure and an honour to be given the responsibility as Chair for the Association for the forthcoming year. PASMA has taken giant steps in recently years, but we are on a journey that has no final destination, unless of course we get to the stage where there are no falls, no injuries and no deaths. There is therefore still much to be done and I'm hugely excited about the prospect of working with Peter and his excellent team."
Roger Verallo (Euro Towers) served as Chair for nine years in total, with his latest stint during the pandemic. While handing over the reins, he shared a few words:
“I’ve been a member of PASMA for 45 years, when it was known then as the Prefabricated Aluminium Scaffold Manufacturers’ Association. It was started by four manufacturers and the first meetings were held in an airport off room. But the idea then is the same as it is now and that’s to educate and train users in the safe use of access equipment. My boss at the time was involved in the initial part of PASMA so I had little choice other than to become involved! But it was to become a huge part of my professional life. I’d like to thank all the people I’ve met and worked with all these years at PASMA.”
On behalf of all PASMA members, we thank Roger for his invaluable contribution to PASMA.
The role of Chairman
PASMA Chairman is a voluntary position that will see Richard meeting regularly with other Council members to discuss, debate and make decisions about the work that PASMA does. He will be at the forefront of the Association and make a real impact on our campaigns, projects and direction. He will also provide guidance and support to the PASMA team during a year that will see us focus on the increasing use of digital methods to deliver PASMA training, reducing our carbon footprint and developing our hirer/dealer membership category to make it the gold standard for businesses that hire access equipment, to name just a few objectives!Industry expertise
PASMA’s members come from across the access tower industry, including manufacturers, rental companies, training centres and hire & assembly businesses. Members are encouraged to get involved in the work of the Association by joining a committee or our Council, where they’re asked to embrace the spirit of collaboration and work together (even with their competitors) for the overall aim of improving tower safety. In this way, PASMA benefits from a wealth of industry and product knowledge and expertise. And Richard brings this in spades. His depth of knowledge and understanding of the industry, along with his commitment to serving the membership and advancing tower safety, will be invaluable. Richard started the tool & access hire company E. T. Hire Ltd in 1989 and was Managing Director until recently selling the business to the management team. PASMA training was added to the company’s portfolio of activities early on to support the hire business. Richard has now been a PASMA instructor for nearly twenty years and is qualified to deliver the standard Towers for Users course along with Towers on Stairways, Towers with Cantilevers and Linked Towers. Later the company set up its own Hire & Assembly business, Site Access Services. Richard joined PASMA’s Hire & Assembly committee and later acted as Chair of the committee for three years. Richard was subsequently elected to PASMA’s Council, before being appointed Deputy Chair three years ago and finally progressing to Chair of the Association in 2022.
As he accepted the role of Chair, Richard said this to members:
"It’s a pleasure and an honour to be given the responsibility as Chair for the Association for the forthcoming year. PASMA has taken giant steps in recently years, but we are on a journey that has no final destination, unless of course we get to the stage where there are no falls, no injuries and no deaths. There is therefore still much to be done and I'm hugely excited about the prospect of working with Peter and his excellent team."
Thank you Roger Verallo, our retiring Chairman
Roger Verallo (Euro Towers) served as Chair for nine years in total, with his latest stint during the pandemic. While handing over the reins, he shared a few words:
“I’ve been a member of PASMA for 45 years, when it was known then as the Prefabricated Aluminium Scaffold Manufacturers’ Association. It was started by four manufacturers and the first meetings were held in an airport off room. But the idea then is the same as it is now and that’s to educate and train users in the safe use of access equipment. My boss at the time was involved in the initial part of PASMA so I had little choice other than to become involved! But it was to become a huge part of my professional life. I’d like to thank all the people I’ve met and worked with all these years at PASMA.”
On behalf of all PASMA members, we thank Roger for his invaluable contribution to PASMA.
