Latest on EN 1004 standard for mobile towers – withdrawal date EXTENDED
4/6/20 - The withdrawal date for the old 2004 edition of EN 1004 has today been EXTENDED following a vote.
We’re expecting the new revised EN 1004 2020 version to be published in the UK by BSI on 17 June 2020. On that date, the 2004 version will become ‘obsolete’, which means it has been superseded by a more up-to-date standard but has not yet been withdrawn. The result of the vote means the 2004 version will continue to exist alongside the 2020 version until 17 May 2021, when it will be withdrawn.
The months leading up to the withdrawal date are effectively a transition period during which designers, manufacturers and suppliers will switch to providing mobile access towers which comply with, and are certified to, the new standard, EN 1004:2020.
What’s changing?
The new standard includes numerous technical and editorial adjustments, such as clarification that EN 1004 only applies to mobile towers on wheels, not towers on baseplates (which are covered in BS 1139-6).
There's also a significant change affecting low-level access. Low-level towers with the working platform below 2.5m will fall within the scope of EN 1004 for the first time, as it's set to cover towers from the ground up (rather than from 2.5m as it is today). For towers with the working platform below 2m, it will be possible for manufacturers to develop products that allow easier means of access.
What support is available?
We’ll be updating our EN 1004 page regularly in the lead-up to the withdrawal date.
To our members – we’ll continue to communicate with you to ensure you have everything you need to make a smooth transition to EN1004:2020. We’re preparing written guidance, which we'll email to you when it's ready.
To the wider industry - we'll be releasing a free guide to the revised EN 1004, with practical guidance and useful information tailored to those who are responsible for the health and safety of tower users. Please register to receive a copy of this document when it’s available.
If you have any questions that you want to ask straight away or any comments you want to share with us, please use our EN 1004 Questions and Comments form to submit them. We're particularly interested to hear about any impacts you think this revision will have or any specific support or guidance you'd like from PASMA that we haven't already addressed.
What’s next for tower standards?
The CEN working group responsible for this standard, which is chaired by Don Aers, Technical Director at PASMA, is now onto its next project – updating EN 1298, the design standard for user instructions for EN 1004 mobile towers. More on that here.
