News Detail

26/10/23 - PASMA instructors attend two Alto Access CPD days at Lakeside Industries Lakeside Industries, the manufacturer of Alto Access towers, recently hosted two exclusive events for PASMA instructors, providing them with the opportunity to learn more about their manufacturing process and product range. Instructors were able to learn about the steps taken by Lakeside Industries to become the first manufacturer to gain third-party certification for the complete range of standard configuration towers covered by BS EN 1004-1:2020 and BS 1139-6:2021. This certification was achieved with the support of the Test & Research Centre, a specialist UK facility for testing access products.

Continuing professional development

PASMA training is always delivered by a subject matter expert and can only be run by qualified instructors. These instructors must do a certain amount of professional development every year to keep their qualification active. When they were invited along to the Redditch factory, where Alto Access towers are manufactured, they jumped at the chance to delve into the nitty gritty of how towers are made. Imagine a trip to Wonka’s chocolate factory, but for tower enthusiasts...!

Instructors had an inside look at the manufacturing process of Alto Access towers, including a tour of the facility and the chance to observe their production. They even got the chance to build a three-bay linked tower structure. This type of hands-on experience is invaluable for PASMA instructors, as it allows them to gain exposure to a wide range of tower brands and configurations. Different manufacturers make towers differently. For example, they might have different bracing patterns or different styles of components. PASMA instructors benefit from a wide understanding of towers so they can pass that knowledge on to their delegates. Charles Wright, Director of Lakeside Industries Ltd and Chair of the PASMA Technical Committee emphasised the importance of these CPD days. He said: “I believe that it is crucial for PASMA instructors to understand the wider context of the tower industry, to be familiar with a range of brands of equipment and what they are and are not capable of. That’s why we were keen to invite instructors to join us and provide them with this opportunity. It was very interactive and I particularly enjoyed the open and wide-ranging discussion with instructors about BS 1139-6 towers. It was good to demonstrate our design and manufacturing process to give instructors more of an understanding of how and why towers are designed the way they are.”

PASMA Instructors share their experience

Both events, Wednesday 20 September and Tuesday 26 September, were well-attended by PASMA instructors, including Alistair Twigg, Clive Newlin, Cyril Jones, Jamie Fleetwood, Kevan Wayne, Martin Dunne, Mat Gray, Richard Chapman, Steve Booker, and Stewart Flood. Their feedback from instructors was very positive, with many expressing an appreciation for the informative presentations and the practical side of the CPD day. Martin Dunne, Training Officer at Sunbelt Rentals Limited shared his experience: “I really enjoyed it, I thought the process of going to a supplier and getting their knowledge was great also doing a practical really got everyone involved." Richard Chapman, Director of RSC Training Ltd summed up the day as "a good informative day today at Alto Access for an Instructor CPD event, covering the changes to BS1139-6 and letting us play with the Alto HD towers. Thanks to Charles Wright from Lakeside Industries Ltd and George Lopez PCQI from PASMA for hosting and running the event."

A valuable opportunity for instructors

These events offered attendees a valuable opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of the tower-building process, from manufacturing to end-use. Every PASMA instructor is qualified to teach Towers for Users, which focuses on EN 1004-1 structures, but there’s a whole range of BS 1139-6 structures they can upskill on. PASMA Lead Auditor George Lopez, who attended both events, stated: “This was a great experience for instructors to learn more about Alto’s products and manufacturing process, as well as understand how and why they achieved their BS 1139-6 certification. It was also a great experience for them to build the Alto Access tower, as many of them rarely get the chance to build one. This was an excellent chance for everyone to experience this and broaden their expertise in different tower brands.” Thank you to Charles Wright and the Alto Access team for hosting these two CPD days and for providing PASMA instructors with this unique opportunity.