What’s the difference between IPAF and PASMA training?
Share:
IPAF and PASMA are both necessary training courses to meet Working at Height Regulations and protect the health and safety of staff who work at height. They each cover different aspects of height, so identifying which course is the most suitable will depend on the method of accessing the work site.
IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) courses cover the safe use of powered access, while PASMA (Prefabricated Access Suppliers Manufacturers Association) courses cover the safe use of mobile access towers. Each type of equipment is different, and therefore requires different training.
PASMA Training
PASMA courses focus on mobile access towers, also known as mobile scaffold towers. These towers are non-powered, but in some cases can be manoeuvered using wheels at their base. There are a variety of different configurations for mobile access towers, including podium towers, stairway access towers, and scaffold towers.
Working at height regulations require that any mobile access tower is assembled by or under the supervision of appropriately trained personnel. If you want to be able to assemble your own towers, you will need a member of fully trained staff to do so. If you don’t need to assemble the equipment, but will have staff using it, those staff should still undertake one of the PASMA courses to ensure their safety while working.
IPAF Training
IPAF training is designed for operators, users, demonstrators and instructors who use powered access, or mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPS), and focuses on ensuring safe and efficient use of the equipment. Powered access equipment includes Cherry Pickers, Scissor Lifts, and Boom Lifts, where the equipment is generally powered either by electricity or diesel.
Powered access is ideal for heights that are greater than those reachable by mobile access towers, with boom lifts and cherry pickers offering safe and stable horizontal and vertical access.
Training Comparison
As IPAF and PASMA courses both cover a different type of working at height equipment, the course you choose should be focused on the equipment you will be working with. If you or your staff use both types of access equipment, you will need both types of training.
Both courses offer a 5 year certification, and train your staff to be able to meet health and safety regulations for working at height.
The working at Height Regulations 2005 apply to all work at height where there is the possibility of a fall that could cause personal injury. The regulations include duties for employers, the self-employed, and any person who may control or contract the work of others. Those duties include ensuring that everyone involved in working at height is competent to do so – which is why choosing the appropriate training is so important.
Training Courses
If you’re looking for certified IPAF or PASMA training for yourself or your staff, JPS Training have a wide range of course dates available. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like more information about working at height, health and safety, and training.
