Yes, scaffold towers are safe pieces of equipment for working at a height. They provide a solid and stable platform to stand on, along with an all-round guardrail to protect from falls. They allow you complete use of your hands to get on with the job. They provide a much safer means of access than ladders and step ladders. Access to the work platform is gained using a ladder system integrated into the frame of the tower, to climb up through the inside of the tower and on to the platform through a trapdoor.
Safe use of a scaffold access tower or mobile access platform:
Never work on a platform without guardrails
Never use a tower in strong winds
Never climb up the outside of the tower - use the approved 3T (Through The Trapdoor) method of access.
Never stand on an unprotected platform when building or dismantling a tower.
Never over-reach or use other forms of access on top of a tower. If you can't reach, you need a bigger tower.
ALWAYS follow the manufacturer’s or supplier’s instruction manual.
Ensure that these manuals are available to the operatives erecting and using the tower, and to the person supervising the work.
Read our full guide to working safely at height.