Five reasons why a mobile scaffold tower is the best way to work at height

5 Reasons Mobile Scaffold Towers Are The Best Way To Work At Height

Five reasons why a mobile scaffold tower is the best way to work at height

Mobile scaffold towers combine the best features of a number of other pieces of equipment designed for working at height. Where the conventional extension ladder excels at providing a minimal amount of added height, but at the same time lacks stability, mobile scaffold towers can do both. Likewise, where stepladders are great at providing a stable platform upon which to work, but generally lack significant height, mobile scaffold towers can do both.

If you haven’t used a mobile access tower before, there are a number of reasons to consider making the change from more conventional height access equipment. Below we’ll run through five reasons why a mobile scaffold tower is the best way to work at height.

Stability

One of the main reasons to consider using a mobile scaffold tower is the stability they provide. Unlike two-legged ladders, mobile scaffold towers can support themselves standing alone and don’t need to be positioned against another structure to remain upright. A mobile access tower can maintain stability even with a worker climbing up the access ladder or working with tools on the working platform.

To provide even greater stability, many mobile scaffold towers have additional support legs which can be fitted around the base. These support legs act in a similar way to the extendable legs found on mobile cranes or cherry picker vans. By increasing the area of the mobile access tower’s base, the structure is less likely to become unbalanced or tip over when in use.

Adaptability

Although they may look ungainly at first glance, mobile scaffold towers are highly adaptable. They provide a safe means of working at height in many different circumstances. As long as it is used on a level, stable surface, a mobile access tower can be used in jobs both indoors and out.

The working platform, surrounded by support bars on each side, allows individuals to carry out work on surfaces both in front of and directly above them. Many mobile scaffold towers also fit together in a modular design, meaning that additional levels can be added if extra height is required. In this way, a mobile scaffold can do the job of many other different types of ladder or scaffold at once, without the need to buy or transport different access equipment to a worksite.

Mobility

As their name suggests, mobility is one of the main selling points of mobile scaffold towers. Rather than having to assemble and disassemble a scaffold tower, mobile scaffold towers have wheels attached to each of their legs which makes them a lot more convenient for use in different situations.

The wheels at the bottom of each leg can be locked and unlocked, allowing workers to wheel the tower around the worksite to wherever it is needed. This is not only more convenient than disassembling or picking up the tower to move it, it is also safer. Using the wheels means there is less chance of the tower tipping over whilst being moved.

Strength

Just as mobile scaffold towers share some of the stability of conventional scaffolding, they also share some of the same strength. Mobile scaffold towers are built with the same cross-beamed vertical structure, which provides much more strength than normal ladders. When on the working platform, workers can safely carry and use heavier equipment and tools thanks to the mobile scaffold tower’s additional structural strength. There is also an additional level of protection from objects hitting the scaffold tower, as the guard rails will often be the first point of impact during an accident.

Safety

The final reason a mobile scaffolding tower is the best way to work at height is a combination of four already mentioned. Safety should always be the primary consideration when working at height. Falls from height are the most common cause of fatalities at work in the UK, accounting for 35% of all work-related fatal injuries in 2017/2018.

Mobile scaffold towers are designed to be as safe as possible for the user and anyone else nearby. Added stability and strength make a mobile access tower a far superior alternative to any kind of ladder in work situations which require additional height. When push comes to shove, the additional safety provided by mobile scaffold towers should be reason enough to use one. Luckily, they are also more convenient than other equipment used to work at height. Mobile scaffold towers can also be constructed from non-conductive materials, making them safe for use in applications where electric currents are a risk factor.

 

Hopefully our outline of scaffold towers and the number of different ways they outshine ladders has won you over. It doesn’t matter which work environment you’re in, the mobile scaffold has a lot to offer in a variety of different situations. Rather than having to buy a number of different types of ladder, or a full conventional scaffold system, consider a mobile scaffold tower instead. If you’d like to know more about the variety of different mobile scaffold towers on the market, get in touch with us today.

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