The PASMA card: what it covers, who asks for it and how long it lasts
A PASMA card shows the holder has completed PASMA training in assembling, using, moving and dismantling mobile access towers. It is the card most often requested when people talk about a PASMA ticket for tower scaffolds.
The law does not name PASMA. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require that anyone erecting or using a tower is competent, and that the work is planned and supervised. Many sites and clients use a PASMA card as their evidence of that competence, which is why the request is so common.
Logan Plant Training runs working at height training leading to an accredited Working at Height certificate. It is not a PASMA course, so check which evidence your site requires.
Key points
- PASMA covers mobile access towers, not MEWPs or harness work in general.
- The card is widely requested but not a legal requirement.
- The legal duty is competence, planning and supervision.
- Cards are generally valid for five years.
- Broader working at height training covers the hierarchy of control and rescue.
What PASMA training covers
Tower training focuses on the specific risks of mobile access towers: choosing the right tower, inspecting components, following the manufacturer's assembly method, using guard rails at every stage, stabilisers, ground conditions and safe moving. Assembly methods such as advance guard rail and through-the-trap are taught because they keep the assembler protected while working upwards.
The course is practical. Candidates build and dismantle towers under observation, and the card is issued once the assessor is satisfied.
Who normally needs it
Anyone who erects, alters or dismantles towers on site is the core audience: maintenance teams, fit-out trades, painters, electricians and facilities staff. Some sites also ask users who never build a tower to hold awareness training so they recognise a tower that is not safe to climb.
If you only use towers built and inspected by others, check what the site expects. Requirements vary more for users than for assemblers.
How it fits with working at height training
PASMA is tower-specific. General working at height training covers the wider picture: avoiding height where possible, choosing collective protection before personal protection, harness fit and inspection, anchor points and rescue planning. The two do different jobs and many employers use both.
If your team works at height in several ways, such as ladders, roof edges, harnesses and towers, a general course builds the judgement, and tower training covers the assembly skill.
Validity and keeping current
PASMA cards are generally valid for five years. Refresh sooner if someone rarely builds towers or has moved to a different tower system, because assembly sequences differ between manufacturers.
Whatever card is held, the tower must still be inspected after assembly, after any alteration and at suitable intervals, and the inspection recorded where required.
Booking tower or height training for a team
Start by listing what the team actually does at height over a typical month: ladder work, towers, roof edges, MEWPs or harness work. That list decides whether a tower course, a general working at height course or both make sense. Where only one or two people build towers, it is often sensible for them to hold tower training while the wider team completes general working at height training so everyone recognises unsafe access.
PASMA training compared with general working at height training
| Point | PASMA tower training | General working at height training |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Mobile access tower assembly and use | Hierarchy of control across all height work |
| Typical attendees | Tower assemblers and users | Anyone exposed to falls |
| Covers harness use | Not the main focus | Yes, where fall arrest is used |
| Legal requirement | No, site policy | Training is required; the card is not |
Frequently asked questions
Is a PASMA card a legal requirement?
No. The law requires competence. PASMA is a common way sites ask for it to be evidenced.
Does Logan run PASMA courses?
No. Logan runs working at height training leading to an accredited Working at Height certificate.
How long is a PASMA card valid?
Generally five years. Check PASMA for current rules.
Does PASMA cover scissor lifts?
No. Scissor lifts are MEWPs and have separate training.
Need this training arranged?
Tell us the machines and the number of operators. Chris will call back with straight advice and a firm price.