Check working reach versus platform height, then prepare a supplier brief. Model-specific safety checks remain essential.
Start the height plannerConvert height, choose preferences and copy a supplier checklist. All fields are required; defaults are editable.
Planner range: 2–8 m. Reach assumes 2 m above deck; this is not a safe-reach guarantee. Available deck heights vary by model.
Height estimate ready — model and site checks pending.
Planning platform
4.0 m
Approximate reach
6.0 m
6.0 − 2.0 = 4.0 m planning deck height. Ask for a suitable catalogue deck height and check the actual task without overreaching.
No model is selected. SWL, number of users, BOM quantities, weight, footprint and support loads remain unverified. Do not assemble from this brief. See method and sources.
Indoor: check floor capacity, doors, overhead hazards and full stabiliser space. Selecting a market requests evidence; it does not certify this configuration.
No email app? Copy the brief below into webmail or use our contact page.
Send to [email protected] or contact the team.
Published , reviewed . This guide supports procurement planning; it does not select or approve a tower for use.
The planner subtracts 2m from a requested working reach, or adds 2m to a requested deck height. This is an illustrative convention, not an ergonomic assessment or a claim that every supplier uses the same label. Task position, user reach and tools can change the appropriate deck.
| Brief | Planning deck height | Approximate reach | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6m working reach | 6 − 2 = 4.0m | 6.0m | Available deck increment and task fit |
| A model with a 4.2m deck | 4.2m | 4.2 + 2 = 6.2m | Actual overall height and ceiling clearance |
| 6m platform height | 6.0m | 6 + 2 = 8.0m | The model permits this build and environment |
Do not stand on boxes or ladders on the deck to gain height, or lean beyond the guardrails. PASMA: Operator’s Code of Practice (2019, revision 13).
The tool’s 0.85m / 1.45m widths and 1.8m / 2.5m lengths are nominal purchasing preferences. They are not a verified product catalogue. Confirm clear deck area, overall projections and availability in the supplier drawing.
| Decision | Single-width preference | Double-width preference |
|---|---|---|
| Access route | Consider for narrow aisles; measure every restriction | Needs more route and storage space |
| Task space | Check tool handling and safe working position | Consider for tasks needing a larger deck |
| People and materials | Permitted users and loads: unknown | Permitted users and loads: unknown |
| Stabiliser space | Obtain the complete deployed dimensions | Obtain the complete deployed dimensions |
| Transport | Request longest part and packed dimensions | Request packed mass, lifting and unloading needs |
Measure doors, turns, setup bay and overhead obstructions independently. If the complete stabiliser layout does not fit, ask the supplier for a suitable alternative rather than omitting parts.
EN 1004 load Class 3 denotes a distributed platform load of 2.0kN/m², approximately 200kg/m². It does not establish this proposed package’s total payload. Obtain the exact platform and tower limits. PASMA: EN 1004 revision guide.
| Parameter | What this page knows | Required evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Height | The requested target and stated conversion assumption | Model’s deck elevations and permitted build |
| Payload and occupancy | Unknown | Platform / tower / point-load limits and user count |
| Stabilisers and ballast | Unknown | Sizes, positions, footprint and ballast schedule |
| Self-weight and support reactions | Unknown | Model mass and maximum castor / stabiliser reactions |
| Floor and load spreaders | Unknown | Site assessment for reactions and local support conditions |
Ground bearing is a separate engineering question. Dividing assumed tower mass equally by four ignores eccentric loading and overturning effects. A pad can spread local pressure without proving the strength of a raised floor, its pedestals or the supporting slab. Obtain reactions and have the responsible site specialist confirm any spreader design.
3T uses a protected position in the trapdoor to install guardrails; AGR places protection from below before access. These descriptions help specify a system, not teach its assembly. Use trained personnel and the exact manual. HSE: tower scaffolds.
| Group | 3T request | AGR request |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Frames, pins and specified braces | Frames, AGR units and any additional bracing |
| Decks and access | Trapdoor / working / intermediate platforms | Platforms and access matched to AGR sequence |
| Protection | Guardrails, toe boards and retention devices | Complete edge protection and retention devices |
| Foundation | Specified castors, legs, stabilisers and ballast | Specified castors, legs, stabilisers and ballast |
| Schedule status | Exact counts and weights: pending manual | Exact counts and weights: pending manual |
Platform spacing and temporary erection decks must be checked against the exact model’s current instructions. A height label alone cannot establish a complete assembly schedule. PASMA: assembly and compatibility.
Components are not interchangeable merely because they fit. Require documented compatibility and instructions for any proposed mixed system. PASMA: assembly and compatibility.
Do not add banners, sheeting, hoists or attachments without a configuration assessment. They can change lateral forces and stability; the planner has no input or approval for them.
For UK relocation, HSE says to reduce tower height to at most 4m, remove people and materials, check a firm level route and overhead obstructions, and move manually from the base. Do not translate this into permission to move a 4m deck. Follow the model’s moving instructions. HSE: tower scaffolds.
UK construction towers with a possible fall of 2m or more require inspection after assembly and at least every 7 days. Record inspections and address defects. HSE: tower scaffolds.
| Market | Evidence to request | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| UK / EU | Model-specific EN 1004 documentation and instructions | Check certificate scope, build and local workplace duties |
| United States | Review against OSHA 1926.451 and mobile scaffold provisions in 1926.452(w) | OSHA rules do not constitute a product certificate |
| Australia / New Zealand | Applicable local standards, supplier instructions and regulator review | Australian licensing guidance is not automatically a New Zealand rule |
US mobile scaffold requirements cover bracing, locking wheels, stability during movement and conditions for riding. This guide uses an unoccupied moving plan and does not generalise UK advice as US law. OSHA: 29 CFR 1926.452(w).
Safe Work Australia identifies a high risk work licence trigger where a person or object could fall more than 4m during scaffold work; surrounding excavations can affect the fall distance. Confirm local requirements. Safe Work Australia: tower and mobile scaffolds.
Request the actual model’s documentation. No certificate, test report, alloy specification or inspection record for a proposed package has been verified on this page.
No live prices or regional hire rates are provided. The decision depends on usage, delivery, storage, training and maintenance, so a universal payback period would be misleading.
| Cost | Buy | Hire |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | Delivered purchase quote; include required accessories | Rate for the same height, width and system |
| Logistics | Freight, duties, unloading, storage and transport | Delivery, collection, minimum period and extensions |
| People and upkeep | Training, assembly, inspections, repair and replacement | Confirm which services remain your responsibility |
| Residual value / risk | Use a conservative resale value; allow for idle time | Check damage, loss and cancellation terms |
Illustrative arithmetic only: if ownership over the chosen period costs 2,400 currency units after residual value, and equivalent hire costs 200 per occupied week, equal cost occurs at 12 hired weeks. These are invented worksheet inputs, not quotes. Add omitted costs before making a decision.
These are hypothetical scenarios, not customer installations or verified performance claims.
Premise: Task at 6m; a measured floor bay is available.
Planner: Use working reach in the planner: 6 − 2 = 4m planning deck.
Next action: Ask the supplier to match a catalogue height, confirm floor reactions and isolate nearby vehicle routes.
Premise: The buyer proposes a 0.85m frame, but the complete stabiliser area is unknown.
Planner: Select narrow width as a preference; the result leaves footprint unverified.
Next action: Measure the opening and setup area. If the full layout cannot fit, seek another access solution.
Premise: The specification explicitly requests a 6m deck.
Planner: Choose platform height: 6 + 2 = about 8m reach; select outdoor.
Next action: Obtain the permitted build, weather plan and ground review. Compare a suitable MEWP if frequent relocation makes the tower impractical.
| Risk | Decision trigger | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Misuse | Missing parts, uncertain manual or undocumented compatibility | Pause selection; obtain the matched schedule and evidence |
| Space mismatch | Stabilisers block a route or cannot deploy fully | Request a designed alternative; compare another access method |
| Ground mismatch | Raised floor, soft surface, void or unknown support capacity | Obtain a site assessment; consider relocating the task |
| Cost mismatch | Infrequent tasks and no storage / transport provision | Compare a complete hire package before buying |
| Task mismatch | Frequent carrying, bridging or stepped bases | Consider a purpose-designed stair tower or another assessed system |
Do not treat a narrower frame, extra ballast or a plywood sheet as an automatic remedy. Ask the supplier and site assessor to establish the solution for the actual constraints.
Prepared and maintained by Aluminium Scaffold Tower, a commercial scaffold supplier. This procurement guide is not an independent product test or an engineering sign-off.
Reviewed 24 October 2026. The tool calculates height using a fixed 2m reach allowance, synchronously in the browser. Other selections record preferences only. It performs no structural calculation, wind assessment, compliance check, ground assessment or price lookup.
UK assembly, stability, inspection and relocation guidance.
Design standard scope, distributed load classes, platform spacing and wind guidance. Published 2020; historical transition advice is not a new rule.
Current manuals, inspection and independently verified component compatibility.
Operational principles and model-specific component schedules. Printed page 19 (PDF page 23) covers wind; the 2023 upload path is not the publication year.
US construction mobile scaffold requirements; read with 1926.451. Does not certify a product.
Australian guidance, manufacturer instructions and fall-distance licensing trigger. Confirm local regulator requirements.
The sources support general principles. They do not verify a supplier’s model or this page’s nominal dimensions. No model-specific certificate, manual, reaction schedule, current quote or customer case evidence was supplied. Those remain explicit procurement checks. Standard editions and local duties should be confirmed for the destination at order time.
The label is ambiguous. Ask whether it means working reach or platform height. With the planner’s 2m reach assumption, a 6m reach suggests a 4m deck; a 6m deck suggests about 8m reach. Neither is a guarantee of what an individual can safely reach.
Modular frame and rung increments vary. A 4.2m deck corresponds to about 6.2m reach under the same 2m assumption. Ask for the actual deck elevation and overall tower height, rather than ordering from a rounded product label.
Measure the clear opening and check the complete transport envelope, including castors and projections. Frame width alone does not establish doorway fit. The deployed stabiliser space is a separate measurement.
A level-ground planning brief does not cover stepped bases, bridges or cantilevers. Ask for a purpose-designed configuration and its instructions before choosing components.
No. It adds a documentation request to the brief. Obtain a certificate that identifies the proposed model and standard, then check the manual covers your height and environment. PASMA: EN 1004 revision guide.
No. The planner has no verified load rating. Obtain the platform, whole-tower and concentrated-load limits plus permitted occupancy for the exact model. Keep workers, tools and materials within all applicable limits. PASMA: EN 1004 revision guide.
This tool does not validate stability from a ratio. Use the proposed model’s specified stabilisers, positions and any ballast; confirm that the complete footprint fits your site. PASMA: Operator’s Code of Practice (2019, revision 13).
No. PASMA’s Operator’s Code of Practice advises ceasing work and dismantling at Beaufort Force 4 (17mph, about 7.6m/s). Plan in advance and follow any stricter model or site limit; do not wait for a design wind load threshold. PASMA: Operator’s Code of Practice (2019, revision 13).
Use an unoccupied relocation plan for this procurement brief. Follow the model manual and site procedure. UK HSE guidance says to remove people and materials and reduce tower height to at most 4m before moving. This is not a universal platform-height allowance. HSE: tower scaffolds.
Pad dimensions alone cannot demonstrate floor capacity. Obtain maximum support reactions from the supplier and an assessment of the floor, pedestals, slab and any load spreader by the responsible site specialist. This page provides no pad sizing approval.
Do not assume compatibility from similar tube dimensions. PASMA describes a process requiring independent verification and user instructions covering the mixed system; ask for that evidence before combining components. PASMA: assembly and compatibility.
No universal bill of materials is supplied here. Platform layout, temporary erection parts and bracing must come from the current manual’s schedule for the selected model and build. PASMA: assembly and compatibility.
No market price or payback period is established here. Compare delivered purchase cost, storage, training, inspections and repairs against a local hire quote for the same configuration and actual usage.
The current brief remains visible in a text box for manual selection. If clipboard access fails, the tool selects that text and explains the fallback. You can also open the email draft or use the contact page.
Use the planner’s current brief above, or send your task height, whether it means reach or deck elevation, access route measurements, proposed users and tools, floor details, destination and quantity.
Request a current manual, component schedule, model-specific load limits and stabiliser layout before agreeing the package. If you cannot supply site measurements yet, ask the team which measurements are needed.
