Scaffolding Towers
A scaffold tower gives operatives a stable, guarded working platform at height. Compared with a ladder, it gives them a deck to stand on and room to move, set down tools and stay in one position for longer. The most popular towers in the HERMEQ range are the single width and double width aluminium towers, alongside one-person MiTowers and stair towers. Each platform takes operatives, tools and materials, and stabilisers and adjustable legs keep a tower level and steady where the ground is uneven. HERMEQ holds permanent UK stock, with next day delivery nationwide.
Aluminium mobile scaffold towers
The aluminium tower range covers frame towers built by the 3T method and compact towers that one person can erect. Aluminium keeps each component light enough to carry through a building by hand, and every tower in this group rolls on castors between work positions.
3T aluminium scaffold towers
The single and double width towers are assembled frame by frame to the platform height the job needs, up to 12.2m. They are the choice for longer jobs, greater heights and towers that are taken down and rebuilt many times over a project. The 3T towers are manufactured in the UK.
One-person access towers
The MiTower scaffold tower is erected by a single operative and has an integrated trolley base for moving and storing it. That suits maintenance teams and trades who move between short jobs through the day. The MiTower+ access tower goes up in the same way with one person, but has a longer platform rated for two operatives and reaches working heights of up to 8m. Both are the faster choice when the job is quick and the working height is modest.
Single width or double width scaffold tower
Width follows the crew and the job. A single width tower is built on 0.85m frames for narrow spaces and one operative, and a double width tower is built on 1.45m frames for two operatives and wider work.
The single width scaffold tower is the choice for corridors, plant rooms, shop fit-outs and confined interiors.
The double width scaffold tower gives two operatives room to work side by side. It takes wider materials such as plasterboard, ceiling tiles and ductwork, and leaves space on the deck for tools and fixings. On a taller build, the wider base gives the tower a broader footprint, so double width towers are the usual choice for high ceilings, atriums and warehouse roofs.
Staircase scaffold towers and stair towers
A search for a stair tower can mean one of two different products. One is a tower that stands on a flight of stairs to give a level working platform above it. The other is a stair tower that people climb to move between levels on a construction project. HERMEQ supplies both, and each does a different job.
Stairwell scaffold tower
The stairwell scaffold tower is built from the MiTower system to stand over a flight of stairs, with a level working platform above the steps. It is the tower for painting, electrical, mechanical and fit-out work in the stairwells of commercial buildings and industrial facilities, where a standard tower cannot stand.
Modular site stair tower
The modular site stair tower is the Escalib Mills MDS. It is a galvanised steel system of stair modules, positioned by crane, that gives operatives a walking route between slabs, working platforms and excavations. It is used on multi-storey frames and on civil engineering, infrastructure and groundworks projects. In its standard configuration it builds to about 20m, and its side exit rotates to meet each level. Ladder access for fixed scaffolds is in the scaffold ladders and stairways range.
Scaffold tower heights, loads and standards
Platform height and working height
Platform height is the height of the deck the operative stands on. Working height is the height that operative can reach from it, which is greater by the reach of a person standing upright. The ceiling, soffit or gutter being worked on sets the working height, and the platform sits about an arm's reach below it. You order a tower by that working height. The MiTower range is listed by working height, and the 3T towers by platform height.
Safe working load
The safe working load is the total weight a platform carries: the operatives, their tools and any materials stacked on the deck. Ratings run from a single operative on the MiTower to 275kg on each platform of the 3T towers. A ceiling or drylining crew with boards on the deck needs a 3T tower, while one electrician changing light fittings works within a single-user tower.
BS EN 1004 and the 3T method
BS EN 1004 is the standard for mobile access and working towers built from prefabricated components. The single and double width towers are certified to it, and the single width tower carries the BSI Kitemark. The 3T method, short for Through The Trap, is the PASMA-approved way of building these towers. The operative works from the trapdoor of the platform below and fits the guardrails of the next level before standing on it, so nobody stands on an unguarded platform during erection or dismantling.
Scaffold tower parts and accessories
Every component of the 3T towers is sold separately. A damaged frame or deck can be replaced, a tower can be built higher, and the base can be set up for the ground it stands on.
Castors and adjustable legs
Dual locking scaffold tower castors lock against both rolling and swivelling. They suit hard floors and towers that are moved several times a day. Scaffold tower adjustable legs level the base where the ground falls, slopes or steps, and they are how a tower stands safely on uneven ground.
Stabilisers
Scaffold tower stabilisers widen the base at each corner. They are fitted for outdoor work, taller builds and positions where a tower is exposed to wind or knocks.
Span frames, ladder frames and braces
Ladder frames carry the rungs operatives climb to reach each platform. Span frames make up the remaining frame sections, and both come in single and double widths with different rung counts. Horizontal and diagonal tower braces lock the frames together, and they are colour coded so the two types are easy to tell apart during a build.
Decks and toe boards
Hatch and standard tower decks make up each platform. The hatch deck has a self-closing trapdoor for climbing through, and the standard deck completes the platform beside it. A toe board set around the working platform stops tools and materials being kicked off the edge. For open edges on slabs and roofs beyond the tower, HERMEQ supplies edge protection.
Popular Categories
Boards, Tube & Fittings
View Products >
Ladders & Stairways
View Products >
Scaffolding Storage
View Products >
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is allowed to put up a scaffold tower?
A scaffold tower is erected, altered and dismantled by a competent person who follows the manufacturer's instructions for that tower. For mobile aluminium towers, PASMA training is the usual route to that competence.
Can you move a scaffold tower with someone on it?
No. A mobile tower is moved only when nobody is on it and the platforms are clear of tools and materials. It is pushed from the base over firm, level ground with no overhead obstructions or cables in its path. The castors are unlocked only for the move and locked again before anyone climbs back on.
Can a scaffold tower be used outdoors?
Yes. The 3T aluminium towers and the MiTower range are built for indoor and outdoor use. Outdoors, the maximum height is lower than indoors because of wind, and stabilisers are fitted as the instructions require. Work stops when the wind reaches the limit set in the instructions, and a tower left standing outside is secured against movement.
How often does a scaffold tower need inspecting?
A competent person inspects a tower after it is assembled and before anyone uses it, and again after any alteration, move or event that could affect its stability, such as high wind. A tower that stays in place on a construction site is also inspected at the intervals the Work at Height Regulations set. A record of each inspection is kept on site.
Is a scaffold tower suitable for work on a house?
Yes. Compact one-person towers such as the MiTower suit gutter work, painting and repairs on houses, because they go up quickly and move easily between elevations. For longer jobs, such as rendering or replacing windows across a whole elevation, a single width 3T tower gives a larger platform at greater height. Outdoor height limits and stabiliser requirements in the instructions apply in either case.