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Scaffolding towers come in a range of shapes and sizes, each with its specific purpose on the job site. Their main purpose is to offer an alternative to ladders.
Most scaffolding towers have four legs and feature additional supports and cross beams. They also anchor strongly to the ground or the surrounding construction, making them far less likely to topple over than ladders.
Types Of Scaffolding Towers And When To Use Them
In this section, we list some of the main types of scaffolding towers. Please note that this list is not exhaustive.
1. Standard scaffold tower
Standard scaffold towers are usually between 8 and 12 metres tall and have fixed ladders fitted to their sides. Workers can easily climb up and down, and use them in combination with their anti-fall safety equipment. They are perfect for regular building sites.
2. GRP scaffold towers:
GRP scaffold towers have a similar design to standard scaffold towers except they are made of fibreglass rods, not aluminium poles. Workers usually use this type of scaffolding if they are working with electrical equipment since fibreglass is non-conductive. It’s also suitable in industries that rely heavily on maintaining a high level of cleanliness.
3. Single-man towers
Single-main towers are usually a little smaller than standard towers and are designed for lone workers.
Instead of requiring an entire team to construct, these towers are suitable for sole proprietors and contractors who need to perform specialist work on their own.
They are also smaller and easier to transport than regular scaffolding and can fit through doorways and in the bottom of a regular-sized van.
4. Advanced guardrail scaffold towers
Sometimes called “AGR” towers, these let workers construct scaffolding at height safely. Workers build the next level of the scaffolding from the level below, and there is always a guardrail in place to stop them from falling.
AGR scaffolding is more important today than in the past because of the number of high-profile accidents involving falls on construction sites.
5. Cantilever scaffold tower
All the scaffold towers we’ve discussed so far connect directly to the ground below. However, such setups aren’t always possible on construction projects.
And that’s where cantilever scaffold towers can be helpful.
These have an additional platform that extends out beyond the legs with a counterweight on the other side, holding it in position, making it highly effective when workers need to access awkward areas.
6. Staircase tower
Lastly, there are staircase towers. These towers, as the name suggests, are built for work carried out on staircases.
They provide workers with a stable platform, allowing them to work on hard-to-reach areas up high, including ceilings in steep stairwells.
Ultimately, the purpose of all these towers is to:
- Improve worker safety
- Help workers gain access to hard-to-reach areas.
If you are considering scaffolding tower hire in Essex, get in touch with our team today. We would be more than happy to assist.
