Hi, one of our employees has a job coming up which requires a working platform (at low level) no more than 2.5 metres high. I am currently looking at getting them enrolled onto the PASMA low level training, however I cant find on the PASMA website about if this is for the platform height up to 2.5metres or covers overall working height for the employee (i.e, they use the platform which allows them to work at 2.5 metres above ground incorporating their body height, rather than a 2.5 metre platfrom)

Apologies I'm rubbish at trying to explain the question, essentially, does it cover the overall working height from the platform with the worker on it, or covers a platform which can go up to 2.5 metres in height. Hope it makes sense. Look forward to any advice on the matter.

I'm not familiar with this course (in fact I'm not clear what the course is as you haven't given the title). 

However if I was developing or marketing a course for working on platforms and needed to indicate the kind of heights I would be talking about, there is no way I would want to refer to the height of the platform plus worker as my reference.  This is because I would be talking about a course covering certain types of platform whose heights I know from their manufacturers or standards, whereas the manufacturers of people have terrible quality control and there is no British, European or other standard for the height of a construction worker.

If you were sending a short person and a tall person to learn how to use the same type of platform, you would expect to send them on the same course, wouldn't you?

Edited by user 20 June 2025 08:25:30(UTC)  | Reason: typu

Morning Keziah

PASMA so called "low level" training is for the height of what someone is standing (or otherwise supported) on is LESS than 2.5m.

Not particularly clear why PASMA would pick 2.5m as a threshold.

However, since prefabricated scaffolds tend to be constructed with platforms at heights of a multiple of 0.5m such that in many cases LESS than 2.5m would mean 2.0m which used to be a threshold set out in British workplace safety legislation and which was the number picked when legislation was made to metricate various numbers in this case a threshold of 6 feet 6 inches.

So, if you e.g. find an original copy of the Factories Act 1961 and look at Section 29 you will find that essentially it said that if you were going to fall less than 6 feet 6 inches you didn't have to do anything (hence giving the illustion that it's safe to be working at a height of e.g. 6 foot without protection). The exception to that rule was any type of ladder.

In the yearss before this 2m threshold was swept away by the WAH Regs there were plenty of debates about "it's only JUST over 2m" and plenty of retorts saying that you can easily be seriously injuried by falling "under 2m".. 

May be the 2.5m threshold has been set to make it clear that the course won't be covering fall arrest equpment as in general there wouldn't be sufficient fall distance for a lanyard on a harness to fully operate. 

May be the 2.5m threshold has been chosen by PASMA as, in general, those putting up a relatively low level tower or similar would be able to reach up to place the modular platform unit from ground level before needing to climb on to that to add any guard-rails and toe-boards, other than those already in place. Similar in reverse when dismantling the equipment.

What the 2.5m threshold certainly isn't is some number where it's much safer when you are below it and much more dangerous if above. I have personally investigated three fatal accidents involving falls of less than 2m.

Low-Level Access - PASMA