Avoid mixing tower components urges WernerCo
When building a tower there is a wide range of solutions available, suitable for a variety of tasks. However, there are concerns being raised in the industry over the practice of mixing components from different manufacturers when erecting towers.
It has become apparent that it is now common practice but this can create serious safety risks. Supplier of access towers, WernerCo, which manufactures the marketing-leading brand BoSS, is urging users to consider the potential dangers of mixing product components.
Many important factors are considered when manufacturing and designing towers, such as the strength of materials used and performance of the towers and their components. Many users may be unaware that the practice of mixing different manufacturers’ components will mean a structure will be non-compliant to specific standards, typically EN1004:2004.
While it may appear all structures are similar in appearance and are constructed in the same way, the different manufacturing processes mean the strength and performance of such components can be compromised if elements are mixed. It is not common practice for manufacturers to share performance and strength data. This means rigorous testing, calculations and manufacturer assessments would need to be carried out to determine the safety and reliability of every conceivable component mix. Not only is this impractical, it is not something WernerCo carries out, and while most brands will offer product liability insurance on their components, by mixing different elements this may cause it to become invalidated.
WernerCo has an extensive range of access towers including the MiniMax Towers and the BoSS range. To find out more about WernerCo and its comprehensive range of BoSS access towers visit www.bossaccesstowers.com/uk
