Pasma

[Hitch]

Anyone done the PASMA training course?
1 day?
I assume its same as most of these things, the answers in the questions.... and practical you can fail unless you tip the tower over... ?


Being put in for that one apparently...
Well, once i have done another category on the IPAF... the one i was supposed to have done the otherday

 

[Welderpaul]

I've done it. half day in classroom, then outisde to build and strip an ally tower in teams of 3 or 4. Deals with safety, when they should/shouldnt be used/inspection etc.
It was a full day, but it had to be dragged out.

Thinking about it, the main thing that was taught was how to put the tower up safely - You should start at the bottom with the half frames, and build up from there - that lets you use the three T's method (Through the trap door) - basically lets you fix the handrails whilst yer **** is still jammed in the deck trapdoor, cos the deck is already halfway up the frames. It'll make sense when you do it.
Oh, and you have to fit the toeboards!

 

[Furry Freak]

No, but I arrange for people to go through them. Still a great misconception that both are a 'legal' requirement for the job. One of those things that passes in to law by common practice. The law says that you must be competent. It does NOT say how. Competency is a blend of the necessary skills, experience and knowledge underpinned by an understanding of one's limitations. Training is merely a delivery method for skills and knowledge. Well, you can't teach experience can you.

FF

 

[Hitch]

I think a lot of it depends on the site/contractor you are working for FF, 50% of ours seem to want all the cards nowadays.

 

[Furry Freak]

Hey, if you are in the driving seat, you can ask for anything you want. But is is still not a legal requirement to have either a PASMA or IPAF licence. These last 5 years. I asked IPAF recently 'who says that they last only 5 years? They said. 'Err, we do'. Oh well that's handy then.

The only LEGAL requirement is to be competent. I have resigned my organisation to the fact that the only really easy way to prove that is to produce a licence from your wallet. This plays directly into the hands of large accrediting bodies like IPAF, but, well, life is short and it's not my money.

FF

 

[Drains]

Did the PASMA a few years ago. Taught me a few things, but it's a typical short course, eg, a walkover, mostly common sense.

Most useful bit - being shown to put the first horizontal bar on sideways so the frames don't fall over (I should have known that!)

 

[zzr1200]

Hey, if you are in the driving seat, you can ask for anything you want. But is is still not a legal requirement to have either a PASMA or IPAF licence. These last 5 years. I asked IPAF recently 'who says that they last only 5 years? They said. 'Err, we do'. Oh well that's handy then.

The only LEGAL requirement is to be competent. I have resigned my organisation to the fact that the only really easy way to prove that is to produce a licence from your wallet. This plays directly into the hands of large accrediting bodies like IPAF, but, well, life is short and it's not my money.

FF

IPAF are a self appointed body that change the MEWP classes/rules when their income appears to be dropping.

 

[^neo^]

It's easy Hitch, as long as you listen!
Hardest bit is forgetting 15 years of setting up a tower and doing it the right way.

You get shown a powerpoint presentation and a couple of DVD's which is basically everything 'on screen' which is in the booklet you get.

At the end of that, you have a 30 question multiple choice test paper, which you need to get at least 27 right. You're allowed to use the booklet for the answers too! If anyone does get more than 3 wrong, they 'should' get the chance to talk through it with the instructor and change it. The idea is to educate you not fail you.

Few questions that come up pretty much everytime:
Max gap between handrails
Min handrail height
Sideways force applied to tower
Wind speed
When should you use outriggers

And the rest of them are pretty much " Tell you superviser " , "Do not use it" or " as per manufacturers guidelines" type questions!!

Usually have lunch after the test paper, then the practical in the afternoon which is done in teams. Needs to be a p/h of 4 metres (min)

The is a couple of 'questionable' instructions on the theory side, but you'll find you do actually learn some useful stuff!