Mobile Tower Emergency Rescue and Evacuation

Working safely at height on mobile access towers means being prepared for emergencies. A clear, step-by-step rescue plan is essential to protect your team if something goes wrong.

Here’s a practical guide to the decisions and preparations involved in a mobile tower emergency, informed by work-at-height requirements and PASMA good practice.

Step 1: Assess Responsiveness

When an emergency occurs, first check if the person involved is responsive.

• If yes: proceed to assess their ability to communicate the problem or concern.
• If no: immediately summon a first aider on site, request an AED/Defibrillator for standby, and call emergency services (999/112) without delay.

Step 2: Establish Whether Self-Rescue Is Safe

If the casualty is responsive, establish what has happened and whether they can safely remain where they are while assistance is arranged.

• If they are uninjured and able to descend safely: provide calm verbal guidance and keep the access route clear.
• If they are injured, distressed or unable to descend: activate the site-specific rescue plan and prevent untrained personnel from attempting an improvised rescue.
• If their condition deteriorates: contact the emergency services and follow first-aid guidance while the planned rescue response is implemented.

Any person entering or climbing the tower to assist must be competent, authorised and working in accordance with the planned rescue method.

Step 3: Evaluate Hazards or Injuries

Look for any signs of injury or hazard.

• If hazards/injuries are present: call for a first aider immediately and prepare for possible professional rescue.
• If no hazards are apparent: an instructor or competent person can assist or remotely rescue the casualty.

Step 4–6: Check Casualty Coherence and Mobility

Determine if the casualty is coherent and calm.

Assess whether they can climb down unaided, with limited physical assistance, or need remote or professional rescue.

Each stage guides rescuers to provide the appropriate level of aid while minimising risk.

Step 7: Manage Rescue Internally if Possible

If the casualty can climb down with verbal assistance, check if the situation can be handled internally.

• If yes: continue with assisted rescue procedures.
• If not: escalate to professional rescue teams.

What Should a Mobile Tower Rescue Plan Include?

A rescue plan should be prepared before the tower is used, not improvised after an incident has occurred.

The level of detail required will depend on the tower configuration, platform height, access method, location, surrounding hazards and the work being completed. The plan should identify how foreseeable emergencies will be managed without exposing rescuers or other workers to additional danger.

A suitable mobile access tower rescue plan should cover:

• Emergency responsibilities: Who stops the work, raises the alarm, contacts first aiders and coordinates the response.
• Communication arrangements: How workers on the platform and ground will communicate during an incident.
• Casualty assessment: How responsiveness, injuries, mobility and immediate danger will be assessed.
• Rescue method: Whether the plan relies on safe self-rescue, assisted descent or a specialist rescue team.
• Competent rescuers: The trained and authorised people permitted to carry out the planned procedure.
• Rescue equipment: Any equipment required to reach, stabilise or lower a casualty safely.
• Site hazards: Traffic, machinery, electricity, fragile surfaces, restricted access, weather and unstable ground.
• Emergency access: How first aiders and emergency services will reach the casualty and tower location.
• First-aid arrangements: Available first aiders, equipment and procedures for managing the casualty after recovery.
• Practice and review: How the procedure will be communicated, rehearsed and updated when conditions change.

The rescue method must not rely on workers taking actions for which they have not been trained. PASMA also identifies emergency and rescue planning as an important part of work-at-height competence and training.

Mobile Tower Emergency Planning Checklist

Use this checklist during the risk assessment and before the mobile access tower is put into use.

Why Follow This Plan?

A clear, structured rescue plan ensures every team member knows their role during an emergency, minimising confusion and delays that can worsen outcomes.

It also helps organisations meet PASMA training standards and comply with health and safety regulations regarding working at height (HSE).

Mobile Tower Rescue FAQs

Is a rescue plan required when using a mobile access tower?

Yes. Work at height must be properly planned, including arrangements for emergencies and rescue.

The rescue plan should reflect the tower configuration, work activity, site hazards and the people available to respond. It should not rely solely on calling the emergency services. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Who should carry out a mobile tower rescue?

Only people who are trained, competent and authorised to follow the planned rescue method should attempt the rescue.

Other workers should raise the alarm, isolate the area, contact first aiders or emergency services and follow the site procedure rather than improvising.

Can a casualty climb down the tower themselves?

A responsive and uninjured person may be able to descend using the normal internal access route if it remains safe to do so.

They should not be encouraged to move if they are injured, confused, trapped or at risk of falling. The decision should follow the site-specific rescue plan and casualty assessment.

Should a rescuer climb the tower to assist the casualty?

Not automatically.

A rescuer should only enter or climb the tower where this forms part of the planned method and they are competent, equipped and authorised to do so. An improvised climbing rescue can create a second casualty.

What equipment may be needed for a tower rescue?

The equipment required depends on the planned rescue method and may include communication equipment, first-aid supplies, barriers, access equipment or specialist rescue equipment.

Any specialist equipment must be suitable for the task, inspected and used by trained personnel.

Should mobile tower rescue procedures be practised?

Yes, where proportionate to the risks.

Practice helps workers understand their roles, confirms that equipment and access arrangements are suitable and exposes weaknesses before a genuine emergency occurs. HSE recommends that emergency responsibilities and procedures are clearly agreed, recorded and rehearsed. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Can workers use a harness and lanyard on a mobile access tower?

PASMA and HSE generally advise against using a harness and lanyard as routine fall protection on a correctly assembled mobile tower because the guardrails provide collective protection.

Any departure from normal tower use requires specialist assessment and should not be introduced as an improvised rescue measure. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

What should happen after a mobile tower emergency?

The tower and surrounding area should remain out of use until the incident has been investigated and the equipment assessed by a competent person.

The risk assessment and rescue plan should then be reviewed, with any defects, training gaps or procedural weaknesses corrected before work resumes.

About Velocity Safety’s Rescue Planning Expertise

This rescue plan is based on guidance developed by our PASMA accredited instructor Ross Ciraolo, who has over 12 years of experience in mobile access tower safety.

We support clients with tailored rescue planning, emergency procedure training, and compliance audits to ensure your teams are prepared for any eventuality.