Leach 1298-IM-EN User manual

MEDIUM DUTY
MINI TOWER
Mobile Aluminium Access Tower
ISSUE 1
Instruction Manual EN 1298-IM-EN
The Mini Tower is compliant with BS EN 1004:2004
3T - Through The Trapdoor Method
01432 346800 |[email protected] |www.leachs.com

Page 2
Mini Tower |Assembly Guide
Introduction
Please read these instructions carefully and ensure that you fully understand all of the information
contained herein. All of the information in this document is vital for the safe utilisation of your Mini
Tower.
All products are professional quality engineered equipment designed primarily with safety in mind and
meet or exceed all standards, recommendations and guidelines. Used properly, the equipment will keep
you safe when working at height.
This manual contains all of the information necessary to correctly assemble your Mini Tower and
incorporates all of the requirements of the PASMA 3T method of assembly as endorsed by the HSE.
This manual should be used in conjunction with your Risk Assessment and Method Statement and in
line with the Work at Height Regulations 2005 which place an obligation on employers to eliminate or
minimise risks. This manual must be made available to the user/assembler at all pertinent times.
Only competent and qualified personnel should undertake erection, dismantling or alteration, organisation,
planning or supervision of mobile access towers. In the case of any doubt, sufficient relevant additional
training must be given beforehand to ensure safe use. For further information on the use of mobile
access towers consult PASMA (www.pasma.co.uk; Tel [phone]).
For any additional technical information or specific advice please contact LEACH'S
Tel: [phone] or Email: [e-mail]. Please note that diagrams are for illustrative
purposes only. User guides are also available to download from our website www.leachs.com
Certifications
The Mini Tower is a mobile access tower compliant with EN 1004 Class 3. This tower is not suitable for
applications outside of EN1004 or other than as described in these instructions. This tower is manufactured
in our ISO 9001 accredited facility. This manual complies with EN 1298-IM-EN.
Maximum Safe Working Loads
The safe working load of the tower is 350 kg including its own weight. The maximum safe working load
of any individual platform is 200 kg evenly distributed. If the tower is to be used in an application
outside the scope of EN1004, contact your supplier, LEACH'S, for advice on loadings.
Tel: [phone] or Email: [e-mail].

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Products |LEACH'S
Inspection Care & Maintenance
The equipment is designed and manufactured to the highest standards in the industry and is
stronger, more robust and safer than any comparable competitor product. Properly cared for, it will
give a long and productive service life.
•The equipment should be inspected and maintained as outlined in the “MD Tower Inspection
Procedures”. A free downloadable copy is available at www.leachs.com
•Equipment should always be inspected before and after each use.
•Whilst the equipment is extremely robust, care should be exercised in loading, transporting and
handling components to avoid damage or injury to either the equipment or persons.
•Repairs should only be carried out by LEACH'S or their authorised repairers.
•In case of any doubt as to the integrity of any items of the equipment, the part should be
withdrawn from use, quarantined and subject to detailed examination to determine whether
repair or replacement is required. If returned to the factory, LEACH'S will provide a free of charge
evaluation of any damaged components.
Safety
Check that all of the necessary components and equipment for the particular tower configuration to be
built are on site, undamaged and functioning correctly. Damaged or incorrect components must not be
used.
•Check that the surface on which the tower is to be located is capable of supporting the tower and
its payload.
•The safe working load of the tower is 350 kg including its own weight. The maximum safe
working load of any individual platform is 200 kg evenly distributed.
•Towers must always be climbed from the inside using the built in ladders only. If the work
carried out from the tower requires frequent carrying of equipment and materials up or down the
tower, an stair tower should be used in preference to a ladderspan tower.
•The tower must be levelled when erected using the adjustable jack or castor legs.
•It is recommended that the tower be tied in when left unattended.
•Never use other makes or types of tower component when assembling an Mini Tower.
•The Mini Tower has been designed for single person use. If the tower is to be used with two
operatives, larger stabilisers or suitable alternative stabilisation methods must be used.

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Mini Tower |Assembly Guide
•Always comply with the Work at Height Regulations 2005 when erecting, dismantling & using
the tower.
•See “Moving the Tower” below for safety guidelines affecting the relocation of the tower.
•Beware live electrical installations, cables, moving machinery or other obstructions when
erecting, dismantling or using the tower. The tower is a conductive metallic structure.
•The maximum safe lateral force for a freestanding Mini Duty tower is 30kg.
•Do not use boxes, ladders or other items to gain additional height.
•Do not stand on guard rails for any reason.
•The tower is not designed to be used with hoisting arrangements.
•Contact LEACH'S for advice on loadings Tel: [phone] or Email: [email protected]
•Fit guard rails at every level and ensure all wind latches are engaged at both ends of the platform.
•Fit toe boards to all working platforms.
•Intermediate (rest) platforms are installed every 2m.
•The tower is not designed to be sheeted. Sheeting massively increases wind loads on the
structure. Sheets, tarpaulins, cladding or similar must not be attached to the tower.
•The tower is not designed to be lifted or suspended.
•Every erected tower must be inspected at least every seven days and any tower which has been
left unattended should be inspected before use to ensure that:
1 no components have been removed or relocated incorrectly;
2 the tower is still vertical; and
3 no environmental or other factors have arisen which will influence safe use of the tower.
•Unattended towers should be tied in to a rigid structure.
•Stabilisers or outriggers and ballast shall always be fitted when specified.
•Where there is insufficient clearance to fit the specified stabilisers, contact your supplier or
the manufacturer for specific advice. Where ballast or kentledge is used, it must be of solid
material, placed on a platform on the lowest rung of the tower and secured against unauthorised
removal.

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Products |LEACH'S
Wind Speeds
Persons using or responsible for towers must beware of the effect of wind on the structure. Wherever
possible, as a precaution, it is advisable to tie the tower in to a rigid structure if it is to be used where it is
exposed to potential windy conditions. Users should beware the potential tunnelling effect of open ended
or unclad buildings and narrow openings between buildings. We recommend that the use of the tower is
discontinued in conditions where the wind speed is above 17mph (force 4).
WIND
DESCRIPTION
BEAUFORT
SCALE
AVERAGE
SPEED INFORMATION
Medium Breeze 4 13-17 mph Safe to work on tower.
Strong Breeze 6 25-31 mph Tie the tower to a solid structure. Do not work on tower.
Gale Force 8 39-46 mph Towers must be dismantled. Towers must not be assembled.
Erecting & Dismantling the Tower
All towers must be built and dismantled in accordance with the step by step instructions in the
following pages corresponding to the particular tower configuration involved and having regard to the
working at height regulations and Health & Safety legislation.
Moving the Tower
Always assess the risks before moving any tower. If there is any doubt as to the safety of the move, the
tower must be dismantled before moving. No persons, tools, equipment or materials shall be permitted
to remain on the tower when it is being moved. The tower should only be moved by raising the stabilisers
by no more than 25mm and pushing it by the lowest frames.
When moving the tower, users are to be particularly careful of the following:
·Obstructions, moving machinery or electrical cables and equipment
·not to move the tower in wind speeds of 18mph (force 5) or above
·the effect of rough, uneven or sloping ground on the stability of the tower
·locking and unlocking the castors to allow and prevent the tower moving at appropriate times
·after completing the movement, use a spirit level to ensure that the tower is vertical and safely
supported on an appropriate surface
·after completing the movement check that the tower is correct and complete.

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Mini Tower |Assembly Guide
Frames & Braces
Brace Panels
Stabilisers should always be attached to the tower so as to maximise the base area of the tower structure.
Set the stabilisers so they form a square around the tower. The stabilisers must always be used.
Tying In
The Mini Tower is designed to be assembled to platform heights of 2.2, 3.2 or 4.2 metres.
It must never be built to a height that would exceed the freestanding working heights specified in
EN 1004-2004. If the tower is in a position such that it is unstable or is in danger of being unstable, it
should be tied into a suitable rigid structure.
Standard scaffold tubes and fittings can be used with the products. Ties should be spaced at no more
than 4m intervals. Ties must be rigid and be secured to both frame uprights. For further details
regarding tying in, please contact your supplier: LEACH'S.
The Mini Tower is braced and guardrailed using prefabricated
side panels. These must always be fitted with the claws facing
outwards.
All brace panels are fitted with spring loaded pins that
automatically lock the panel into position when attached to a
tower. Hooks are linked at each end of the panel to allow both
hooks to be fitted or released simultaneously.
Brace hooks are spaced so that they facilitate correct
positioning of the panels and are retained in place by the end
frame rungs to prevent vertical movement.
Stabilisers
Frames must always be assembled with the
offset conical head fitting pointing inwards
towards the centre of the tower. The brace
used at the base of the tower must be fitted
with the brace hook facing downwards

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Products |LEACH'S
3T Method Explained
The “3T” or “through the trapdoor” method is one of the two permitted ways of assembling a tower
without the assembler being at risk of falling. This tower is a 3T tower.
As each new level of platform is installed, the operative
takes up a working position in the trap door of the
platform, standing on the ladder and leaning back
against the edge of the trapdoor aperture.
From this position clip on the 2 brace panels in the
appropriate positions. Once both are fully installed the
platform is now safe to stand on. This process ensures
operatives can fully assemble the tower without
standing on unguarded platforms.
Platforms
The Mini Tower platform units have 2 angled plates
located on one end of the framework - on the underside.
During the assembly phase these plates can be rotated
outwards to enable the platform to be hooked onto the
tower structure - either on the rungs of the end frames
or onto the brace panels on the side of the tower.

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Mini Tower |Assembly Guide
Component Schedule
WORKING PLATFORM HEIGHT
CODE PART DESCRIPTION Wgt 2.2 3.2 4.2
2239 125mm Dia. Castor Wheel 2.5 4 4 4
3520 Mini Tower Adj. Alum Leg (black collar) 1.3 4 4 4
3201 Mini Tower Base Frame 12.4 1 1 1
3202 Mini Tower Main Frame 4.1 4 6 8
3203 Mini Tower Brace Panel 4.6 3 5 6
3204 Mini Tower Platform 11.1 1 2 2
3205 Mini Tower Toeboard 6.0 1 1 1
3510 1.2m Horizontal Brace (Red) 1.5 1 1 1
3207 Mini Tower Stabiliser 3.6 4 4 4
3206 Component hanger frame 1.9 1 2 2
WORKING PLATFORM HEIGHT 2.2m 3.2m 4.2m
MAX. WORKING HEIGHT 4.2m 5.2m 6.2m
OVERALL TOWER HEIGHT 3.4m 4.4m 5.4m
TOTAL SELF WEIGHT OF TOWER (kg) 90 kg 122 kg 134 kg

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Products |LEACH'S
2239 - 125mm castor wheel
3520 - Adj. Leg
3201 - Mini Tower Base Frame 3202 - Mini Tower Main Frame
3203 - Mini Tower Brace Panel 3204 - Mini Tower Platform 3205 - Mini Tower Toeboard
3510 - 1.2m Horiz. Brace (Red) 3207 - Mini Tower Stabiliser 3206 - Component Hanger
Frame
Components

Page 10 Mini Tower |Assembly Guide
Step 1
Insert the leg & castor assembly into
each leg of the base frame assembly
When fully inserted, ensure the
spring-loaded pin is engaged into
the hole in the side of the frames.
Ensure all 4 wheels have the brakes
applied.
Step 2
Unfold the base frame and ensure
that the gate frame latches securely.
Connect one horizontal brace to the
bottom rung on the open side of
the base frame. Make sure that the
brace is connected with the brace
hook facing downwards
Step 3
Fit a platform to the 2nd rung down.
Using a spirit level, ensure that the
framework is completely level by
adjusting the legs. Twist the serrated
collar above the wheel to adjust the
leg up & down.
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS - All Platform Working Heights

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Products |LEACH'S
Step 4
Connect 4 stabilisers to the corners.
Once the stabiliser is postioned
correctly, tighten the 2 couplers -
ensuring the foot of the stabiliser is
firmly on the floo
If building a 3m working platform
height, do not assemble Step 5
below and go to Step 6 on page 13.
Step 5
Remove the platform. Connect two
1m frames together to create a 2m
frame - ensuring that the locking
bolts at the bottom of the upper
frame are engaged. Repeat this for
a 2nd pair of frames. Put a pair of
assembled frames on each end of
the base unit with the head fitting
pointing inwards. Ensure that the
locking bolts at the bottom engage
once added to the base frame.

Page 12 Mini Tower |Assembly Guide
Step 7
Locate a hanger frame onto the
brace panel as shown. Hang the
toeboard on first, then two brace
panels ready for the next stage.
Step 8
Using the 3T method, add the two
brace panels above the top platform
so the top bar of the brace panel is in
line with the top rungs of the frames.
When the panel is in the correct
position the top hooks will sit just
below the top rung of the frames
and the bottom hook located just
above the 3rd rung down from the
top. Now fit the toeboard
Build Method for 2m Working Platform Height
Step 6
Add a brace panel between rungs 6
and 8 on the same side of the tower
as the folding gate on the base frame.
Make sure that the hooks are facing
outwards. Now, install a platform
onto rung 8 (counting upwards from
the bottom of the tower). Engage
the wind latches at both ends of the
platform.

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Products |LEACH'S
Step 6
Remove the platform. Connect a
1m frame on each end of the base
unit with the head fittings pointing
inwards. Ensure that the locking
bolts at the bottom engage once
added to the base frame. Then add
a brace panel between rungs 6 and
8 on the same side of the tower as
the folding gate on the base frame.
Make sure that the hooks are facing
outwards.
Step 7
Add a platform onto the 4th rung
up from the bottom and a second
brace panel between rungs 6 and
8 on the opposite side to the firs
one making sure that the hooks are
facing outwards. Make sure that the
wind latches are engaged on the
platform.
Step 8
Locate a hanger frame on the upper
rungs of each brace panel. Connect
two 1m frames together to create
a 2m frame. Ensure the locking
bolts at the bottom of the upper
frame are fully engaged. Repeat
for a second pair of frames. Hang
one brace panel then two 2m end
frames on one hanger frame. Hang
two brace panels then the toeboard
on the second hanger frame. Hook a
platform onto the end frame.
Build Method for 3m Working Platform Height

Page 14 Mini Tower |Assembly Guide
Step 9
From the platform, fit the two end
frames. Ensure that the head fitting
are pointing inwards and the locking
bolts at the bottom of the installed
frames are in the locked position.
Step 10
Remove the brace panel and fit it on
the same side as the hanger frame
it comes off between rungs 6 and 8
above the current platform. Ensure
the hooks face outwards. Relocate
the empty hanger frame onto the
newly fitted brace panel. Take the
second platform off the end of the
tower and fit it 8 rungs above the
current platform. Engage the wind
latches.
Step 11
Transfer the toeboard and two brace
panels up to the hanger frame fitte
in step 10 - in that order.
Using the 3T method, add the two
brace panels above the top platform
so the top rung of the brace panel is
in line with the top rung of the frames
with the lower hooks above the 3rd
rung down. Finally, fit the toeboard to
the platform.

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Products |LEACH'S
Step 6
Add a brace panel between rungs 6
and 8 on the same side of the tower
as the folding gate on the base frame.
Make sure that the hooks are facing
outwards. Now, install a platform
onto rung 8. Engage the wind latches
at both ends of the platform.
Step 7
Fit a hanger frame onto the brace
panel installed in step 6 and hang
2 brace panels, the toeboard and 2
more brace panels. On the ground
make two 2m frames by connecting
two pairs of 1m frames together.
Now, fit a 2nd hanger frame on one
end of the tower. Hang 1 brace panel
first, then the two 2m frames off it.
Finally hook a platform on the other
end of the tower.
Step 8
Using the 3T method install 2 brace
panels. Remove these from the
hanger on the side of the tower.
Relocate the platform hanging from
the end of the tower round onto the
empty brace panel on the side of the
tower.
Build Method for 4m Working Platform Height

Page 16 Mini Tower |Assembly Guide
Step 9
Remove the 2 assembled end frames
and install on the tower, ensuring
the head fittings pointing inwards
and the locking bolts at the bottom
are fully engaged. Remove the brace
panel from the end hanger and fit it
on the tower - ensuring the hooks
are located between the 6th and 8th
rung up from the platform. Ensure
that the hooks face outwards.
Relocate the empty hanger frame
from the end of the tower up onto
the newly fitted brace panel
Step 10
Relocate the toeboard and 2 brace
panels up to the upper hanger frame
that was moved in step 9. Now take
the second platform off the side of
the tower and fit it 8 rungs above
the platform you are standing on.
Engage the wind latches.

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Products |LEACH'S
Step 11
Using the 3T method, add the two
brace panels above the top platform
so the top rung of the brace panel
is in line with the top rung of the
frames with the lower hooks above
the 3rd rung down. Ensure that the
hooks face outwards.
Now fit the toeboard

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Mini Tower |Assembly Guide
Dismantling
Disassembly is the reverse of the relevant assembly process until you reach an assembled base unit
as described in step 3.
Ensure that the 3T method is used at all times.
The toeboard should be secured in the closed position using the Velcro strap provided after removal
from the platform before proceeding further with the dismantling.
Packing & Transportation
The base unit is designed to contain all the components for your Mini Tower.
Once your tower is disassembled to the base unit stage shown in step 3, add a brace frame on the
opposite side to the folding gate. Ensure that the hooks face outwards.
Fit the toeboard to the platform in the base of the unit.
Fit the hanger frames to each end frame facing inwards on the top rung. Place the brace frames
onto the hanger frames sideways on.
Stack the end frames in the centre of the unit between the brace frames.
Add the second deck in front of the end frames and the stabilisers in front of the platform.
The stored configuration of the Mini Tower is now complete.

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Products |LEACH'S
Notes

Manufacturing Member
For further information regarding our range of access products and services, please get in touch with us:
LEACH'S
Beacon Park,
228 Holme Lacy Road,
Hereford
HR2 6BQ
t: [phone]
e: [e-mail]
w: www.leachs.com
01432 346800 |[email protected] |www.leachs.com