Working on height safety certainly hasn’t been a tall order for proud Glaswegian and Managing Director of the Prefabricated Access Suppliers & Manufacturers Association, Peter Bennett. In fact, it was a small case of bending slightly, as he prepared to receive an Order Of The British Empire medal for contributions to the access and work at height sector. And naturally, the highly regarded and modest 59-year-old was more than happy to be invested by HM the Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, in early July.
Dedicated work
This marked the apex of Peter’s lifelong career in the work at height sector, and many in the industry believe it was thoroughly deserved. After studying at the University of Glasgow, he joined the Glasgow office of national scaffolding company Stephens & Carter in 1983, before moving to Turner Access. During this time, he was an active Council member and latterly Chair of PASMA, also serving as a Council member, Training Committee Chairman and President of IPAF, the International Powered Access Federation
It was the beginning of Peter’s passion for improving safety for those who work at height – often without realising it – in many different sectors across the UK and internationally.
His drive upwards pushed this innovator to where he is today, leading three not-for-profit membership associations which all share a common purpose – making it safer for people to work at height. Safety standards, regulation and workplace culture have improved hugely over the years to protect workers and as a leading expert and champion for progress, Peter has consistently been at the forefront of change.
Leading Standard Change
PASMA, is the only organisation in the world dedicated to advancing safety, standards and best practice in the mobile access tower industry. When Peter first took on the role in 2006, he ran the organisation from his garage at home with the help of his first employee, Karen O’Neill. Under his leadership, PASMA now has a presence in 11 countries worldwide. More than 350 members and almost 75,000 people take its training courses on the safe use of towers every year. And Karen is now part of a 22-strong secretariat!
In 2007 Peter was appointed Executive Director of The Ladder Association, recently named Business of the Year 2019 by the Office for Product Safety and Standards. This followed a successful campaign encouraging people to ‘get a grip’ on ladder safety.
He’s also Chair of the Access Industry Forum or AIF, bringing together the principal trade associations involved in work at height to foster codes of good practice, equipment standards, training, education and knowledge. He serves on several national and international standards-setting committees, sitting on various advisory groups at the Health and Safety Executive. What’s more Peter contributes to the work of the Better Regulation Panel at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy or BEIS.
Safety Always Paramount
On average 36 people die every year and thousands more are injured following a fall from height at work, according to figures released by the Health and Safety Executive. With all this in mind he told us: “If you work at height, I want you to go home safely at the end of the day. From speaking to survivors of a fall from height, I know that the consequences are often life-changing and affect not just the victim but also their family, friends and colleagues. It’s so important that we continually strive to improve our understanding of why falls happen and strengthen the measures that keep people safe. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by knowledgeable, dedicated colleagues – both in my own organisations and in the wider work at height community – who share my passion. I want to use this occasion to raise awareness of the work that they do and to share one message: if you work at height, or are responsible for those who do, please, please take safety seriously.”
Westminster Working Group
It’s important to remember Peter was instrumental in the creation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Work at Height in 2017, chaired by Alison Thewliss MP, which is pushing for improved regulation to prevent serious injuries and fatalities. He is also a founding trustee of the No Falls Foundation, the only charity dedicated to preventing falls from height and helping people affected by the consequences of a fall.
