PLT Training reaches new heights after £200,000 investment leads to PASMA accreditation

One of the UK’s leading health and safety training providers is targeting a major ‘scaffolding’ opportunity after it invested more than £200,000 into a new dedicated area and the recruitment of three new instructors.

The new facilities and expertise have helped PLT Training secure the PASMA (Prefabricated Access Suppliers’ and Manufacturers’ Association)’s internationally recognised accreditation, meaning it can now offer accredited courses on the safe assembly, use, inspection and dismantling of aluminium scaffold towers.

This works alongside IPAF training for Mobile Elevated Work Platforms and allows the Oldbury-based firm to deliver training for two major areas of working at height, the leading cause of workplace fatalities in the UK.

The company, which already works with Omega Scaffolding, Pro Scaff and Midland Metro, believes there could now be up to £500,000 of new contracts available over the next twelve months as it offers all the solutions under one roof.

“Relocation to our new training centre has been fundamental in the PASMA accreditation, giving us access to hi-spec classrooms, the latest equipment and additional space to run the courses,” explained Kath Lang, Operations Director at PLT Training.

“To secure the internationally recognised standard, we had to be approved by a panel of associate members and had to successfully complete a full audit of our premises whilst demonstrating we have the industry knowledge in place.”

She continued: “We have created three new roles for specialist PASMA instructors already and expect this to double as existing clients and new customers take advantage of our comprehensive, under-one-roof offer.”

PLT Training can now deliver low-level access training (shorter podiums), towers for users (covering single bay structures with four legs and wheels that can reach heights of 8m outdoors and 12m indoors) and a combination course that covers both.

The aim is to add several other courses over the next twelve months, including towers for stairs, towers with bridges and linked towers.

This should appeal to scaffolding companies and other businesses that have operatives working at height, not to mention educational and sporting organisations.

Kath continued: “It is great news and comes hot on the heels of our move into the new training centre, which supports more than 10,000 learners every year.

“From here, we have high quality classrooms and six purpose-built zones for forklifts, advanced working at height, manual handling, first aid and a unique confined spaces course that includes working through a series of tunnels and fitting breathing apparatus.”

She concluded: “It has been a real gamechanger for what we can offer and will help us continue to deliver the very best training to clients, ranging from SMEs and sub-contractors to major employers like Assa Abloy, Arvato SCM, AO Recycling, Williams F1 and Red Bull Racing.”

PLT Training has come a long way since founder Nicc Bennett used to spend weeks travelling the country, providing health and safety sessions for free to convince people and companies that keeping your staff safe was important.

Fast forward nearly twenty years and the Black Country business is one of the leaders in its field, delivering more than 150 different courses at its centre at Oldbury or onsite at over 1500 client locations across the UK.