Apart from the obvious check of are all of the components required to build the scaffold tower present, there are some other very important checks that should be carried out. This guide is intended as a generic checklist that can be used for any type of aluminium scaffold tower.

When buying any second hand scaffolding tower you need to be very careful, but when it is an aluminium scaffold tower you need to be particularly careful. An inherent property of aluminium is that it will break instead of bend (it will bend slightly but no where near the amount that steel would). So, where the traditional galvanized poles of a tower would bend if used incorrectly an aluminium pole would show tiny little hairline fractures and would eventually break.

It is absolutely essential that you view the tower before you exchange money with the seller. Do not be swayed by any persuasive sellers no matter how low the price is – if you’re 5m up the tower and a part fails you’ll wish that you had checked the tower more carefully.

If you can’t inspect an aluminium scaffold tower prior to purchasing it – don’t buy it.

Before you part with your cash you should check the following:

Aluminium Castings
If the kit you are looking at features aluminium castings make sure that they are free from cracks. If you see even the smallest hairline crack in a part that cannot be replaces you should not buy it.

Welds
Like the castings the aluminium welds on the module of the tower should be free from cracks.

A small hairline crack in an aluminium scaffolding weld - this is what you need to avoid at all costs.

Poles, Braces and Rungs
Check that all of these are straight and don’t have any cracks in them. An aluminium scaffolding tower is going to get dented as it is a far softer material than steel, however if you find any dents that are more than 5mm (less than about ¼ inch) you, again, should not buy the tower.

Platforms
Check that any platforms included in the sale are free from damage and look well looked after. If the platforms have any trapdoors check that these operate correctly and lock in place positively.

Castors
If the type of tower you are looking for has castors you should check that they rotate freely and most importantly that the brakes work.

Outriggers/Stabilisers
If the kit you are buying is over 5m (approx 15’ high) I would expect it to come with outriggers. Like the poles check that these are straight free from cracks and that the feet are flat.

If you have checked all of the above on the aluminium scaffold tower, and it all seems OK, go for it!