Mast climber (also known as MCWP or mast climbing work platforms) are a cost efficient and time saving alternative to scaffolding for many construction projects. They lift workers and materials to a desired working height with ease, greatly improving productivity by reducing the amount of “up/down” time on site.

When properly used, mast climber provide safe and convenient access to elevated areas of a structure for various tasks, including sign installation, facade cladding, HVAC maintenance and electrical work in high or hard-to-reach spaces, painting, and inspection/maintenance on bridges and infrastructure. However, when conditions on the jobsite cause equipment instability, resulting in a worker falling from or off a mast climber, the results can be catastrophic.

The Ultimate Guide to Groumast Climbers: Everything You Need to Know

Despite their relatively low weight, mast climbers are structurally supported by a system of ties attached to the building or structure on which they are erected. These ties are not the flimsy #9 wires normally associated with frame scaffolding, but rather structural elements specifically designed by the MCWP manufacturer to maintain mast stability at increased heights. These ties, when installed and utilized by the manufacturer’s instructions, are crucial to the overall safety of a mast climber.

CPWR conducted a series of tests to determine whether certain conditions can cause the mast climber to become unstable and to identify potential mitigation measures that could prevent such conditions from occurring. The tests consisted of a dead-weight drop test and six fall-arrest load testing scenarios.