By Kyle Davidson, Chair, SAEMA
Today, 8 October 2025, marks a really important moment for SAEMA and for the safety of every building with façade access. I’m proud to announce the launch of our Duty Holder Training programme…a first-of-its-kind, engaging, fully digitally enabled curriculum built to support and empower those who carry legal and operational responsibility for suspended access systems.
Over the last five years, SAEMA has led in training operatives through our Permanent Part 1 programme, which provides the theoretical foundations and safety awareness required for those working on permanently installed systems. That training has seen wide adoption across the sector and proven its value in strengthening standards, competence and safety culture. But the risks don’t end with operatives. Those responsible for buildings – owners, facility managers, consultants (more commonly known as duty holders) – also need clarity, competence and confidence. That is where our new Duty Holder Training programme comes in.
Our brand-new course is specifically for anyone who holds duty under regulation: those who must ensure compliance, safe use, maintenance and oversight of suspended access on their buildings. Its aim is to bridge the knowledge gap between operatives and oversight, delivering guidance on legal obligations, system understanding, inspection regimes, interface with users, record-keeping and management of safe operations.
This training system is built with cutting-edge animation and immersive visuals, turning complexity into clarity. Each module is supported by multiple-choice testing with invigilation logic to safeguard integrity. You’ll see real-world systems in vivid animated detail so that identifying risks or failure modes becomes intuitive. The result is a learning experience that’s engaging, measurable and defensible against audits or regulatory scrutiny.
Yet it’s not only powerful…it is cost-effective. In comparison to traditional classroom or consultant-led training, the digital model scales, reduces travel/time costs and places the emphasis where it truly delivers value: protecting reputations, reducing liability and helping duty holders manage risk, maintain compliance and ensure that operatives always use equipment safely.
We must not forget that working at height remains one of the most dangerous activities in our industry. According to the latest HSE figures, falls from height remain the single most common cause of fatal injuries in Great Britain, accounting for over a quarter of deaths in 2024-25. Every building with suspended access is exposed to that risk: the smallest oversight, the weakest control the untrained manager can carry enormous consequence.
I want to extend my personal thanks to the SAEMA training team at Seddon Management Services, especially to Tony Seddon (Secretary) and Becky Clutton (Member Support Manager), whose tireless work has brought this programme from concept to reality. Their dedication, attention to detail, and commitment to excellence are baked into every animation, test question and module in the course.
As past Chair and industry expert Mark Davison has also been instrumental in the architecture of the new programme. He says: “SAEMA’s Duty Holder Training is not just another course, it is a transformative tool. The combination of strong pedagogy, visual clarity and compliance enforcement makes it genuinely innovative. Anyone entrusted with façade access control should take the course.”
If you are a duty holder, facility manager, building owner, consultant or stakeholder in suspended access safety, this is your opportunity to lead, not just comply. Sign up today. Raise your standards. Protect your people. Make compliance a strength, not a burden.
Let’s set a new benchmark for safety and competence in our sector. Let’s do it together.
Please click here to find out more: https://training.saema.org/
Please click here to register for the Duty Holder Training Course: https://training.saema.org/duty-holder-course/
