Mobile Scaffold or Stairway Platform: Height and Users

Aluminium mobile scaffold or stairway platform? The dividing line is simple: if two people need to work at the top or you need a working height above 6 m, choose a scaffold. If one person needs to get up to a working height of just under 6 m quickly and repeatedly, a stairway platform is enough.

An aluminium access platform with stairs (Orsa Maggiore, Palco Comfort, Super Torretta) and a mobile scaffold are both certified and serve the same purpose. Yet they are not interchangeable. This article explains how they differ, names specific ALUBERG and COSMOS models, and ends with a “height × number of users → model” overview, so you don't pay for more than you need – or buy a product that isn't adequate for your operation.

What Is a Mobile Scaffold?

A mobile scaffold (mobile access tower) is a system assembled from prefabricated aluminium components – frames, diagonal braces, platforms and guardrails. The height of the tower is set by the number of frames, so one system covers a wide range of working heights.

Mobile scaffolds in our range:

• ALUBERG 770 and ALUBERG 1370 (manufacturer METIGO): footprint 1915 × 770 mm or 1915 × 1370 mm, configurations for working heights of 3–12 m, load class 3 (200 kg/m²), PN-EN 1004
• COSMOS Marte S: width 0.74 m, platform length 2.0 / 2.5 / 3.0 m, working height 2.55–11.55 m, 200 kg/m² including 2 persons, UNI EN 1004-1/-2:2021
• COSMOS Marte L: width 1.35 m, platform length 2.0 / 2.5 / 3.0 m, working height 2.59–13.99 m, 200 kg/m² including 2 persons
• COSMOS Marte Comfort: width 1.35 m, access via internal stairs at a 45° incline, working height 4.39–13.99 m

Key characteristics:

• Working height of roughly 2.5–12 m, up to 13.99 m indoors with Marte L and Marte Comfort
• Modular – height can be changed by adding or removing frames
• Larger working area (tower width 0.74–1.37 m, length 1.9–3.0 m depending on model)
• More components → longer assembly time (tens of minutes for low configurations, longer for tall ones)
• Certified to EN 1004 (UNI EN 1004 for COSMOS) or PN-EN 1004 (ALUBERG)
• Load class 3: 200 kg/m² (equivalent to 2 persons plus materials)

Typical applications: interior and exterior painting, plumbing and electrical work in industrial buildings, construction and renovation, servicing HVAC and lighting in warehouse and industrial spaces.

What Is a Stairway Platform?

A stairway platform is an integrated structure in which the steps, working platform and guardrails are permanently part of a single unit. It is not assembled from separate components – it is one compact object, usually on castors.

COSMOS stairway platforms according to the manufacturer's catalogue:

• Orsa Minore: working height 3.00–4.80 m, platform 50 × 45 cm, folds quickly
• Palco Comfort: working height 2.66–3.86 m, wide flat 20 cm steps, platform 80 × 60 cm
• Orsa Maggiore: working height 3.07–5.90 m, platform 54 × 54 cm
• Super Torretta (stair tower): working height 2.70–5.91 m, platform 60 × 70 cm, built for daily industrial use

All of these platforms have a load capacity of 150 kg and are designed for one worker.

Key characteristics:

• Working height of roughly 2.7–5.9 m depending on model and number of steps
• Fixed height – cannot be changed without replacing the product
• Smaller platform (from 50 × 45 cm to 80 × 60 cm)
• Very fast deployment – positioning takes tens of seconds
• Certified to EN 131 (Orsa Minore, Orsa Maggiore); Super Torretta to the Italian regulation D.Lgs. 81/08
• Lower weight and smaller footprint

Typical applications: retail and warehousing (display cases, shelving, ceiling installations), maintenance in offices, workshops and service centres, tasks where the platform is repositioned very frequently, anywhere space is restricted.

Key Differences at a Glance

Working height

• Scaffold tower: 3–12 m (ALUBERG), up to 13.99 m with Marte L (indoors), configurable
• Stairway platform: roughly 2.7–5.9 m, fixed height

Load capacity

• Scaffold tower: class 3 = 200 kg/m², typically 2 persons
• Stairway platform: 150 kg, 1 person

Platform size

• Scaffold tower: larger (tower width 0.74–1.37 m, length 1.9–3.0 m)
• Stairway platform: smaller (50 × 45 cm to 80 × 60 cm)

Deployment speed

• Scaffold tower: tens of minutes for low configurations, longer for tall ones (assembly from components)
• Stairway platform: tens of seconds

Portability

• Scaffold tower: heavier, larger – moved on castors when assembled or dismantled for transport
• Stairway platform: lighter, more compact – easily transported in a car

Cost

• Scaffold tower: higher purchase price, but covers a wider height range
• Stairway platform: lower price, but limited working height

Certification

• Scaffold tower: EN 1004 / PN-EN 1004
• Stairway platform: EN 131 (Orsa Minore, Orsa Maggiore), or D.Lgs. 81/08 (Super Torretta)

When to Choose a Mobile Scaffold Tower

A mobile scaffold tower is the right choice when:

You work at heights above 6 m. The tallest stairway platforms (Orsa Maggiore and Super Torretta) top out at a working height of 5.90–5.91 m. If you regularly work higher than this, a scaffold is the only safe and certified option – ALUBERG 770/1370 up to 12 m, Marte S up to 11.55 m, Marte L up to 13.99 m.

You need more space on the platform. A decorator who needs a paint tray, a bucket of paint, and still has to move freely will appreciate the platform of a scaffold. For the most room, choose the wider ALUBERG 1370 or Marte L.

Two people work on the platform simultaneously. According to the manufacturer, Marte S and Marte L are rated for 200 kg/m² including 2 persons, and ALUBERG is load class 3. The Orsa, Palco and Super Torretta stairway platforms are for a single user.

The nature of the work requires extended time in one position. Painting a façade, finishing an interior, or installing HVAC are tasks where the scaffold is erected once and worked from for hours. In this context, assembly time is not a disadvantage.

You work outdoors. Mobile scaffold towers are certified for exterior use (platform height limit of 8 m without anchoring, i.e. 10 m working height). Stairway platforms are intended primarily for indoor use.

When to Choose a Stairway Platform

A stairway platform is the right choice when:

You work at heights of just under 6 m and reposition very frequently. Retail, warehousing, offices – environments where the platform stands in one spot for a few minutes before being moved on. Deployment speed is the priority here.

You want comfortable access with tools in hand. Palco Comfort has wide flat 20 cm steps; Super Torretta has a 55° staircase and a 60 × 70 cm platform.

Space is limited. Stairway platforms have a smaller footprint and take up less floor space when deployed. They navigate narrower aisles in a shop or workshop more easily.

You work alone and the materials are light. If you don't need a large platform or higher load capacity, there is no reason to invest in a scaffold tower.

You transport the product in a car or van. Smaller stairway platforms fit in a van without dismantling. A scaffold tower needs to be disassembled and requires a larger vehicle.

The budget needs to be as low as possible. Entry-level stairway platforms are significantly less expensive than a scaffold tower of comparable quality.

Which Model for Which Height and Number of Users

This overview is based on the manufacturers' catalogues. Working height = platform height + 2 m.

One person:

• up to 3.86 m, frequent repositioning, comfortable access → Palco Comfort
• up to 4.80 m, compact storage → Orsa Minore
• up to 5.90 m → Orsa Maggiore
• up to 5.91 m, daily industrial use → Super Torretta stair tower
• above 5.91 m → Marte S or ALUBERG 770 mobile scaffold

Two people:

• narrow spaces (up to 11.55 m) → Marte S or ALUBERG 770 – but they are cramped for two workers; if space allows, choose ALUBERG 1370 or Marte L
• up to 12 m, larger working area → ALUBERG 1370 or Marte L
• 12–13.99 m indoors → Marte L, or Marte Comfort with internal stairs
• outdoors, platform height above 8 m (working height above 10 m) → scaffold only when anchored to the structure

We cover the differences between scaffold widths in detail in our articles ALUBERG 770 vs. 1370 and COSMOS Marte S vs. Marte L.

Not Sure Which One You Need?

The most common mistake is buying “by instinct” without knowing the specific requirements of the operation. The result is either an unnecessarily expensive scaffold tower where a platform would have done, or a platform that can't reach the required working height.

Before purchasing, answer these four questions:

• What is the maximum working height at which you'll be working?
• How many people will be on the platform at the same time?
• How often will you be repositioning the product?
• What is the working environment – indoors or outdoors, and how much space is available?

With the answers to these questions we will recommend a specific model and configuration. Write to us or use the contact form – we'll respond within 24 hours.