IPAF announces new role to oversee development of rental standard

Martin Wraith has been recruited to a new role with the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), to oversee the development, implementation, and ongoing audit of the IPAF Rental+ standard for hire members.

IPAF Rental+ is the standard for quality and safety in the MEWP rental industry. The IPAF UK Country and Irish councils have both mandated that all new and existing hire/rental company members should be audited to meet the required standard as a condition of continuing membership. IPAF rental member companies are annually assessed against the minimum requirements, which includes Safety Systems in Procurement (SSIP) accreditation alongside IPAF criteria to improve industry safety.  

Martin has been officially appointed as IPAF Rental+ Manager for IPAF, reporting to Giles Councell, Director of Operations, and took up the post as of 9 August 2021 at IPAF, supporting the Operations Team. He is well known in the powered access industry in the UK, having served as an IPAF Auditor for a number of years and also being a qualified IPAF senior instructor. He has helped to develop and implement training and hosted IPAF safety and training webinars and deliver IPAF professional development seminars (PDS) in the UK and overseas.    

Giles Councell comments: “I am delighted to be able to announce this vital new position in the IPAF Operations team, and we have found the ideal candidate in Martin to head up this important function. He brings with him more than 20 years of experience in the powered access industry and a strong passion for IPAF’s purpose and objectives. All of us at IPAF wish him every success in his new role with us. 

“The IPAF Rental+ scheme is a new gold standard for our industry, it has been a significant undertaking in transitioning our UK hire/rental members on to the accreditation and requires dedication and resources to support our members, to continue to maintain and develop the standard and to oversee the audit programme that underpins it.  

“Martin has all the right skills and expertise required to fulfil this role with assurance and I am sure our members will have every confidence in him as he looks to lead the IPAF Rental+ scheme in the UK, as well as developing engagement and awareness among powered access end-users and IPAF members outside the UK. There is growing interest in IPAF Rental+ in Germany, the US and the Middle East.” 

Martin Wraith says: “I have long had a close association in a variety of roles with IPAF and have supported the federation at events around the world, developing training, giving presentations online and in person, delivering the audit programme of IPAF training centres and instructors, and as a qualified IPAF instructor in my own right.  

“When this new role within IPAF was advertised I knew it represented a really interesting challenge and felt it would be a great fit for me. I already know the IPAF team very well and also many of the members with whom I have had the pleasure of interacting over the years as an auditor or at industry events and the like. 

“I really look forward to this next chapter of my career and can’t wait to get out and about meeting members, helping them fulfil and maintain the requirements of the IPAF Rental+ audit and expanding awareness and engagement with the standard both in the UK and further afield.  

“I am particularly keen to highlight the benefits of the scheme both to members trying to run a successful, standards-compliant business and to the wider contracting industry, for whom using an IPAF Rental+ accredited company brings real confidence in the levels of customer service, safety and professionalism they will receive.”  

● Visit www.ipaf.org/rental to find out more details about the IPAF Rental+ standard, or to search for an IPAF Rental+ hire depot near you.