News

Andy Access, the larger-than-life safety mascot of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), has made a stunning debut in Portugal with a first public appearance at Vertentes e Desafios da Segurança (VDS), the nation’s leading health & safety expo in Leiria.

IPAF welcomes the forthcoming introduction of updated British standards regarding the safe use of Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) and Mast Climbing Work Platforms (MCWPs). The new British Standards (BS) 8460 and 7981 supersede the 2005 and 2002 versions respectively, which will be withdrawn, and are published on 31 October 2017.

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) keeps up its safety push in China and wider South East Asia this week by taking a stand at the first ever edition of APEX Asia, which runs 31 October-3 November in Shanghai. Visitors to the first ever Asian edition of the popular APEX expo event hosted every three years in Europe by Industrial Promotions International (IPI) will find IPAF on stand G4-1 in hall N1 of the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC).

A special Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) control test rig has been travelling the world since its debut at the APEX 2017 event in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in May, and most recently has been on three major UK construction sites to gather data to help the global standards body make recommendations as to the best way to standardise MEWP controls worldwide.

IPAF has made a senior management appointment to head up its global Technical & Safety department. Andrew Delahunt will join from a major global Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) manufacturer, where he is currently the Worldwide Safety and Homologation Manager. Andrew will be based in IPAF’s office in Basel, Switzerland, and will take up the post from January 2018.

A dedicated representative for the global Mast Climbing Work Platform (MCWP) market has been appointed by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), in a new role created by the organisation to reflect the growth and influence of its MCWP membership base and activities.

The fatal injury rate (FIR) for mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) declined in 2016, despite the fact that the total MEWP rental fleet and the number of rental days worldwide increased significantly over the same period.

The global Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) fleet grew strongly in the past year, with the US market exceeding expectations and steady growth throughout Europe for the first time since the economic downturn, driven mainly by a resurgent construction industry and falling unemployment, according to the latest annual global rental market report from the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF).

More than 300 delegates from across Asia and further afield used their attendance at the IPAF Asia Conference in Changsha, China, to affirm their commitment to safety in the powered access industry by signing a pledge to equip all operators of boom-type Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) with a safety harness.

There are three new posters in the Andy Access safety series: "Danger, keep well clear"; "Do not jump out of the platform"; and "Register pre-owned machines".

Demand for IPAF training continued to rise in 2016, and almost 160,000 Pal Cards were issued across the year as a whole. IPAF training take-up saw pronounced growth in the Gulf States, New Zealand and Switzerland. In the UK and Ireland, nearly 10,000 more people completed IPAF training than in 2015.

The newly elected President of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has used his inaugural address to call for the industry to attract more young people by creating apprenticeships and raising the profile of the career opportunities on offer.

Chris Wraith, IPAF Technical & Safety Executive has been named as a RoSPA 2017 Guardian Angel for making a demonstrable difference in the world of health and safety and accident prevention, through personal initiative, diligence, enthusiasm and commitment.

More than 450 industry professionals gathered on 4 April 2017 in London, UK, to honour the winners of the International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs). Jointly organised by Access International and IPAF, the IAPAs celebrate best practice and excellence in the powered access industry.

Who is qualified to maintain Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) is one of the questions that has been vexing the powered access industry for some time, now the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has taken the first steps towards developing internationally recognized qualifications for MEWP technicians.

PAF is demonstrating the importance of getting the basics right when using MEWPs for managers or operator at this year’s Conexpo in Las Vegas. IPAF is also highlighting key new requirements in the upcoming ANSI and Canadian standards to assist visitors to the stand in what they need to do in preparation to meet the new standards.

Who is qualified to maintain Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) is one of the questions that has been vexing the powered access industry for some time, now the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has taken the first steps towards developing internationally recognized qualifications for MEWP technicians.

Membership of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has more than doubled in Turkey following a concerted campaign to attract new members across the past year.