Portugal says ‘bem-vindo’ to Andy Access at busy VDS expo

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.

The event, of which IPAF was a Gold Sponsor, attracted more than 500 visitors and is Portugal’s premier health & safety show. IPAF was the only exhibitor to have a stand in the outdoor area of the show, where the distinctive yellow spider tent attracted a steady stream of visitors to a special “art gallery-style” showing of all 15 of the Andy Access safety campaign posters in Portuguese.

Andy Access himself was also on hand to attract visitors to the IPAF tent, and proved immensely popular with delegates wanting selfies; he also made a new friend for life in Napo, the similarly exuberant mascot of the EU-OSHA. 

IPAF also organised a technical presentation on working at height to be given during the conference by André Palma and Hélder Cruz from Palfinger, in a talk entitled Mounted Vehicle MEWPs – From Standard to Reality, which went down very well with exhibition-goers. IPAF also received enquiries from potential new members, including a possible new training delivery partner in the country.

Filipa Sanches, IPAF’s Portugal Representative, comments: “VDS is without doubt Portugal’s biggest and highest profile health & safety event, and this year IPAF’s training and safety messages went across really well.

“The launch of the Andy Access series of posters and the appearance of Andy Access himself was a real hit with visitors, and IPAF has certainly made new friends, including Emília Telo, the representative for Portugal on the EU-OSHA, who is very supportive of IPAF’s mission and expressed a desire for the EU-OSHA to collaborate more closely with IPAF in future.

“I was very surprised by the sheer number of people who wanted their pictures taken with Andy, and in Napo he seems to have made a new friend. This was a very important and visible way to launch the Andy Access posters in Portuguese and all those who visited the IPAF stand over the three days responded very positively to the campaign’s clear and simple messages about working safely at height,” she adds.

To download IPAF Andy Access posters for free please visit www.ipaf.org/andyaccess