Successful MEWP standards event and PDS held in China

Around 100 delegates were in attendance for the inaugural IPAF MEWP Safety & Standards Conference, which took place on 16 May 2019 alongside the Changsha International Construction Machinery Exhibition (15-18 May) in Hunan Province, China.

Delegates at the new conference heard from a range of speakers on international Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) manufacturing and safety standards, with the overriding message being that MEWPs are a safe way to conduct temporary work at height, but robust safety standards are essential, particularly in rapidly growing markets such as China.

Leading industry experts from Europe and America shared updates in a strong speaker line-up. The programme included briefings from: Tim Whiteman, CEO & Managing Director of IPAF; Teng Rumin from the Dalian University of Technology; Bai Ri, IPAF’s China Representative; Andrew Delahunt, Director of Technical & Safety at IPAF; Mark De Souza, Safety & Regulation Manager at Haulotte; and James Clare, Senior Designer at Niftylift. The conference featured simultaneous translation in English and Chinese and was hosted by Raymond Wat, IPAF’s South East Asia Regional General Manager.

Tim Whiteman comments: “This was an important new event in China, where the MEWP manufacturing and rental industry is really taking off. Attendance was very good, with engaged delegates signing up to find out about the latest developments in design, safe-use and training standards for MEWPs around the globe; we anticipate it will become a regular fixture in IPAF’s growing global events calendar.”

Raymond Wat adds: “In Asia we are seeing strong demand for IPAF training, safety and technical expertise. Events such as this will ensure our industry grows safely and sustainably. We would like to thank our speakers and sponsors who helped make this event such a success.”

IPAF also hosted its first ever Professional Development Seminar (PDS) event for instructors and training managers in China and the wider region. Hosted at the same venue as the MEWP safety conference, the first ever IPAF Chinese PDS attracted around 30 attendees. The event will be organised annually in line with the requirement for IPAF instructors worldwide to engage with continuous improvement and to learn about developments in IPAF training and MEWP safety.

For links to all the speakers’ presentations, please click here.