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  • The purpose of this document is to provide information, and good-practice guidance on means of reducing exposure to trapping
    and crushing hazards while using a MEWP.

    Added 2 Feb 2023
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  • This document is intended to provide practical guidance on safety measures to minimize exposure to COVID-19 for anyone using MEWPs, MCWPs or Construction hoists for work activities.

    Added 11 May 2020
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    IPAF COVID-19 Safe Operating Guidance
  • All MEWPs/AWPs rely on the condition of the ground on which they stand for their stability. This applies equally to those which require the use of jacks or outriggers and those which operate free on wheels. It is essential that an assessment of ground conditions is made before travelling, using or setting up a MEWP on any surface.

    Added 1 Jan 2018
    Last updated 1 Jan 2018

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  • A secondary guarding device is a piece of equipment which can be fitted to a Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP), also known as aerial work platform (AWP), in addition to the primary guarding systems and is intended to further reduce the risk of entrapment and/or provide an alert that an entrapment situation has occurred.

    Added 1 Jan 2018
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  • IPAF has issued a further update in regard to industry concerns around the use of the platform emergency stop function in MEWPs following another meeting of its training, safety and technical experts, representatives of its Training Committee, International Safety Committee and Manufacturers’ Technical Committee on 13 December.

  • A new document has been produced by IPAF explaining what a MEWP Safe Use Program is and why users need to have one in place. The document is a guide to the requirement, part of updated ANSI A92 standards that went into effect during 2020.

  • IPAF’s latest safety campaign is called Street Smart and emphasizes the importance of working safely at height using MEWPs on or next to roads. It is being launched by IPAF at the bauma 2019 expo at Messe München, Munich, Germany, 8-14 April.

  • IPAF has issued the following statement concerning the use of the platform emergency stop function in MEWPs following safety alert JCPT2223RTB issued by Multiplex on 21 November 2022, and the response from the manufacturer of the MEWP referenced.

  • IPAF representatives are attending the Plantworx 2023 event on 13-15 June at the East of England Showground near Peterborough to promote its Safe Loading and Unloading campaign; alongside offering free safety and technical guidance materials.

  • IPAF will officially launch its 2019 global safety campaign at the giant bauma construction equipment showcase near Munich, Germany, 8-14 April 2019. IPAF’s stand is confirmed as 711 in C4 hall of the exhibition site, and will also feature a sophisticated MEWP simulator, which proved very popular at IPAF’s events in 2018.

  • A safety walk demonstrating the key risks involved in conducting temporary work at height using Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) alongside roads or in public places was among the main draws on the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) stand at Vertikal Days 2019 at Donington Park near Derby, UK, 15-16 May.

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    Accident Data Summary Reports

    IPAF’s accident reporting project, launched in 2012, is compiling a comprehensive record of known accidents. The accident data gathered enables IPAF to improve the content of training programmes, develop technical guidance, target specific high-risk professions or activities, and provide research findings to bodies developing and drafting new industry standards.

    Added 21 Mar 2018
    Last updated 21 Mar 2018

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  • IPAF’s new International Safety Committee (ISC) has been convened for the first time, to assist in globalising standards development and implementation, and promoting awareness about industry safe practice.

  • 5841: Is it appropriate to exit the MEWP platform when working at height?

    No, unless a rigorous risk assessment carried out as part of planning the job indicates that this is the safest and most effective means of accessing a particular location, taking into account the availability on site of other more suitable access equipment and the practicability of providing the same within the required timescales for the task to be carried out.

    See IPAF's technical guidance E2 on exiting the platform at height and this extract from BS 8460 (the British Standard on “Safe use of MEWPs – Code of practice”) on the subject.

  • Registrations are now open for the inaugural IPAF MEWP Safety & Standards Conference, which will take place on 16 May 2019 alongside the Changsha International Construction Machinery Exhibition (15-18 May), Hunan Province, China.

  • A Global Safety Report created using the latest analysis of data gathered in IPAF’s incident reporting project and an overview of MEWPs for Managers training will be among the key pieces of technical guidance and safety information available on the IPAF stand at the A+A Trade Fair & Congress 26-29 October in Düsseldorf, Germany.

  • Riwal has become the latest Sustaining Member of IPAF, making it the first rental and training company on a list that includes Alimak, AON, APEX and Haulotte.

  • The first in a series of potentially life-saving safety briefings has been launched by IPAF. IPAF’s ‘Toolbox Talks’ are a series of safety presentations ideal for use in breakrooms and worksites to get key messages across at the start of a shift.

  • 5823: Do I need training on a small static vertical machine without drive, also known as a Push Around Vertical (PAV)?

    Yes, training on a PAV is a direct legal requirement, and there is a half-day course for this. If you have a valid licence with Static Vertical (1a) or Mobile Vertical (3a), you will only require familiarisation on the machine, which should be recorded in your IPAF log book, or through the ePAL app.

    This is due to the PAV being a simpler version of a 1a which operates in the same way as a 3a but without the ability to drive.

    This principle cannot be applied to any other categories due to the operational methods and risks differing significantly between the categories. For example, if an operator is trained on a 1b only, this MEWP cannot be driven elevated where a 3b can, and the operator would not have been trained on that skill. Similarly, if they are trained on a 3b only, they have not been trained on setting up a 1b effectively on spreader pads.

    See IPAF technical guidance F1 on familiarisation

  • The introduction of the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking scheme has been pushed back by a further two years, in a move that will allow CE-marked (EU standard) products to continue to be sold into Great Britain markets until 31 December 2024.

  • A safety trail demonstrating the most common types of MEWP accidents, as identified by the latest analysis of data gathered in IPAF’s incident reporting project, will be the theme of the IPAF stand at Vertikal Days 2021 in Peterborough, UK, 22-23 September.

  • The date on which the updated ANSI A92 MEWP safety standards will come into effect has been postponed again, to allow required actions to deal with appeals against them, with the effective date now June 2020. Companies should continue to plan compliance.