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  • Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs), are a safe and effective means of access for undertaking temporary work at height tasks. It is important to remember a MEWP is only as safe as the person who is operating it. If this equipment is used incorrectly, unsafely or by inexperienced people, accidents and fatalities are more likely to happen.

    This Toolbox Talk provides some safety measures which can reduce the risk of falls from the platform.

    Added 30 Sep 2022
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  • 5847: Is it legal to work alone and is it safe?

    Employers have responsibility for the health, safety and welfare at work of all of their employees. It is the employer’s duty to assess risks to lone workers and take steps to avoid or control risks where necessary.

    Please refer to the UK HSE guidance paper - Working Alone in Safety: Controlling the risks of solitary work: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg73.pdf

  • This checklist assists in the selection of the correct MEWP and covers restrictions, working height, outreach, the weight of materials etc. It should be completed by a qualified person and where any doubts remain advice should be sought from the mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) supplier.

    Added 3 Mar 2020
    Last updated 3 Mar 2020

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  • Tributes have been paid to two pioneers of the powered access rental industry, after Dan Kaplan and Denis Ashworth died within the past two weeks. Both were previous recipients of Lifetime Achievement Awards bestowed by IPAF, as part of previous years’ International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs) ceremonies.

  • Around 100 delegates were in attendance for the inaugural IPAF MEWP Safety & Standards Conference on 16 May 2019 alongside the Changsha International Construction Machinery Exhibition, Hunan Province, China. The first IPAF Chinese PDS for training instructors was hosted to coincide with the new standards conference.

  • IPAF supports OSHA’s annual safety stand-down as part of its mission to promote the safe and effective use of powered access equipment – IPAF has developed poster artwork and toolbox talk guidance that are available for free download from the www.IPAF.org website as part of IPAF’s Andy Access campaign promoting the safe use of MEWPs and MCWPs.

  • International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) collates incident reports received from around the world, from companies, individuals and IPAF members who share their experiences to allow others to work safer. By analyzing the data, it is evident incidents involving electrocutions and electric shocks have notably increased since 2015, the standout statistic is that reported incidents of electrocution are nearly always fatal.

    Added 7 Mar 2023
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  • This Toolbox Talk provides guidance for powered access rental companies on how to deal with suspected asbestos contaminated equipment when it is off-hired.

    Added 31 Jul 2023
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  • A major consultation is to be launched as the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) sets out to establish the possibilities for powered access training and safety guidance afforded by new technology such as virtual reality and platform simulators, involving the more than 1,000 accredited IPAF instructors around the world.

  • IPAF is hosting a free webinar on the future of safe learning. The webinar looks at how COVID-19 has impacted training, how IPAF is responding and how employers and powered access operators can utilise different technologies to continue to learn safely.

  • This symbol is designed to help operators locate the auxiliary lowering controls in the event of an emergency following a machine malfunction. 

    Added 1 Jan 2019
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  • Technical Guidance

    MEWP-specific safe-use plan

    What is a MEWP-specific safe-use plan and why do I need to use one?

    Added 4 Mar 2020
    Last updated 4 Mar 2020

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  • 5857: Is it necessary for a ground-based person (designated to help lower the MEWP in an emergency) to hold an IPAF PAL Card?

    It is preferable for any nominated MEWP ground rescue person to have undergone some form of formal training relevant to the task. However, all nominated MEWP ground rescue persons should, as a minimum, have been familiarised with the MEWP being used and the rescue procedures in place, in order that they are competent to lower the MEWP platform using the ground/emergency controls in the work situations to which they are exposed.

    Further information on rescue procedures can be found in the Best Practice Guidance for MEWPs on Avoiding Trapping/Crushing Injuries.

  • The IPAF Operators’ Safety Guide for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (also known as Aerial Work Platforms) is a pocket-size publication that sets out the recommended working practices for the safe operation of MEWPs/AWPs over a wide range of applications, from initial checks, through transport and positioning on site, to carrying out the required tasks.

    Added 1 Jan 2018
    Last updated 1 Jan 2018

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  • The first edition of Elevation Portugal, has successfully been hosted by the IPAF at the Centro de Formação Profissional da Indústria da Construção Civil e Obras Públicas do Sul (CENFIC), Lisbon , on 15 October 2019.

  • Don’t forget to report all accidents and near misses involving powered access into the IPAF Accident Reporting Portal or report anonymously through IPAF’s ePAL app.

    Added 15 Sep 2023
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  • IPAF can support contractors by providing a hub for safety, good practice, efficiency and technical know-how. Here you will find links to relevant documents, guidance, toolbox talks, and information to support contractors to work safely when using powered access.

  • As part of its Women in Powered Access initiative, IPAF has created a mentoring scheme for women in the powered access Industry who are looking for extra support and guidance to sustain and promote their career within. 

  • One of the key conditions for MEWP stability is the ability of the ground or structure to safely support the weight of the MEWP at its point of contact with the ground in all configurations. Failure to consider the load-bearing capacity of the ground could potentially cause the MEWP to go out of level, become unstable, and overturn.

    Added 17 Mar 2025
    Last updated 17 Mar 2025

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  • Featured Campaign

    Stop Overturns!

    MEWP overturn incidents often result in serious injuries or fatalities. Instability leading to overturn is commonly among the top four causes of lost time incidents (LTIs) annually, according to global data.

    Added 5 Mar 2025
    Last updated 31 Mar 2025

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    Stop Overturns - Website header
  • A new course aimed at demonstrating how to perform a site assessment and select the correct mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) to carry out the job has been launched by IPAF, which can be completed at a Training Centre or remotely via eLearning.

  • IPAF welcomes the introduction of a new International Standard regarding MEWP operator’s controls. ISO 21455:2020 has been published and culminates a decade of work from IPAF and its members, and the UK HSE, to standardize the actuation, displacement, location and method of operation of MEWP controls.

  • IPAF has confirmed that it has updated one of its most widely used global safety stickers for use on MEWPs – launching an important redesign of the decal that is applied to machines to indicate where the auxiliary lowering controls are located.