A campaign emphasising the importance of planning ahead for safety when conducting temporary work at height using MEWPs has been launched by IPAF at Intermat 2018 in Paris, France. ‘Safety at height begins before you’ve even left the ground.’

A global safety campaign pointing out risks of working at height in the vicinity of power lines will be among the messages promoted by IPAF at the APEX event on 6-8 June.

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.

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.

IPAF used Vertikal Days 2023 at the East of England Showground near Peterborough to promote its current safety campaign – Safe Loading and Unloading.

Mike Ashton is to take up post as IPAF’s new International Safety & Technical Advisor, bringing to the role expertise from his more than 25 years in industry technical, training and business management positions in the UK, the Middle East and Australia.

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.

Workers and managers using MEWPs to install and remove seasonal decorations and lights are being urged to download a comprehensive new technical guidance booklet that can help to avoid safety issues and to mitigate the key risks involved.

An agreement between IPAF and a local chapter of the National Safety Council of India will see the two organisations work together in the state of Kerala to spread awareness about key risks and mitigations when working at height.

Workers and managers using MEWPs to install and remove seasonal decorations and lights are being urged to use a comprehensive technical guidance booklet that can help to avoid safety issues and to mitigate the key risks involved.

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.

IPAF is supporting from The No Falls Foundation, the first and only UK charity dedicated exclusively to the work at height sector, urging workers to ‘Be Safe, Don’t Fall, Stay Alive!’, as lockdown eases and UK construction activity begins to increase.

A safety awareness leaflet has been issued to warn users of MEWPs about the catapult effect, which can cause occupants to be ejected from the platform, leading to serious injury and death, especially if occupants are not wearing the correct PFPE.

Information gathered in a worldwide project to report accidents and near-misses has informed a major update to IPAF’s comprehensive training course on how to load and unload MEWPs and other plant equipment safely from trucks or trailers.

Across 2017, IPAF’s Back to Basics safety campaign focusing on identifying and mitigating typical risk scenarios when operating Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) equipment worldwide has actively inspired and informed safety messages and key industry events from Las Vegas and Amsterdam to Shanghai and Abu Dhabi.

Information gathered in a worldwide project to report accidents and near-misses has informed a major update to IPAF’s comprehensive training course on how to load and unload MEWPs and other plant equipment safely from trucks or trailers.

Revised safety guidance has been published outlining how to reduce risks of trapping and crushing incidents when using MEWPs. It is available to download free of charge.

Putting up and removing seasonal decorations can quickly turn into a festive hangover if those tasked with the work do not know how to select the correct type of MEWP, overlook the need to use professionally trained operators and supervisors, or if they try to save time or money by not following safe working practices, IPAF has warned.

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.

The latest IPAF Global Safety Report analyses the main causes of serious injuries and fatalities occurring when using powered access machines in the period 2016-2020, and highlights the need to gather more near-miss data from across the industry worldwide.

Adopting digital technology, utilising big data and embracing Lean management techniques to deliver streamlined depots were among the themes of this year’s IPAF Summit, held at the Radisson Blu Deira Creek Hotel, Dubai, on 6 March 2019.

The IPAF Benelux Elevation event was hosted by IPAF on 6 & 7 September in Rotterdam, with more than 70 delegates and speakers participating.

Attendees at the IPAF Summit 2023, held in Berlin, Germany, on 20 April, enjoyed presentations on the theme “The Future of Powered Access: Dynamic, Digital, Diverse”.

A safety trail demonstrating positive behaviours to help prevent falls from the platform will be hosted in support of IPAF’s Don’t Fall For It! industry safety campaign at Vertikal Days 2022, where IPAF will also launch its new Women in Powered Access initiative.