IPAF urges stakeholders to join Working at Height APPG virtual meeting

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has asked its members to consider participating in the next virtual APPG on Working at Height meeting, which will take place via Zoom on Wednesday 9 September, 14:00-15:00, and also urged them to ask their Member of Parliament to also join in the call.

As a member of the Access Industry Forum, IPAF plays a key role in this important cross-party inquiry into accidents and fatalities while working at height in the UK. The APPG is headed by Alison Thewliss MP, and last year published its initial report Staying Alive, containing key recommendations based on an extensive cross-industry consultation about this issue. Work continues to further the aims of the APPG, and the next meeting will specifically focus on “working at height in rural locations”.

There is a common assumption that falls from height exclusively occur in construction and maintenance. However, agriculture, forestry and fishing have the highest rate of workplace deaths across the UK, and falls from height account for around 15% of workplace deaths in these sectors over the past five years.

IPAF was founded and still has its global headquarters in Cumbria, which as well as being a largely rural part of the UK, is rife with specialist industries that rely heavily on powered access to conduct work at height, including shipbuilding, forestry, agriculture, wind and nuclear power.

In an email to eight North Lancashire and Cumbria MPs who are all relatively local to IPAF’s headquarters, Peter Douglas, CEO & Managing Director of IPAF, writes: “It is absolutely vital that key representatives for our area are engaged with the ongoing work of this APPG, and so I urge you to please join this upcoming virtual meeting if you are able.”

In his message to members, he adds: “As well as attending the meeting, we would encourage you to invite your local MP to join the meeting and invite your council members, and for council members to invite their local MP as well. You can find who your local MP is by entering your postcode here. Please find a suggested email below for you to use. Even if you are not able to attend, we would encourage you to contact your local MP and ask that they represent your interest in this important meeting.”

For more information about the APPG, see https://workingatheight.info; those wishing to join the next virtual meeting should email appgworkingatheight@connectpa.co.uk to request a link to participate in the Zoom call.