North America’s access and rental industry celebrated its finest on the evening of 20 November, with six winners receiving top honours at the inaugural Working at Height Conference & Awards.
The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Randy Marzicola as VP - North America. With an extensive background in business development, strategic partnerships, and market expansion, Marzicola brings a wealth of experience to IPAF and will play a key role in enhancing IPAF's services and member recruitment across North America.
The International Awards for Powered Access 2024 (IAPAs) held on the evening of March 14 at the Scandic Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, showcased excellence, safety, sustainability, and innovation within the powered access sector. Organised jointly by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) and Access International Magazine, the event gathered over 420 attendees from across the industry to recognise outstanding achievements across various categories.
Powered access equipment rental companies on the island of Ireland will be required to achieve an internationally-recognised quality standard as a condition of membership of the international organisation for operators of mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs), in a drive to improve safety and quality.
The positive state of MEWP rental and underlying economic trends in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and China should shape strong recoveries after the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest powered access rental market reports from IPAF.
Amanda Beckett has been announced as IPAF’s new Head of Finance. She joins from Nationwide Platforms, part of Loxam Group, officially taking up post on 9 November.
IPAF Members are being offered financial assistance to help them during the ongoing pandemic. IPAF is providing a 25% discount on the 2020 membership fee against the cost of 2021 fees and is bringing forward its annual rebate for Training Centres.
The number of Powered Access Licence (PAL) Cards issued by IPAF to MEWP and MCWP operators worldwide has now surpassed 2 million, with 800,000 valid cards currently in use on worksites around the globe.
The IPAF Summit & IAPAs scheduled to be held in London, UK, on 18 March 2021, is to go ahead as a digital event, with delegates joining online from around the work, to allow maximum certainty for those planning to attend during the coronavirus pandemic.
The use of simulators as part of the assessment process of advanced operator training courses has been approved by the IPAF Council. Training centres delivering IPAF’s PAL+ advanced operator course can now assess candidates in a VR environment.
A series of virtual workshops to assist and support those who regularly carry out third party inspections of MEWPs and MCWPs will be hosted by IPAF to meet demand, which is high across the Middle East and South Asian countries.
IPAF has relaunched its global accident reporting portal as part of a major drive to gather the best quality data from around the world, demonstrating what analysis can teach us about improving safety in powered access with a webinar on the latest trends.
IPAF Members and partners are invited to register now to join the free online Access, Lift & Handlers (ALH) Conference, which will be hosted on Friday 23 October, and featuring presentations from Peter Douglas, CEO, and Norty Turner, IPAF President.
What does the analysis of accident data from around the world teach us about safety in powered access? That is the important question under consideration in an upcoming instalment of an ongoing series of free webinars delivered by IPAF and guest experts.
Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on whether COVID-19 is spreading in your area. They are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.
We appreciate your support during this time and ask you to visit www.ipaf.org/covid19 regularly for updates from IPAF. Please contact us at info@ipaf.org or your nearest IPAF office for any inquiries about this.
Brian Parker has been announced as the new Head of Safety & Technical for the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF). He IPAF joins from AFI-Uplift Ltd and takes up post on 2 October, reporting to Peter Douglas, CEO and Managing Director.
In response to new safety requirements due to COVID-19 and following IPAF’s guidance to training centres, Nationwide platforms has successfully completed an online instructor-led MEWPs for Managers course for construction contractor Skanska.
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.
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.
The IPAF Summit & IAPAs 2020, scheduled to be held in London, UK, will now be held over until next year, owing to ongoing uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic.
New guidance has been issued by the UK HSE, following pressure from IPAF to clarify what should happen to machines on work sites that require an update to their safety certificates while the country is still in partial lockdown during the coronavirus outbreak.
The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has modified its eLearning operator theory module to include facial recognition technology currently deployed as a security measure on its MEWPs for Managers eLearning course. By utilising the camera on the candidate’s device or computer, this ensures only the trainee under assessment is able to undergo the eLearning.
New guidance has been issued by IPAF to assist those using MEWPs, MCWPs, lifts and hoists to work safely and minimise risk from coronavirus. An accompanying free webinar will be published on Thursday 21 May, and thereafter available to view online.
CRUSHING CAN KILL - STAY ALERT, STAY ALIVE
Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) are often used to carry out work in areas where there are risks of crushing or entrapment to the platform occupants. Any activity involving MEWPs must be planned and properly managed. Failure to do so can result in injury or death of the platform occupants.
