News

IPAF has renewed its official positions in Italy with some of the most authoritative and respected professionals of the Italian powered access sector with Paolo Pianigiani or IMER and Roberto Geromin of Gianfranco Savani.

During this difficult period, IPAF has continued to work with national governments, health & safety bodies and international standards organisations to ensure safety and best practice continue to be maintained and shared.

IPAF experienced a strong trading year in 2019, reporting growth across the board in terms of membership, training delivery and territories covered, leading to increased revenues, up 8.1% on 2018, according to the federation’s latest Annual Report.

A new presidential team has been confirmed by IPAF, with Norty Turner of United Rentals officially invested during the federation’s 2020 AGM, held for the first time ever by video conference on 23 April owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Three new board members, seconded during 2019, were also confirmed at the AGM.

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 standardise the actuation, displacement, location and method of operation of MEWP controls.

The annual Asia Conference & Showcase, scheduled to be held in Seoul, South Korea, has been cancelled in 2020 owing to uncertainty around the global coronavirus outbreak by host IPAF. The event will be held in 2022.

This notice is to formally advise members that the next Annual General Meeting of the International Powered Access Federation will take place at 16:30 (UK) on 23 April 2020. The meeting is conducted in English and for this reason the documents are available only in English.

Accidents while working at height using MEWPs are proportionally more likely to occur when working in public areas or alongside roads than on controlled work sites such as construction sites or commercial premises, according to IPAF’s latest safety report. The report is now available to view or download free of charge via www.ipaf.org/accident

The IPAF Summit & IAPAs 2020 event, scheduled to be held in London, UK, on 23 April 2020, has been postponed and will now be held on 8 October, owing to ongoing concerns and contingency planning in response to the worldwide coronavirus outbreak.

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.

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.

The shortlisted entrants to the 2020 International Awards for Powered Access) have been confirmed. A record 130 entries to the awards were received, with the judges meeting earlier this month in London to select their favourite entries in each category.

The first speakers have been confirmed for IPAF Summit, to be held in London, UK, on 23 April, as the event and the International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs) gala dinner are set to sell out quickly. The IAPAs shortlist has also now been confirmed.

All Conexpo delegates who visit IPAF’s stand can learn how to select a MEWP, why they must have a safe-use plan, and why to train both operators and supervisors to improve workplace safety by complying with new ANSI standards. IPAF will also offer free supervisor training in the two days prior to the March 10-14 event.

All valid PAL Cards issued by IPAF to operators of MEWP or MCWPs worldwide are now Smart cards. PAL Cards must be renewed every five years; every PAL Card issued since 1 January 2015 has featured Smart technology to assist in preventing fraud and unauthorised machine use.

A new online shop has been launched by IPAF, offering the chance to order safety and technical guidance leaflets, stickers or decals, training materials, as well as key magazine publications including IPAF Informa in Italian and IPAF-Journal in German.

New members have been seconded to the IPAF Board, Ben Hirst and Julie Houston Smyth both stepping up, joining Riwal CEO Pedro Torres, who was seconded in June.

The judges have been announced for the 2020 International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs), which will take place in London, UK, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel Kensington, on 23 April, in the evening of the IPAF Summit 2020.

Dan Moss has been appointed by IPAF as Global Technical Standards Development Expert to help develop new MEWP safety standards and update existing ones.

Nominations for the 2020 IAPAs are now open, and awards hosts IPAF and Access International are inviting all those interested to submit their applications without delay, and to book their place at the 2020 IPAF Summit & IAPAs, to be hosted at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in Kensington, London, on 23 April next year.