Balfour Beatty Policy & Background Information

Balfour Beatty Policy & Background Information - Procurement & Operation of MEWPs (Issue 1 – April 2008)

IPAF was recently made aware of the above document. It was distributed to a number of hire companies and IPAF has concerns over a number of issues it raises.

The document refers to a Working Group (WG) led by IPAF to investigate MEWP accidents attributed by Balfour Beatty to operators being trapped against the platform controls at height. Such accidents may occur if operators come into contact with overhead objects while working in confined or congested areas at height and then lose control of the MEWP because they are trapped against the platform controls. The outcome of this work was that the WG issued a statement explaining what any features fitted to a MEWP should achieve if they are to protect against trapping accidents, i.e. accidents  caused by sustained involuntary operation of the platform controls. Input was provided to the WG by IPAF, HSE, Balfour Beatty, the Powered Access Interest Group (PAIG), Powered Access Certification (PAC) and the Construction Confederation.

The Balfour Beatty Information unfortunately interprets the statement as a retro-fit proposal that has been agreed by the WG. This is a misinterpretation of the purpose of the statement and IPAF is currently communicating with the WG members to clarify the situation. IPAF’s members warn against unauthorised modifications to CE-marked MEWPs and do not endorse a blanket recommendation for retrofits. This will be unnecessary for many models and can be dangerous if carried out incorrectly. If companies have any questions about the need for a retrofit they should seek advice from the manufacturer.

The Balfour Beatty Information also proposes safety measures that should be applied to MEWPs on Balfour Beatty worksites to prevent accidents attributed to the sustained involuntary operation of controls. While IPAF supports any initiative that makes MEWPs safer it is concerned about the modification of CE-marked MEWPs without the manufacturer’s agreement. It should be noted that the modifications suggested are likely to invalidate the manufacturer’s CE mark. IPAF urges anyone considering the modification of a CE-marked MEWP to contact the manufacturer and/or relevant notified body before planning such modifications.

IPAF members are requested to advise IPAF’s technical officer of any situations in which they are being asked to retrofit equipment or apply modifications to MEWPs.