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.

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 enquiries about this.

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 annual Innovate powered access industry workshop, presentation and award event has been canceled in 2020 owing to uncertainty around the global coronavirus outbreak by host IPAF. The event had been planned for May 5-6 in Chicago, IL.

Industry stakeholders are invited to join the next free IPAF webinar on 10 December at 12pm GMT, offering a review of a tumultuous year in powered access and outlining some exciting initiatives for the year ahead.

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.

New country representatives for Spain and Switzerland have been appointed by IPAF: Javier Cerezo will be the federation’s new rep in Spain, while Christine Lell steps up from acting in an interim capacity to take on the role full time for Switzerland.

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.

A new representative to assist IPAF’s growing membership in South Korea has been announced, Roberto Kim having been appointed and taking up post with immediate effect. He will report to Raymond Wat, IPAF’s South East Asia Regional Manager.

A comprehensive new industry “roadmap” to becoming a qualified MEWP technician or engineer has been finalised by IPAF, with a selection of recognised training courses now listed and open for enrolment on two distinct pathways to industry certification.

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.

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.

IPAF is urging key stakeholders to join a virtual APPG meeting, which takes place via Zoom on 9 Sept. As a member of the Access Industry Forum, IPAF plays a lead role in this cross-party inquiry into accidents and fatalities while working at height in the UK.

After months of lobbying, the European Materials-Handling Federation and its partners have succeeded in gaining EU approval for a request to delay implementation of new regulations concerning the production and sale of non-road-mobile machinery (NRMM).

IPAF has helped to introduce ISO-certified MEWP operator training to Sweden, with member company Lipac Liftar now offering PAL Card training for scissor and boom-type equipment.

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 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 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.

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IPAF has assured its members and the wider industry that powered access operations remain a vital part of UK construction, facilities, processing and maintenance supply chains, and as such companies should continue to operate during the latest lockdown.