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 Asia.

IPAF joins industry calls for the Chancellor to postpone his plan to end tax relief on red diesel for construction in the UK, to take into account the ongoing impact of Covid-19.

No Falls Foundation has announced that Ray Cooke will serve as the Foundation’s first Health & Safety Advisor.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College will host a virtual meeting to showcase the new Lift Truck and Powered Access Apprenticeship to IPAF members

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between IPAF and the Turkish Rental, Manufacturer and Distributor Association of MEWPs, PLATFORMDER.

An agreement has been signed between IPAF and member firm Trackunit to develop and deliver a new operator-focused app called ePAL, which will be free to download and will feature a digital IPAF PAL Card, operator log book, and vital safety guides.

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.

Build UK has written to the Government to request recognition for construction, trades and supply chain workers, including those in powered access, to secure permission to travel and maintain access to active construction sites during the coronavirus outbreak.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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