News

IPAF will officially launch its 2019 global safety campaign at the giant bauma construction equipment showcase near Munich, Germany, 8-14 April 2019. IPAF’s stand is confirmed as 711 in C4 hall of the exhibition site, and will also feature a sophisticated MEWP simulator, which proved very popular at IPAF’s events in 2018.

New eXtended Reality (XR) Technologies including virtual reality (VR) and MEWP simulators will soon be enhancing operator training, though not likely to replace practical testing for the foreseeable future, states a new strategy document from IPAF.

The speakers for this year’s IPAF Summit in Dubai, UAE, on 6 March have been announced, with Matt Fearon, Genie President, and Peter Schrader, MD of Zeppelin Rental, among the names confirmed. Those wishing to attend the IAPAs dinner and presentation ceremony are reminded the early-bird discount expires on 31 January.

The shortlist for the 2019 IAPAs has been announced, following a meeting of judges in Amsterdam. Those wishing to attend the IAPAs dinner and awards ceremony on 6 March in Dubai, UAE, are reminded the early-bird discount expires on 31 January.

IPAF has agreed an official memorandum of understanding, committing to close co-operation with one of India’s leading occupational health & safety bodies, which was signed at the OSH India safety event in Mumbai at the end of November 2018.

With the new ANSI standards set for publication on December 10, new guidance for companies or individuals that are seeking to become compliant with North American standards has been published by IPAF, with specific reference to how new CSA/ANSI standards will affect manufacturers, dealers, owners and users of MEWPs.

Booking is now open for the annual IPAF Summit, which in 2019 will be held for the first time in the Middle East, and at the same time nominations for the International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs) have opened via www.iapa-summit.info

Haulotte, the international MEWP manufacturer, has reached a historic agreement that sees it become one of the first sustaining members of IPAF, which was formally signed at the Europlatform 2018 conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 11 October.

IPAF has published an important document, the IPAF Three-Year Strategic Plan. We created it to help all of us understand the major objectives for the organisation over the next three years, and to measure and demonstrate our progress towards those goals.

Tim Whiteman, CEO of IPAF, joined a webinar to discuss the capabilities and potential of VR and simulators in assisting training for safe operations while working at height, hosted by Engineering News Record (ENR). ‘Upping the Game: The Evolution of Virtual Reality Technology’ in the Construction Industry’ is now available to view online.