IPAF Latin American Regional Council strengthens MEWP inspection and certification standards
The IPAF Latin American Regional Council (ILARC) has adopted the UNE-58921:2017 standard across the region as a technical reference for the inspection, review, and certification of Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs).
This move helps bring more consistency and professionalism to the powered access industry in Latin America, while supporting safer and more reliable inspection practices.
This agreement, signed by IPAF members in the region, including training centres, rental companies, technical services, manufacturers, distributors, and representatives of ILARC, seeks to consolidate a common framework that contributes to raising safety, improving the quality of inspections, and strengthening confidence in equipment certification processes. The document establishes UNE-58921:2017 as the common technical standard for issues such as installation, operation, maintenance, periodic reviews, and inspections of MEWPs in Latin America.
The initiative also recognises the direct relationship between this standard and IPAF's CAP (Competent Assessed Person) programme, which evaluates competent persons in the review and inspection of MEWPs. The adoption of a homogeneous regional criterion will allow technicians, companies, and entities linked to the sector to work under more consistent, auditable parameters that are aligned with international best practices.
Among the commitments assumed by IPAF members in Latin America are the unification of technical criteria, the dissemination of this reference to clients, users, certification companies, and authorities, as well as the integration of UNE-58921 into the training and professional development processes for technicians and competent persons.
The agreement also promotes the use of standardised formats for periodic reviews and recommends that inspection entities in Latin America adopt procedures aligned with UNE-58921 and UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17020, thereby strengthening the transparency and reliability of inspection and certification processes.
"We believe that raising safety standards depends not only on operator training but also on having equipment that is correctly inspected, maintained, and certified. This agreement represents a regional commitment to work with common technical criteria, strengthen industry confidence, and continue promoting a culture of safety in the use of elevating platforms,” noted Ramón Padrón, Director of the IPAF Latin American Regional Council.
IPAF highlighted that this agreement is voluntary and collaborative in nature and does not replace the national legislation applicable in each country. On the contrary, it seeks to serve as a superior technical reference, compatible with current local regulation, to accompany the industry in its evolution toward better safety, inspection, and maintenance practices for MEWPs.
