Eagle Platforms has become the latest Sustaining Member of IPAF, with the UK rental and training company joining a list including Alimak, Aon, APEX, Haulotte and Riwal.

MEWP operator training is now available in Kenya after a six-day visit from IPAF representatives, during which the country’s first IPAF Training Centre was certified.

A promising future lies ahead for members of IPAF Switzerland, which celebrates its 18th birthday this year with announcements on key improvements to its quality MEWP training programme, including updates to courses, digitalisation of delivery and the ePAL mobile app that already has more than 2,000 daily Swiss users.

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.

IPAF has seen a surge of new members, taking the total number beyond the 1,500 mark. The increase is partly owing to the powered access industry’s strong recovery after the pandemic and partly the introduction of a new Safety Professional category.

IPAF is advising members that there has been a revision to the effective date for the ANSI A92 suite of standards, which has now been extended to March 1 2020.

New members have been seconded to the IPAF Board, Ben Hirst and Julie Houston Smyth both stepping up, joining Riwal CEO Pedro Torres, who was seconded in June.

All Conexpo delegates who visit IPAF’s stand can learn how to select a MEWP, why they must have a safe-use plan, and why to train both operators and supervisors to improve workplace safety by complying with new ANSI standards. IPAF will also offer free supervisor training in the two days prior to the March 10-14 event.

On 10 March, around 350 attendees at the 2022 IPAF Summit in London, UK, heard presentations on the theme of “The Evolution of Safety”.

Across 2017, IPAF’s Back to Basics safety campaign focusing on identifying and mitigating typical risk scenarios when operating Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) equipment worldwide has actively inspired and informed safety messages and key industry events from Las Vegas and Amsterdam to Shanghai and Abu Dhabi.

A new presidential team has been confirmed for the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), with Brad Boehler of Skyjack being elected to the role at the organization’s AGM in Dubai, UAE, on 6 March 2019. Other changes to the IPAF Presidential team saw Norty Turner of United Rentals elected as IPAF Deputy President and Karin Nars of Dinolift confirmed as Vice President. Nick Selley of AFI-Uplift completed his full two-year term as President by handing the chain of office to Brad Boehler at the AGM, assuming the ex officio role of Immediate Past President. Meanwhile, Andy Studdert of Cramo, the 2015-2017 IPAF President, maintains his seat on the IPAF Board as a Director.

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.

IPAF’s world-leading quality training is now available in Lithuania for the first time, to meet the ongoing boom in demand for trained MEWP operators across the region.

IPAF has made its worldwide accident reporting portal available in multiple languages and added a new dashboard to give members access to the latest available data to assist in setting their company’s safety strategy.

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

IPAF is to offer a free webinar aimed at re-establishing full confidence in the safety of MCWPs as a means to offer work at height solutions on all construction-project façade works, following a UK HSE MCWP safety alert that was issued back in May this year.

Speakers for the IPAF Summit in, London, UK, on 10 March 2022, have now been confirmed, and will be presenting on the theme of “The Evolution of Safety”.

Around 100 attendees enjoyed the conference line-up, networking and gala dinner at the third IPAF Elevation event, where the unifying themes were sustainability, smart supply chains, and engaging with contractors to work safely and effectively at height.

IPAF has relaunched its global accident reporting portal as part of a major drive to gather the best quality data from around the world, demonstrating what analysis can teach us about improving safety in powered access with a webinar on the latest trends.

MEWPs and technological advancements in the powered access industry can help to enhance safety and efficiency and aid people in their work, rather than replace people altogether, according to speakers at the Europlatform 2019 conference in Nice, France.