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 inquiries about this.

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.

In response to new safety requirements due to COVID-19 and following IPAF’s guidance to training centres, Nationwide platforms has successfully completed an online instructor-led MEWPs for Managers course for construction contractor Skanska.

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.

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 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 standardize the actuation, displacement, location and method of operation of MEWP controls.

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.

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.

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.

A new online shop has been launched by IPAF, offering the chance to order safety and technical guidance leaflets, stickers or decals, training materials, as well as key magazine publications including IPAF Informa in Italian and IPAF-Journal in German.