Familiarisation is required prior to operating any MEWP that is significantly different in weight, height, length or complexity to the MEWP on which training took place. The operator, supervisor, nominated ground rescue personnel, service engineer/ technician and demonstrator all need adequate familiarisation of the MEWP prior to undertaking their duties.
The purpose of this document is to provide information, and good-practice guidance on means of reducing exposure to trapping and crushing hazards while using a MEWP.
When working from a boom- type mobile elevating work platform (MEWP), it is strongly recommended that a lanyard short enough for the wearer to be restrained within the platform be used. The lanyard may contain an energy-absorbing device, provided it is short enough to restrain the wearer within the platform. This includes static Booms (1B) and mobile Booms (3B).
Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) are specifically designed to lift people to a position where they can work at height safely within the platform. MEWPs are not designed to transfer people from one level to another, or for people to exit the platform at height.
The loading and unloading of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) is potentially a high risk activity, as findings from the IPAF accident reporting database (www.ipaf.org/accident) show. This document outlines the importance of planning and managing the delivery and collection operations.
MEWP overturn incidents often result in serious injuries or fatalities. Instability leading to overturn is commonly among the top four causes of lost time incidents (LTIs) annually, according to global data.
