Release of New Guide for Powered Access Industry

Release of New Guide for Powered Access Industry

Booklet will improve safety and project efficiency.

A best practice guide to construction site risks and choosing the most appropriate aerial lift for a given task is now readily available online. Released at the Rental Show back in February, it is only 36 pages long and includes a general overview of the industry and the history behind the industry standards set by ANSI and SAIA. This booklet has been created through the collaboration of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), American Rental Association (ARA), the Scaffold and Access Industry Association (SAIA) and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

Any effort to improve health and safety in the industry is a welcome move. For while official figures show that governmental regulations in the US have resulted in a market with the smallest number of accidents and fatalities proportional to its size around the world, there is still much work to do. Statistics from the IPAF show that there were 8 deaths in 2012, and any sharing of knowledge by these experts can only serve to increase the level of safety and reduce this number in the future. In this context, these organisations should be respected for taking the initiative to release this vital guide and for putting so much time and effort into a document that will undoubtedly save lives. And while this guide is not intended to replace other certified training courses provided by the industry it is still a good point of reference to fall back on when making key decisions. Choosing the right equipment for a task can also increase productivity and the cost-effectiveness of any project.

The Statement of Best Practices for Workplace Risk Assessment and Aerial Work Platform Equipment Selection has a richness of detail that belittles its small size and in 9 short sections it covers definitions, the rationale behind risk prevention, and examples of risk assessment conditions. It also proves a walk through of the specificities of the various pieces of powered access equipment on the market today and the roles they are best suited to. It is supported by a wealth of charts and bulleted lists that make it very easy to understand, a result no doubt of their experience creating these kinds of documents. The group has previously released the Statement of Best Practices of General Training and Familiarisation for Aerial Work Platform Equipment and the Statement of Best Practices of Personal Fall Protection Systems for Aerial Work Platform Equipment.