IPAF ‘safety trail’ proves popular as Conexpo doors open

IPAF is demonstrating the importance of getting the basics right when using MEWPs for managers or operator at this year’s Conexpo in Las Vegas. IPAF is also highlighting key new requirements in the upcoming ANSI and Canadian standards to assist visitors to the stand in what they need to do in preparation to meet the new standards. And as the doors opened and the visitors poured into the event in the warm Nevada sunshine yesterday, the IPAF stand’s innovative “safety trail” proved a popular attraction.

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Tony Groat, IPAF’s North American Manager, ANSI A92.22 Safe-use Chairman and member of the two other committees that helped develop the new suite of standards, was also on hand to give his own unique insights into what the effects and impacts will be on the wider access industry and offer advice on how manufacturers, rental companies and operators can become compliant. He also spoke as part of the Conexpo Education Program.

The theme of this year’s Conexpo is going “back to basics” in search of best practice and greater safety across the industry, and IPAF is offering a series of safety stations based around different risk scenarios, which together form a “safety trail” around the IPAF stand in the Lift Safety Zone in the Gold Lot. The safety trail risk scenarios address:

1. Unsafe ground;

2. Overhead obstructions (entrapment);

3. Avoiding electrocution;

4. Preventing unauthorised access;

5. Risk assessment of the whole area – on-site traffic and general site awareness;

6. Pre-use inspections.

IPAF has also developed a virtual reality (VR) demo app that takes the user though a MEWP pre-use inspection, and is demonstrating this on stand. The demo app is also be available to download from Google Play and Apple iTunes store.

As ever, IPAF staff are on hand to answer questions about the operator eLearning module and the AWPs for Managers training course, and to provide a full range of technical guidance, videos, stickers, posters and educational tools.

Find us in the IPAF and NCCCO Lift Safety Zone in the Gold lot at Conexpo, March 7-11 2017 in Las Vegas, NV, USA.