10.06.2010

AFI hosts Safety seminars

UK based rental company AFI has held a number of special seminars on the safe and efficient use of aerial work platforms.

The seminars in Solihull, West Midlands; Waltham Abbey, Essex; and Stockport, Cheshire focused on the importance of familiarisation training on the specific type of machine being used and the need to have a detailed rescue plan in place.

The seminars proved highly popular, attracting large numbers of managers and operators who were keen to learn more about safety.

AFI launched the seminars following chairman David Shipman’s call for the industry to do more to promote the safety benefits of powered access at the IPAF Summit in London this April.

Speakers included HSE’s principal construction inspector Joy Jones and senior representatives of IPAF. Subjects included working at height legislation, the advantages of MEWPs, management responsibilities, powered access training and best practice.

Jones said that while MEWPs play a major role in reducing falls from height accidents, entrapment was still an issue – between 2003 and 2009 seven people died in the UK as a result of being trapped between a MEWP and another structure.

“For every fatal accident there are a huge number of near misses – we must learn from every near miss and do something positive in response,” she said. She urged people to select the right type of MEWP for the job in hand and to get advice from the rental company.

Steve Shaughnessy, IPAF President, said there are now about 50,000 platforms in the UK and about 300,000 trained operators. He pointed out that low level access was one of the fastest growing areas of the industry and it was this sector that was likely to eliminate the use of ladders on construction sites.
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Stockport seminar speakers (L-R) John Robertson - AFI, Steve Shaughnessy -IPAF president; David Briscoe - Bovis Lend Lease, Austin Baker- AFI, Joy Jones, -HSE, Brian Parker - AFI Health and David Shipman of AFI..

The seminar speaker line up also included Tim Whiteman, managing director of IPAF; Rupert Douglas Jones, IPAF international training manager; Joe Fitzpatrick, senior project safety manager, Bovis Lend Lease; David Briscoe, Bovis Lend Lease Northern training manager; Keith Hartiss, principal health, safety & environmental consultant and his colleague John Hyland, health & safety consultant, from the safety advisory company OHC; John Robertson, AFI major projects manager; Austin Baker, AFI director; and Brian Parker, AFI health, safety and environmental quality manager.

The seminars were accompanied by equipment demonstrations and displays with machines supplied by Skyjack and R2 Access.