27.07.2010

First all IPAF trained site in USA

The Robert A. Young building in St. Louis, Missouri has become the first construction site in the USA to be designated 100 percent AWPT trained.

AWPT (American Work Platform Training) is the North American subsidiary of IPAF that manages the training programme in North America.

AWPT-trained employees from access specialists Goedecke planned the 20-story building project. AWPT-trained installers erected the mast climbing work platforms (MCWP), an AWPT-certified instructor, Bobby Reese from Mastclimbers LLC, trained 56 employees of contractor Superior Waterproofing as mast climber operators with MCWP PAL Cards (Powered Access Licensed-Registration).

The building was originally built in 1931 as a railroad warehouse and it is being restored and repaired. It was acquired by the federal government in 1941 and is now eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. It houses many government departments, including the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).

Mast climber operator training is new for the industry and is composed of modules that cover regulations, safe use, daily and weekly inspections, practical use, and understanding of operating instructions and load charts. After being trained, an operator needs to be familiarised on the site-specific mast climbing platform that he or she is going to use.

“The new operator card will make the mast climber industry in the US a lot safer in all aspects,” said Kevin O’Shea of Mastclimbers LLC, who is also chairman of IPAF’s International Mast Climbing Work Platform Committee. O’Shea was instrumental in setting up the new MCWP operator course.

Mast climber training includes the following categories: Operator, Demonstrator, Installer, Advanced Installer and Instructor. Successful completion of training leads to the award of the PAL Card as proof of training. The PAL Card is recognised by the Scaffold Industry Association (SIA) in the USA, which also offers the courses through SIA accredited training institutes.