04.11.2010

IPAF calls for action

Following the recent fatality at the University of Notre Dame where a student operating a scissor lift was killed when it was blown over in strong wind gusts, Tim Whiteman, managing director of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has issued a statement on behalf of the federation:

“This is a horrible tragedy and our thoughts are with the family of the victim. I say victim because this was a needless death that proper training should have prevented. Aerials provide the safest way of doing temporary work at height, but everybody in the industry needs to say loudly and clearly that untrained operators should never, ever operate aerials. Our deepest condolences go to everybody who cared about Declan Sullivan.”

In order to assist those looking for guidance on the safe use of aerial lifts and risk management IPAF has called attention to the Statement of Best Practices of General Training and Familiarization for Aerial Work Platform Equipment document issued earlier this year by the American Rental Association (ARA), the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the Associated Equipment Distributors (AED), the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) and the Scaffold Industry Association (SIA).
Click here to see report on the launch of the document and to download a copy

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