IPAF has launched a Toolbox Talk on the safe use of aerial work platforms by arborists. The free resource was launched at the APF Show, the forestry and tree care exhibition held at Ragley Estate in Warwickshire at the end of last month.
On the IPAF stand during APF: (L-R) Richard Whiting, Charlotte Hudson and Matteo Malacarne of IPAF
Toolbox Talks are intended for short safety briefings before work starts or during regular safety meetings. This one aims to give employers, supervisors and operators a structured way to discuss the main hazards of working on trees from a platform, which include electrocution from contact with or arcing from overhead power lines, falls from the platform and being struck by falling branches or sections of trunk.
IPAF UK general manager Richard Whiting said: "APF is an important event for the arboriculture sector, so it was fitting to launch this new Toolbox Talk here. We spoke to many users and operators of aerial work platforms working in tree care and related industries, and there was a lot of interest in the practical safety resources available from IPAF.”
The IPAF stand
The Toolbox Talk builds on IPAF's existing guidance document of the same name, which covers the planning and use of aerial work platforms for arboricultural work in more detail. IPAF also publishes material for arborists on machine selection, training and competence, pre-use inspections and rescue planning, along with a related Andy Access poster.
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