Mast climber site is first 100% IPAF-trained in US

The Robert A. Young building in St. Louis, MO is the first project in the US designated '100 percent International Powered Access Federation.'

The project was planned by IPAF-trained personnel from access specialists Goedecke, mast climbers were erected by IPAF installers, training was carried about by an IPAF instructor and 56 employees of contractor Superior Waterproofing were trained as the first IPAF mast climber operators in the world, according to IPAF.

Originally built in 1931 as a railroad warehouse, the 20-story tall building 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, and it houses many government departments including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The mast climber operator card is new for the industry and is based on MEWP operators courses and training that is composed of modules that deal with regulations, safe use, daily and weekly inspections, practical use and understanding of operating instructions and load charts. After this, the operator is familiarized on the mast climber he or she is going to use.

IPAF recently formed an agreement with the Scaffold Industry Association to work together in training mast climbers in the US. With the new operators card, the mast climber industry in the US will be safer in all categories, IPAF said.

The entire jobsite and operator card story will be in the July/August 2010 issue of American Lift & Handlers magazine.