Strategic Forum's MEWP group set to be reinstated
28 June 2013
IPAF is consulting with the UK-based Strategic Forum and the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) to possibly re-establish the Forum's Plant Safety Group’s sub-group on mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs).
The move reflects a desire to strengthen the involvement of contractors in discussions about all aspects of MEWP operational safety on site. If the proposal is agreed, it would see the work and objectives of IPAF’s UK MEWP Safety Forum being incorporated into the re-formed Strategic Forum sub-group on MEWPs.
The CPA, which provides secretariat services to the Strategic Forum’s sub-groups, is expected to nominate a chairperson for the MEWP sub-group. IPAF will fund the activities of the MEWP sub-group and provide the services of its technical officer Chris Wraith to act as technical author for the group.
The initiative has received the full support of Simon Mantle, chair of the Strategic Forum’s Health & Safety Committee, and Joy Jones from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), who stressed the importance of providing continuity to the projects already launched by the IPAF MEWP Safety Forum.
“We look forward to creating a truly inclusive group which will address all aspects of safe MEWP operations and lead to implementation of agreed best practices,” said Tim Whiteman, IPAF CEO and chair of the current IPAF MEWP Safety Forum. “Around 40% of MEWP use is now non-construction, but our experience of working on the previous sub-group, which produced anti-crushing guidance, leads us to believe this group can be very inclusive and agree standards for the whole sector.”
The first meeting of the new group is scheduled for 3 September. Interested parties are invited to contact IPAF or the CPA for further information. Meeting details will be posted at www.ipaf.org/events
