US climber training makes progress

The first three AWPT–certified mast climbing work platform training centers in North America are soon to be appointed following train the trainer courses run by Mastclimbers Training Institute, the training arm of Atlanta–based Mastclimbers LLC.

The three training centers will be contractor and rental company Goedecke in St Louis, MO; manufacturer Fraco Products in Canada; and an independent training company founded by Tom Lawler, the Boston–based exSafeWorks mast climbing platform specialist.

Rob Byers, a manager at Goedecke (pictured center), told ALH that two of its locations would be training centers by May this year and that there was a lot of demand for mast climbing training. “Hospitals, power plants, refineries – they all require specialist training.”

Pictured with Byers is Tim Whiteman (left), managing director of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) – parent company of AWPT – and Kevin O'Shea, senior MCWP Instructor at Mastclimbers, outside Mastclimber's Atlanta head office.