Wear a harness!

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) – the trade body that represents access equipment manufacturers, owners and users – has launched a global campaign to encourage operators to wear body harnesses when working in boom-type platforms (self-propelled booms, truck mounted platforms and trailer-mounted units.)

IPAF is calling on all users of boom platforms “to wear a full body harness with a short restraint lanyard attached to a suitable anchor point”. The harness is required in boom machines because of the danger of the occupant being ‘catapulted’ out of the platform. IPAF does not recommend the use of harnesses in scissor lifts because the platform guard rails are considered sufficient.

The campaign is being promoted under the ‘clunk click’ slogan, although modified for different markets (Click Clack! in Germany, Clic Clac! for Italy, and Un petit Clic! in France). Safety stickers in a wide range of languages are available.

“In countries where the program has already been introduced, major rental companies and others took the initiative to promote the program because unnecessary fatal accidents were happening when occupants were catapulted out of boom platforms because they were not wearing harnesses,” said IPAF managing director, Tim Whiteman. “These simple stickers can save lives.”

Advice on the harness issue is available from IPAF's website: www.ipaf.org