New guidance has been created to reduce the risk of trapping and crushing hazards when using mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs).
The free, updated safety guidance created by the Construction Industry Plant Safety Group (CIPSG) is directed towards operators, supervisors and rescuers of MEWPs.
The 22 page document is an update to guidance first issued in 2010, including being restructured to improve readability and understanding.
Kevin Minton, Chair of the CIPSG for MEWPs, said: “The guidance will be a vital reference tool for MEWP hire companies, customers, operators and manufacturers.
Credit: Alamy Stock
“Presented in easily digestible sections, it is aimed at those using and supervising MEWPs, and those responsible for rescuing entrapped people, as well as anyone involved in planning and risk assessing work with MEWPs, specifying equipment, managing the work or organising training.
“We anticipate it will prove to be a useful training tool as it has been designed to be used in briefings or toolbox talks for supervisors and MEWP operators.”
The latest guidance includes preventative measures to reduce the risk and number of entrapment incidents through planning, risk assessment, MEWP selection, operator training, familiarisation and rescue.
It is entitled ‘Good Practice Guidance for Reducing Trapping/Crushing Injuries to People in MEWPs’.
The CIPSG is chaired by the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) and administered and supported by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF).
Brian Parker, IPAF’s Head of Safety & Technical, said: “This updated guidance has taken a while to develop, but it was much-needed, as data gathered via IPAF’s Reporting Portal shows that entrapment is consistently one of the top five causes of serious injuries and deaths when using MEWPs.
“Much work and cross-industry consultation has gone into this document to ensure it is thorough, comprehensive, clear and concise.
“The powered access industry has advanced significantly over the past five to ten years, with technological advancements driving secondary guarding devices, and machine capabilities and complexities.
“Meanwhile, the breadth of industry end applications has developed considerably over that period.
“We feel this new guidance document adequately encompasses all of these changes and provides an important point of reference to aid in minimising entrapment risks for all those planning, executing and supervising work at height using MEWPs.
“We are very pleased to see it published for users to read and download completely free of charge.”
Between 2016 and 2020, incidents entered into the IPAF Reporting Portal from 15 countries identified that 73 people died in entrapment incidents globally.
wonderful, but where is the document?
https://www.cpa.uk.net/safety-and-technical-publications/plant-safety-group