PAR2007 - IPAF

“You can
count on one
hand the
amount of
reportable
incidents
that have been reported
to the HSE in the past
10 years. Can that be
said about many other
access industries?”
Cameron Reid
continued from page 33
a particular way. Each manufacturer
has its own specifics, but one MCWP
product is not vastly different from the
other, just like a Volkswagen Golf is not
entirely different from a Ford Focus. The
same safety measures apply.”
While the old course had six modules,
the new course now has 28 smaller,
bite-sized, simplistic modules that are
easy to deliver and assess. It is no more
and no less detailed than the previous
course, says Reid, but the new course
makes a clearer distinction between
two sets of skills: literacy and manual
dexterity.
Course categories
MCWP training covers the categories
Mobile Operator, Demonstrator, Installer
and Advanced Installer, each leading to
the award of an MCG-recognised PAL
Card (Powered Access Licence).
The advanced category takes the
installer beyond building and installing
machines. An advanced installer is
trained as a manager or supervisor, with
the ability to plan, to carry out a risk
assessment of a job, to compile method
statements and to configure special
arrangements, including special tie and
anchor specifications. He or she is also
trained to carry out thorough examinations
in accordance with LOLER,
the Lifting Operations and Lifting
Equipment Regulations 1998.
There is another category, User, which
does not require the issuing of a PAL
Card. This is essentially an induction
course that is conducted by a certified
demonstrator. Users, those who work on
MCWPs, are also not required to have
specific certification, other than a clear
understanding of the machine’s operating
controls.
“The demonstrator is the key
figure when MCWPs are used on
site,” says Reid. “He or she is the
appointed person on site who can
induct a user. You will typically find
more demonstrators on site than the
other categories. They are the people
who know the parameters of the
product, who ensure that they are
dismantled, serviced and used in the
proper way.
“Once a user is inducted, he or she
should have no problems operating the
up/down controls, being able to carry
out a pre-use check and understanding
AWPT leads on mastclimber safety
what procedures to follow in the case of
an emergency.”
Reid says: “My advice to site managers
is: no cowboys on site, conform to
local regulations and ensure that your
employees are competent and properly
trained under a certified and internationally
recognised training programme,
such as IPAF.
“You can count on one hand the
amount of reportable incidents that
have been reported to the HSE in the
past 10 years. Can that be said about
many other access industries? If everyone
followed the regulations, training
requirements and recommended
practices, this would be an even safer
worldwide industry.”
AWPT, IPAF’s North American subsidiary, has met with officials from the city
of Boston and the state of Massachusetts to review safety issues in the use of
MCWPs, following an accident that resulted in three deaths.
Kevin O’Shea of Mastclimbers LLC made a presentation to the Massachusetts
Chapter of the Association of General Contractors (AGC) in June 2006. O’Shea
is working with AWPT to spearhead the AWPT MCWP training programme in
North America. More than 140 delegates attended the talk, including legal and
safety experts, access specialists and safety directors from major companies
such as Bovis Lend Lease, Lee Kennedy and Skanska.
Three key points emerged from the discussion:
1. Although a design standard for MCWPs is currently being re-drafted in
the US, there is no specific regulation for ‘Installation, Maintenance, Thorough
Examination and Safe Use’ as there is in Europe.
2. There is no independent assessment, policing and verification of operator
skills.
3. There is a lack of accountability throughout the supply chain.
An analysis of MCWP incidents around the world in the past 10 years shows
that most probably could not have been prevented by inspection. Human error
during use, erection/dismantling and risk assessment is a far more likely cause.
Only through proper training can most accidents be avoided.
Trainees are
put through
their paces
on an MCWP
training
course.
34
IPAF POWERED ACCESS REVIEW 2007