HEALTH & SAFETY
Risk of collisions If you are operating your MEWP in a public area, road, highway or construction site, you should be aware of people and vehicles around you, as IPAF’s Global Safety Report noted a significant 38 incidents involving vehicle or machine collisions in 2022, worldwide.
Overloading platforms Overloading an access platform is extremely dangerous as it could damage the structural integrity of the platform and cause a collapse or result in a MEWP overturning. Preventing an overload can be difficult if you don’t know exactly how much weight is too much for your MEWP. Each machine is different and should
come with SWL (safe working load) information. If not, get it from your supplier. SWL should be noted as a standard part of the risk assessment before commencing any work. You can make sure you don’t exceed the SWL by accurately calculating the weight of all items and taking into consideration the weight of the people working on the platform. It’s also important to note that the load should not extend beyond the platform edge or lean against the guardrails.
Insufficiently trained workers To minimise accidents when working at height, essential training for operators and managers should never be overlooked. It is, therefore, vital to understand what training is needed for each individual, task and piece of access equipment. If an accident or injury occurs due to
a lack of sufficient training, not only is it distressing for the victim, witnesses and the victim’s family, it creates significant legal complexities for the employer. Horizon Platforms Training Manager, Ben Hughes, points out: “It is essential
that the operators and managers are trained to a competent standard and, if they aren’t trained adequately via approved methods, proving that in a court of law or a tribunal would be extremely difficult and would likely result in a large fine or jail time, or both.” It is recommended that operators and
managers go through fully accredited MEWP training. This helps to minimise the risk of accidents or injuries to the operator or people working on site and protects the employer should the worst-case scenario occur. Chris Wraith, Health and Safety Officer
at Horizon Platforms, explains: “It is vital to ensure those working at height are appropriately trained and comfortable with
heights. Also, on each job, it is essential they have been made aware of the findings of the risk assessment outlining the potential hazards and required safe systems of work, which should also include planning for emergency rescue.” Managers should also undertake
health and safety and work-from- height training for the welfare of the operators to ensure risk assessments and rescue plans are airtight and to correctly oversee safe MEWP work. It is sometimes forgotten or overlooked
that IPAF certificates must be renewed every five years. So it is always good to double-check them before the work starts. Horizon Platforms is an employee-
owned national provider of Powered Access hire, providing safe and responsive provision of cherry pickers, scissor lifts and more to customers all over the United Kingdom. Priding itself on its delivery of
reliable service and on consistently exceeding customer expectations, Horizon boasts industry-leading performance and customer loyalty scores. With a triple crown of ISO accreditations, Safe Contractor and the hard-to-achieve IPAF Rental+, it offers 98% trouble-free hire days.
www.horizonplatforms.co.uk
32 / WELDING WORLD MAGAZINE - ISSUE 03 - MAY 2024
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