Horizon Platforms Blog

A practical safety guide for managers and health and safety leads

Scissor lifts and cherry pickers (boom lifts) are among the most versatile and widely used pieces of access equipment to enable safe work at height. But with that versatility comes responsibility. These machines are heavy and powerful, and unfortunately, every year, accidents occur that could be avoided with better planning, training, or daily processes and procedures. For project managers and Health and Safety leads, understanding the key dos and don’ts of scissor lift and cherry picker use isn’t just best practice, it’s a legal and moral obligation.

This guide covers the essentials to help you keep your teams safe, stay compliant, and run your projects without costly delays or incidents for you, your team or your families…

Are you on the lookout for a mobile elevating work platform for your next project? The chances are you’re comparing various types of MEWP; and, while there are many to consider, here, we’re going to take a closer look at ‘Push Around Vertical Platforms’.

Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs), also known as access platforms, are vital for safe work at height, but what happens if the platform fails, or other factors leave people stranded at height?

Even with well-maintained machines and experienced MEWP operators, there’s always a small chance of machine faults, operator errors or medical emergencies causing someone to be stuck at height on a MEWP.

The ‘International Powered Access Federation’, commonly referred to simply as IPAF, has developed a series of training courses designed to ensure anyone working from height has the appropriate skills to safely operate mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and powered access platforms. But what exactly does IPAF training cover?

In this article, our IPAF and PASMA Training Manager, Ben Hughes, explores who the training is for and what’s involved, as well as how to gain the qualification and the benefits of doing so.

Before undertaking any work from height, it’s an expected, and often legal requirement, to have received appropriate training. Typically, this will be provided via approved training courses such as those accredited by IPAF or PASMA. But what’s involved in each, and how do you know which type of access platform training you need?

In this article, we’ve compared PASMA and IPAF operator training, looking at the differences between their respective types of courses, as well as what’s involved in each and where you can complete the courses you need to safely and securely operate from height.