The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has set up the facility on its website so that anyone concerned by the validity of a card-holder’s credentials can easily check them out.
IPAF said that its online verification tool had been developed in response to requests from site and safety managers for a quick and easy way to check if a card presented to them is genuine. A genuine PAL Card is widely accepted as proof that the cardholder has been trained to operate powered access equipment safely and effectively.
The yellow, plastic PAL Card already contains several security features. The front side carries the cardholder’s name and photograph. It also shows the expiry date and the machine categories the cardholder has been trained to operate. PAL Cards are valid for five years. The reverse side features an IPAF logo printed as a hologram to minimise counterfeiting risks, and the cardholder’s signature.
IPAF chief executive Tim Whiteman said that, despite these measures, forged PAL cards had been discovered. “PAL Cards are valuable because there are many job sites where operators without a valid card will not be allowed to operate powered access equipment, and there have been a small handful of cases involving forged PAL Cards,” Mr Whiteman said. “The online verification tool gives site and safety managers added security and confidence in the system.”
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