The aim is to gather experience to improve the safe use of equipment.
Manufacturers, rental companies, contractors and users are encouraged to report any known MEWP accidents or incidents using a standard form on the IPAF website from 15 January.
In the initial phase, IPAF is calling for reports of any known serious accidents and fatalities involving MEWPs in the UK, and any known fatalities involving MEWPs worldwide.
IPAF technical officer Chris Wraith said: “This project will enable IPAF to build a comprehensive record of known MEWP incidents and store them in one location and in one common format, something which does not exist currently. Based on the data gathered, IPAF will then be able to analyse and look for common trends, and propose possible actions to further improve and promote the safe use of MEWPs worldwide.”
“Powered access offers one of the safest and most efficient ways to work at height,” said IPAF chief executive Tim Whiteman. “When an accident happens involving a platform, it tends to become a spectacle and grabs the headlines. However, powered access actually accounts for a small percentage of all accidents related to work at height, and this project intends to uncover hard data to support that anecdotal evidence and to inform further safety initiatives.”
Health & Safety Executive principal inspector Joy Jones told IPAF: “I applaud and encourage the efforts your industry is making to collect and analyse your own data. Obtaining accident/incident data to identify trends and prioritise remedial action is a perennial problem… Companies sometimes have reservations about sharing their accident/incident data but in my opinion, the reputation of industry representative organisations is enhanced when they base and prioritise their activities on evidence and evaluation.”
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