Thursday, July 20, 2017
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Firefighters' high ladder did not appear at Grenfell Tower for 30 minutes and hoses 'were hampered by low pressure' (Daily Mail)
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Thoughts on Grenfell and Working at Height...
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Grenfell Tower
Monday, October 15, 2012
Worldwide AWP Accident Report
AWPT recently released third-quarter information about worldwide accidents on AWPs.
Between July-August 2012, there were six accidents that resulted in seven fatalities, bringing the 2012 total to 26 fatalities. All of the third quarter accidents were with category 3b (mobile boom) machines. The majority of the deaths occur in the United States.
Without strict requirements for what constitutes “appropriate training,” the United States cannot hope to lessen the number of fatalities due to AWPs. Until the industry truly adopts a “safety first” approach to work, where training investments of both time and money are not shied away from, accidents due to operator error will continue. With an estimated 85-88% of accidents occurring due to operator error, the necessity for clear, regulated training is obvious.
Are you appropriately trained to operate aerial lifts? Are your employees? Refer to the industry’s Best Practices guide on the topic. Hopefully with more people receiving appropriate training, the number of fatalities due to AWP accidents will decrease.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
The Institute featured in Elevating Safety
The Institute for Aerial Lift Safety featured in the 2011 Elevating Safety magazine from IPAF. The article “What it Takes to Be an Aerial Work Platform Instructor” highlights trainers from around the United States, including Katherine Hinkel from The Institute for Aerial Lift Safety in Philadelphia, PA.
Focusing on the importance of having a qualified instructor, the article defines what that term means, both from the ANSI standard and from the perspective of the instructors.
“An instructor has to be passionate about the material,” says Katherine Hinkel… “Providing AWP operators with the knowledge they need to complete their job safely is an important task for any trainer. The decisions made regarding ANSI standards and OSHA regulations affect all of us in the industry, and a trainer needs to be aware of those developments.”
All AWPT instructors must have adequate operating experience, have experience training, and complete the AWPT instructor training course with an AWPT master trainer.