The American Rental Association (ARA), the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), and the Scaffold & Access Industry Association (SAIA) have joined forces once again to develop a document of best practices regarding workplace risk assessment and selecting the most appropriate aerial work platform (AWP) equipment for the job at hand.
The result of this joint venture is the Statement of Best Practices for Workplace Risk Assessment and Aerial work Platform Equipment Selection. Previous documents include Statement of Best Practices of Personal Fall Protection Systems for Aerial Work Platform Equipment (2011) and Statement of Best Practices of General Training and Familiarization for Aerial Work Platform Equipment (2010).
The participating organizations recognized a need to aid in the identification of hazards, offer guidance for conducting a thorough workplace risk assessment and implementing control measures as well as assist in the selection of the most appropriate AWP equipment for the work involved. The industry remains committed to putting forth initiatives that increase awareness of best practices, clarify responsibilities and address the safe use of AWP equipment.
The objectives of this best practice document are intended to:
+ Educate the industry on applicable OSHA regulations and the industry-recognized and supported ANSI/SAIA A92 standards.
+ Provide information to assist users and operators in assessing the risk of potential hazards for the work to be done and implementing appropriate control measures to reduce or eliminate such risks.
+ Offer guidance and issues to consider in the selection of the most appropriate AWP equipment to perform the work needed.
+ Encourage the incorporation of best practices into a company’s workplace risk assessment plan.
The Statement of Best Practices for Workplace Risk Assessment and Aerial Work Platform Equipment Selection document was unveiled by the participating organizations during The Rental Show, the ARA’s convention and tradeshow, February 11, 2013 at The Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. This document also will be available as a free download from each participating organizations’ Web sites.
The American Rental Association (ARA) http://www.ARArental.org is the international trade association for the equipment rental industry, including rental businesses and suppliers to the industry. ARA provides educational, insurance/risk management, business management and marketing resources; networking opportunities; industry research; and legislative and regulatory advocacy for its members.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) http://www.aem.org is the North American-based international trade group providing innovative business development resources to advance the off-road equipment manufacturing industry in the global marketplace. AEM membership comprises more than 850 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors worldwide. AEM is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with offices in the world capitals of Washington, D.C.; Ottawa, Canada; and Beijing, China.
The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) http://www.ipaf.org is the specialist international trade association representing rental companies, manufacturers, and the end-users of every type of aerial work platform and mast climbing work platform. IPAF provides training programs, lobbying, market research, events and conferences, business advice, and other resources to members and non-members as part of its worldwide mission to promote the safe and effective use of powered access.
The Scaffold & Access Industry Association (SAIA) http://www.saiaonline.org is a non-profit trade 501(c)(6) association committed to raising the standards of professionalism within the scaffold and access industry. The SAIA represents all facets of the scaffold and access industry through various councils that include, aerial work platform, construction hoist, fall protection equipment, international, industrial, mast climbing, plank and platform, supported scaffold, suspended scaffold, and shoring projects. Through its various programs, the SAIA promotes safety, training, and a highly professional, responsible image of the scaffold and access professional. The SAIA delivers hundreds of safety training programs a year at various locations throughout the world. These programs cover all aspects of scaffold and access safety and equipment use. The SAIA is also the secretariat for the American National Standard, SAIA ASC A92 standards.
