Wheel of misfortune illustrates hazards

Representatives of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) used both the Vertikal Days and Plantworx 2023 events, held in May and June respectively at the East of England Showground near Peterborough, UK, to promote its Safe Loading and Unloading campaign. Spinning a ‘wheel of misfortune’ highlighted to visitors to the IPAF stand all about the risks involved in loading, transporting, and unloading mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and how to mitigate them.

The interactive safety activity aimed to underline the fact that safety should never be left to chance. Participants were invited to spin the wheel to land on one of the causes of accidents or injuries when loading or unloading MEWPs and were then asked to spot the corresponding hazard in the on-stand display and learn how to avoid it.

IPAF’s representatives were also on hand across both events to offer support and technical guidance. Visitors were also able to access the latest advisory leaflets, stickers, Andy Access posters and Toolbox Talk safety briefings. IPAF offers comprehensive Load and Unload training and will shortly issue updated safety guidance about loading and unloading MEWPs on or near public highways.

Peter Douglas, CEO and MD of IPAF, said, “IPAF’s Global Safety Report shows how rental activity including loading and unloading MEWPs at work sites leads to a significant number of incidents each year, with delivery personnel disproportionately at risk of serious injury; hence why we promoted our Safe Loading and Unloading campaign during the event.”

Visit www.ipaf.org/safe to find out about all IPAF’s global safety campaigns and to access a range of free to download resources in support; also see www.ipaf.org/events for details about all upcoming IPAF events appearances and webinars. For more information about all IPAF’s targeted safety campaigns see www.ipaf.org/safe and continue to use www.ipafaccidentreporting.org to report incidents and near misses involving powered access.