Improving Mast Climber Safety

Kevin O-Shea

In the wake of an accident in April of this year, which tragically resulted in the deaths of three people, the City of Boston, and the state of Massachusetts are reviewing the proper and safe use of powered access equipment, particularly the use of Mast Climbing Work Platforms (MCWPs). The following article is excerpted from a presentation made by Kevin O'Shea of Mastclimbers LLC, the MCWP liaison for Aerial Work Platform Training to the Massachusetts Chapter of the Association of General Contractors (AGC) in June 2006. O'Shea can be reached at kevin@mastclimbers.com. For more information on AWPT, go to www.awpt.org.

 

July 26, 2006 -- In Europe, where MCWP use is more tightly regulated than in North America, MCWPs are one of the safest methods of overhead access on the market. With the increased prevalence of IPAF's training and certification programs, reportable incidents have almost reached zero.

 

One of the key factors, and the critical safety component in supplying MCWPs or any other piece of equipment to a job site, is the qualifications, experience and training of the ‘responsible person' for both the equipment supplier and equipment user.

 

The ‘supplier responsible person' has the total overview of the product's use, and therefore has to be independently verified as qualified to perform this task. He/she must analyze all of the risk in the project and negate it by good planning, attention to detail, training, method statement preparation, organization, adherence to standards, and effective liaison.

 

The ‘user responsible person' must discharge his/her duties, subsequent to having been suitably trained to do so. These duties include preventing unauthorized use of the MCWPs, daily and weekly inspections, reporting of faults, concerns or incidents, and ensuring that the safe use and duty of care responsibilities of the user are met.

 

If both these individuals do their jobs properly, and are properly trained and independently assessed, MCWPs can be used safely and effectively on the jobsite. Analysis of data from other countries where MCWP use is far greater than in North America points to a significant improvement in product safety records compared to other methods of access when MCWPs are used correctly.

 

Three points that need to be addressed:

      1. Although a design standard for Mast Climbers is currently being re-drafted, there is no specific regulation for “Installation, Maintenance, Thorough Examination and Safe Use” as there is in Europe.

      2. There is no independent assessment, policing and verification of operator skills.

      3. There is a lack of accountability throughout the supply chain.

 

In analyzing potential causes of MCWP incidents around the world over the last ten years, most probably could not have been prevented by inspection. Human error during use, erection/dismantle and risk assessment is a far more likely cause. Only through proper training can most accidents be avoided.

 

In Europe, legislation linked to IPAF training, plus introduction of a recognized document that provides evidence of training, has been the key to incident reduction. Last year over 53,000 individuals received IPAF training and were issued a PAL (Powered Access License) card documenting that training.

 

In North America, AWPT is working to establish authorized training centers that will provide standardized training for MCWPs, and issue PAL (Powered Access Licensed-Registration) cards to individuals who have completed the AWPT training program. Many suppliers and manufacturers of MCWPs are already IPAF/AWPT members and are working together to help develop these programs.

 

As demonstrated by the interest shown at the conference recently held by the Massachusetts AGC, there is a definite need to develop a recognized MCWP training program with verified documentation of training in North America. As MCWP use increases and more workers are asked to operate the equipment, the importance of this independent, uniform program, will intensify many fold. Only through proper and thorough training will job sites will become safer.