The Key Step to Reducing the Risk of Worksite Accidents
Did you know…
- Only 18% of construction companies conduct ongoing health and safety training with their staff?
- Most small and medium-sized construction companies don’t even have a written jobsite safety policy?
- The US had a worksite fatality rate of 10.8 per 100,000 – higher than most other industrialized nations?
These statistics come from risk management and regulatory law specialists Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. They suggest a number of steps to help minimize liability, including to review your health safety plans and emergency rescue plans regularly, have a communications plan and review accident reports.
But there’s one step that rises above all the others – Educate Your Workforce.
Why Aerial Work Platform Training Matters
When it comes to aerial work platforms and industrial stock pickers, worksite safety is all the more vital. Work platforms already offer improved safety over most of the alternatives for working at height, and this is true for everything from boom lifts to low- level access.
But operational safety training for how to use these machines not only reduces workplace accidents even more, but it reduces your risk for liability and workers compensation claims.
Safety is the number one goal at Absolute E-Z Up®, which is why all our work platforms and material handling equipment are designed to be safe and easy to use. If you value safety and expertise as much as we do, we recommend you and your staff take an aerial work platform training certification course.
7 Factors in Choosing a Safety Training Program
There are several training programs available to help improve aerial work platform safety. To choose the best one for your operation, here are 7 factors to consider:
- How many people need to be trained?
- What level of training do they need?
- What is your training budget?
- Are you under time constraints to have your staff complete the training?
- Do you need to provide training at multiple locations?
- Are you required to keep training records?
- Does the program provide training for the skill and knowledge needed to comply with local and state OSHA requirements?
Who Provides Operator Training?
There are several companies that provide aerial work platform and material handling operator safety training, either classroom and online, including:
International Powered Access Federation (IPAF)
What is IPAF?
IPAF is the International Powered Access Federation, a nonprofit comprised of manufacturers, rental companies, contractors and users that promotes the safe and effective use of powered access worldwide.
IPAF is involved in safety on a daily basis promoting the correct, safe way that operators and users of equipment should follow. They are not affiliated with any one manufacturer; they just have the goal of ensuring that safety standards are taught correctly before anyone takes on the responsibility of operating equipment.
View the IPAF ‘Training Saves Lives’ Video
Why IPAF Certification Matters
Besides protecting your employees (and yourself) from getting hurt, IPAF certification also ensures your company meets health and safety requirements for most government work-at-height regulations.
IPAF also regularly audits all their approved training centers. Absolute E-Z Up takes our commitment to worksite safety seriously. Whether you bought your work platforms from us or not, you need to get trained, and we’d love to help.
Our Commitment to Safety
Absolute E-Z Up places safety in the forefront of everything we do.
