A newly updated safety publication is now available that provides guidance as to how to reduce the risks of trapping and crushing hazards when using MEWPs.
Published by the Construction Industry Plant Safety Group (CIPSG), the 22-page publication is entitled ‘Good Practice Guidance for Reducing Trapping/Crushing Injuries to People in MEWPs’.The free document has been compiled by the CIPSG for MEWPs, which is chaired by the CPA and supported by IPAF.
The publication sets out to inform people about the measures that can be taken to reduce the risk and number of entrapment incidents by providing guidance on planning, risk assessment, MEWP selection, operator training, familiarisation and rescue. Emphasis is placed on the practical measures that MEWP users can take to avoid entrapment.
The first version of the guidance was originally published in 2010, and it has undergone significant revision in this latest version. The document has been restructured to improve readability and understanding of the topic, and new illustrations have been added. The content builds upon findings from the recently published Health & Safety Executive Research Report (HSE RR1180:2022), which examined the effectiveness of secondary guarding when employed in a range of different entrapment scenarios.
Speaking of the new guidance, Brian Parker, IPAF’s head of safety & technical, said: “Much work and cross-industry consultation has gone into this document to ensure it is thorough, comprehensive, clear and concise. The powered access industry has advanced significantly over the past five to ten years, with technological advancements driving secondary guarding devices, and machine capabilities and complexities. Meanwhile, the breadth of industry end applications has developed considerably over that period.
“We feel this new guidance document adequately encompasses all of these changes and provides an important point of reference to aid in minimising entrapment risks for all those planning, executing and supervising work at height using MEWPs. We are very pleased to see it published for users to read and download completely free of charge.”
The ‘Good Practice Guidance for Reducing Trapping/Crushing Injuries to People in MEWPs’ is free to download from the CPA website. Head to www.cpa.uk.net/safety-and-technical-publications/plant-safety-group to find it.
