T HE BIG DE B AT E By Tony Groat, IPAF Nor th America Manager
Are your Workers Trained Hard or Hardly Trained? Elevating Safety spoke to a group of experienced MEWP training and safety professionals from across the industry to provide the following summary of what constitutes quality training and evaluate its importance.
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roviding MEWP operator training is not a new requirement. Users/employers of MEWP operators have long been required, either by country regulations or published standards, to ensure their personnel received MEWP operator training, MEWP model-specific familiarization, and are qualified for the task prior to authorization to operate a MEWP. However, a misconception that is evident to a lesser degree today sees some employers accepting the model-specific familiarization provided by rental companies at the time of delivery as satisfactory “operator training.” Compliant MEWP operator training includes instruction that enables the trainee to become a qualified person to conduct the task to be performed, including knowledge regarding potential hazards. It specifies requirements for application, inspection, training, maintenance, repair, and safe operation of MEWPs. Familiarization is the necessary information regarding the features, functions, devices, limitations, and operating characteristics as defined by the manufacturer in the operator’s manual, including the verification that the manufacturer’s operation manual is stored on the MEWP for ongoing reference. As is often the case, if a MEWP user does not understand the difference between, and the need for, MEWP operator training and familiarization, it is likely they are not choosing the right training. In June 2020, new industry standards went into effect for the design, safe use, and training regarding MEWPs. The safe-use standard defined the responsibilities regarding the requirements for safe MEWP operations and training of personnel. The training standard defines what needs to be included in training, and how it is to be delivered. While much of what was added in both the safe-use and training standards should have already been in place, the standards added details to better ensure complete, consistent, and compliant training is provided to MEWP operators. A group of industry training experts, made up of Jake Kidd, Sunstate Equipment; Bart Krzysztofek, Skyjack; Scott Owyen, Genie; Bal Guerrero, United Rentals; and myself, have shared responses to questions that will assist MEWP users/employers
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selecting standardized and effective training for their workers prior to authorization of MEWP operation. Their answers are summarized below. Q: How can a user select appropriate, standardized, and effective MEWP operator training for their personnel? It is extremely helpful if the user is familiar with the training requirements outlined in the ANSI A92.24 and CSA B354.8 standards (for the U.S. and Canada, respectively). The training standards provide methods and guidelines to prepare MEWP training materials, define administrative criteria, and deliver elements required for proper training and familiarization. Both standards incorporate provisions from the respective countries’ safe-use standards to address requirements for application, inspection, training, maintenance, repair, and safe operation of MEWPs. While government regulation offers the minimum requirements, these industry standards provide the most current information that a MEWP user/employer can follow to ensure a safe and productive workplace involving MEWP operations. Consider that OSHA regulations for aerial lifts were written in 1970 and treat scissor lifts as a rolling scaffold, and you will appreciate that not using the current industry standards, which are followed by every MEWP manufacturer, equates to not taking reasonable precautions for your workers’ safety. Published in 2010, another excellent resource that is available for free is the Statement of Best Practices of General Training and Familiarization for Aerial Work Platform Equipment. Created by industry associations involved with MEWP safe-use, the document clarifies what is required for general training and model-specific familiarization of aerial work platform (AWP) equipment, now known as MEWPs. While it references prior industry standards in effect at the time, the guidance still applies today as a tool to understand MEWP operator training, familiarization requirements, and safe practices. If you are looking to outsource your training needs, start with your MEWP manufacturer, which has the responsibility to develop and offer training materials that will aid dealers, owners,