EWPA News

from HIRE AND RENTAL DECEMBER 2020 ISSUE 16

Snorkel New Product Launch

Recently the EwPA held it’s AGM by both virtual meeting and electronic voting. The association had a good turnout all things considered.

Some of the key points that came out of the AGM were: • Adoption of a EwPA run Trade day. • Moving annual subscription date to 1 April each year to align with the association financial year • Moving AGM date to align with the Trade day

EwPA TRADE DAy

THE INAUGURAL TRADE Day is going to be held on Wednesday the 17th February 2021 at Hampton Downs Raceway, just south of Auckland and just north of Hamilton. This is a day for OEM’s and distributors, including servicing companies and related products and services to exhibit and promote themselves to EWPA members and EWP users. The day will be open to anyone to attend for a cost yet to be confirmed. Attendees not only get to see the latest and greatest at the trade show but get an all-day lunch and the chance to compete for a special trophy and prize if they are the fastest at the Go Karts (one free attempt). This should be a great day and allow construction companies, tradies and hire companies to meet with the specialists in EWP’s. The EWPA AGM will also be run at the same time as the Trade Day. Furthermore, an after party is still in the planning back in Auckland for all attendees later in the evening. More to follow on this in the coming month. ■

EwPA REGISTERED INSPECTOR PROGRAMME

THE EwPA HAS a programme in place currently but is doing a major overhaul on it, in an effort to seek approval to be able to register, monitor and audit level 1 inspectors. The current overhaul is in its final stages and is entering the sensitive stage of finding it’s place in the market. There has been widespread concern and aggravation in regards to the current inspector programme, more around the prerequisites and delays in getting applications through. This is out the hands of the EWPA but our upgraded programme may be able to offer not only an alternative process but certainly a smoother one. As mentioned, this is entering a sensitive stage of the development and we ask that you bear with us as we push ahead.

CBIP

THERE IS A special meeting being held in Auckland on the 25th November (probably at the time of this magazine going to print). This meeting will be to discuss ways to improve quality of applications for certification, applicants’ behaviours when communicating with CBIP Business and administrations staff, reluctance to abide by CBIP guidelines, and the future of CBIP and the rapidly changing needs of the inspection industry. EWPA will have the CEO and a board member at the meeting and will be voicing the concerns of our members and that of HIANZ also. More dedicated communications will follow together with the RI programme subjects in the near future. ■

SILVERCARD CHANGES

Recently the association updated the branding of the Silvercard EwP Training programme. A new design for the card has been introduced and the associated branding is flowing into the printed material and the website.

THIS NEw PUNCHy design is about standing out and building the “Silvercard” brand up as a first choice, highly recognised competency training programme available in the market. The “E” in the Silvercard word represents the rising up in EWP’s, whilst the image is more defined as an EWP. The “Using Elevating Work Platform Safely” booklet front cover has adopted the new branding but the original darker logo is still on the back cover. You will see an increased marketing presence on the “Silvercard” branding in the near future, with the HIANZ branding reducing. The single strong brand for competency operators won’t be diluted or confused having two strong brands. HIANZ continues to own, support and manage Silvercard training though. Some of the increased marketing is just rolling out with the Board authorising a HIANZ member training subsidy on Silvercard EWP Training. An email rolled out on the 15th October explaining this. If you didn’t receive this, make contact with the office. The leading portion of the email was -

“HIANZ is investing in our members by providing further training and career development opportunities.”

We are offering 200 “Silvercard

EWP Training Vouchers” valued

at $150.00 (exc. GST) each, to use towards your staff training. We want to help you invest in your staff by offering this subsidy towards their new EWP Silvercard training. The benefits of training include more valued, engaged and motivated staff, health and safety compliance, and increased knowledge and skills into your business.” If you haven’t already, make contact with us at the HIANZ office and we will get you your vouchers. Go to www. silvercard.nz to find a trainer near you if you don’t already know of one. They are also listed on the HIANZ supplier web page and on the last page of the magazine. ■