Aerial platform injuries on the decline

New statistics indicate the growing safety of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), also known as aerial work platforms (AWPs).

IPAF's latest analysis of aerial platform accident data indicates that although the total rental fleet has increased in size, the fatal injury rate has fallen.

Chris Wraith, IPAF technical and safety executive, says the findings are based on rental data because there are no accurate records of end-user owned machines and their utilisation rate.

Based on the estimated rental fleet size, the average utilisation rate and the average days worked per year, the number of days a rented machine was operated per year was estimated at 168.4 million worldwide for 2013. The 68 reported MEWP fatalities worldwide in that year translates to a fatal injury rate of 0.04. For 2014, the number of days a rented machine was operated per year increased to 182.4 million and the number of reported MEWP fatalities was 64, to give a fatal injury rate of 0.035.

Analysis of the 2014 data reveals that falls from height and overturns were the two main causes of fatal accidents.

IPAF's accident reporting project, launched in 2012, is gradually creating a comprehensive record of known accidents.

All manufacturers, rental companies, contractors and users are encouraged to report any known accidents (not just fatal and serious accidents) involving MEWPs and MCWPs (mast climbing work platforms) worldwide at www.ipaf.org/accident.