15 May 2014
Guidance for keeping old MEWPs going
New technical guidance on major inspections of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) has been produced to keep equipment safe beyond the manufacturer’s design life.
The guidance document, published by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), sets down procedures for a major inspection scheme to validate structural integrity and functionality of critical components. Such a scheme may be undertaken to determine if a machine is within safe design and use criteria beyond the manufacturer’s design life. The new document stresses that equipment owners should fulfil their legal obligation and ensure that MEWPs are maintained in good repair and safe working order by implementing regular inspection and maintenance programmes in accordance with all relevant regulations, legislation and standards and with manufacturer’s requirements. These may include: pre-use inspection; interim, frequent or periodic inspections; and six-monthly or annual inspection/examination by a competent person.
The document proposes that a MEWP should undergo a major inspection within 10 years after having been originally put into service and subsequently every five years after that. IPAF’s new guidance on major inspections is available at www.ipaf.org/inspections
