This document discusses planning for emergency rescue from heights when using mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs). It emphasizes that a legal requirement exists to plan for emergency rescue and that speed and ease of rescue can significantly impact injuries. The stages of emergency planning involve risk assessment to identify potential issues, prevention measures to reduce risks, developing a plan for safe lowering in case of failures, and communicating and practicing the plan. Key risks identified include machine malfunctions, operator incapacitation, lack of ground controls familiarity, and unsafe work practices. Prevention measures include nominating ground personnel, safe work procedures, familiarization training, pre-use checks, and competent operators. The plan should utilize platform or ground controls or contact engineers. Recent court

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Emergency Procedure at
Height
LOGO

3. Planning for emergency
rescue
Jason WOODS IPAF Middle East Country
Representative

4.  Not for profit organisation
 Current number of members – worldwide - 1055
 Number of countries where IPAF have members – 55
 Number of Country Councils 9
 Number of training centres worldwide – 573
 Average number of operators trained per month – 11,700
 Number of operators trained to date in 2015 – 130,657
 Number operators with a valid card 620,000
 Representatives on major design, safe use and training standards
 Provide support, campaign material, guidance, information
 Research and development projects
PROMOTE THE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE USE OF
MEWPs WORLDWIDE
IPAF Facts www.ipaf.org

5. Planning for emergency rescue
Legal requirement to plan for emergency and rescue when anyone
is working at height
The speed and ease of rescue can make a very significant
difference if any injuries sustained.
Safe rescue capability is designed and built in to all MEWPs:
 Auxiliary controls in the platform
 Additional set of controls at ground level
Approx. 40,000 MEWPs in UK

6. MEWP control design varies
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7. Stages of emergency rescue planning
 Identify what could reasonably go wrong and how
it can effect those at height……… Risk Assessment
 Implement suitable measures to eliminate or
reduce the possibility of anything going
wrong….Prevention measures
 Suitable means of lowering persons safely to the
ground if prevention measures fail … A Plan
 Making sure everyone involved knows what to do
….Communicate and practice

8. Risk assessment
 Familiarity of control functions
 Machine failure or malfunction
 External influence – materials - traffic
 Operator incapacitated
 No-one on ground to assist
 No-one familiar with the ground controls
 No key in the ground controls
 Unsafe work practices

9. How well do you know:
 Regulations and
standards affecting
MEWP usage?
 Safe operating
methods and hazard
awareness? (PAL+)
 Safety beyond
training?

10.  Familiarity of control functions
 Machine failure or malfunction
 External influence – materials - traffic
 Operator incapacitated
 No-one on ground to assist
 No-one familiar with the ground controls
 No key in the ground controls
 Unsafe work practices
Prevention measures
Nominated
ground
person
Safe
systems of
work and
supervision
Familiarisation
Rehearse
rescue
Pre-use checks
Site
supervision
Competent
Operators
Key at ground
control station
Organised
site

11. A Plan
 Use Platform controls - Normal
Auxiliary
 Use ground controls - Normal
Auxiliary
 Contact service engineer
 If serious or imminent risk consider basket to
basket rescue

12. http://www.ipaf.org/en/publications/technical-guidance-notes/
Write it down

13. Recent court case – April 2013
11 April 2009 Westfield Shopping Centre Stratford- West London
A 39 year old company employee was trapped between the guardrail
of a scissor lift and some overhead ducting.
A colleague was unable to release him and bring him down because
he was unaware of how to use the emergency controls.
Although XXXX XXXX cannot be held directly accountable for the
death, the company should have ensured staff knew how to operate
the equipment they were using.
Fined £30,000 plus £29,000 in costs

14. HSE Statement
 Familiarisation was
inadequate
 Industry guidance dictates
that familiarisation is
essential for anyone using
MEWPs
 Should be routinely
assessed because controls
vary between different
makes and models
http://www.ipaf.org/en/publications/technical-guidance-notes/

15. Communicate and practice
Drills must include
practising the use of the
ground controls and
emergency controls for
each machine in use.
Emergency control systems differ in design
and position
MEWP operators, supervisors and others
involved must be briefed on and practice
their emergency procedures

16. Rope evacuation WARNING!
HSE is aware of several serious incidents and at least one fatal
incident involving the use of rope evacuation systems
These incidents predominantly occurred during training for
rope escape

17. Summary
 The need for emergency rescue is a rare event
 When needed it must be done quickly and safely
 Risk Assess and implement control measures
 Develop a plan
 Communicate and practice the plan
 No rescue method should introduce in-proportionate to
the risk
 Having a mobile phone to call the emergency services is
NOT an suitable or acceptable rescue plan.
Thank you for your listening
For more information about IPAF or any issues regarding the safe
use of MEWPs please visit the IPAF website at www.ipaf.org

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