27
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2013
access
INTERNATIONAL
2003
■
PM Group acquires Oil & Steel.
2005
■
Pinguely-Haulotte becomes
Haulotte Group.
■
JLG starts telehandler
manufacturing alliance with
Caterpillar.
■
CTE buys Effer and
Bizzocchi.
AI
October 2005:
Twin-
masted Hek platforms
used in construction of the
new Terminal 5 building at
London Heathrow.
2006
■
Tanfield buys Upright.
■
Ashtead buys NationsRent.
■
Omme celebrates 100 years in business.
■
Oshkosh buys JLG.
AI
April-May 2007:
WUMAG will show a new
version of its Jumbo WT 700, a 70 m unit
was shown at bauma 2007.
2008
■
Palfinger buys Wumag Elevant.
■
Haulotte buys Bil-Jax.
be overcome without compromising the
machine. Whether it be management of
the person in the basket, or development of
sensors, I am convinced that safety will be the
main reason for developments in machines in
the future.
Tim Whiteman
CEO, International
Powered Access
Federation (IPAF)
Thirty years ago, as this
magazine’s precursor,
Access Now
, was being
launched, there really
weren’t that many access platforms on roads or
construction sites around the world.
Both the magazine and the Federation turned
30 this year, and both are symbols of an
industry that is young, but maturing.
Yet the use of the equipment is exploding
all around the world. Why? Because powered
access provides a safe solution to one of the
most dangerous, but simple looking, acts in
the work place. Temporary work at height.
Sounds pretty innocuous. But Temporary
Work at Height, TW@H, is a killer – in
Europe and the USA it is the biggest cause of
fatalities in the work place. People are being
killed after they have been told to “get up
there and fix, or build, or install that xxx”. It
might be 2 m or it might 30 m; both can cause
a fatal accident.
Powered access provides safe, quick and easy
ways to beat that problem. If the
person doing the work is at the right
height, and in the right position,
he/she can do a better job. In the
wrong hands it can be a danger to
the people using it and the people
around it.That’s why IPAF believes
that some basic, industry recognised
operator training is an important
way to keep this sector safe. And, so
long as it stays safe, it will continue
to grow. IPAF estimates that there
are nearly 1 million platforms owned by rental
companies worldwide – most of those have
been delivered in the last 15 years.
It’s essential that this industry stays safe –
any lack of confidence on the part of safety
authorities or operators would be catastrophic
for this industry and its continued growth. So
this magazine, and IPAF, and all responsible
companies and individuals must keep fighting
to keep this young industry safe and confident
for the next 30 years. Happy Birthday,
AI
.
Norty Turner
Chief executive,
Riwal
While today Europe
and North America
powered access is firmly
established within the
construction industry, the
manufacturing industry and beyond, there is
still enormous potential in emerging markets
30 YEARS OF
ACCESS INTERNATIONAL
the future
