Emergency descent systems are found on all types of mobile elevating work platforms. The systems differ in terms of where they are located on specific machines and how they operate. Manufacturer members of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) have counteracted this problem by developing a symbol that indicates the location of emergency descent controls.
The safety decal should be positioned to clearly indicate the location of the emergency descent controls. In addition, operators should ensure that somebody at ground level knows how to use the controls in an emergency.
“Even experienced operators sometimes have difficulty locating the emergency descent controls that every mobile elevating work platform is fitted with,” said Tim Whiteman, IPAF managing director. “This new symbol is a practical visual aid that makes access equipment even safer.”
Manufacturers can download the art-work for the emergency descent symbol from the Resources section of www.ipaf.org. Limited numbers of free copies are available from IPAF.
