The International Powered Access Federation and the U.S.-based Scaffold & Access Industry Association have reaffirmed their alliance to work together in every way possible to promote safety in the use of powered access equipment throughout the United States and Canada.
The commitment was reaffirmed by Steve Smith, outgoing president of the SAIA, and Tim Whiteman, CEO of IPAF, at the SAIA Annual Convention in mid-July in Huntington Beach, Calif.
The two organizations reaffirmed the objectives of the alliance, including the development and promotion of appropriate standards and best practices; addressing safety and regulatory bodies with a common voice and promoting the need for effective operator training.
Each organization is a member of the other according to the existing agreement, and each organization invites the other to send a representative to sit on appropriate committees and attend each others’ meetings.
The SAIA recognizes the PAL (powered access licensed registration) card as proof of appropriate operating training for users of aerial work platforms and mast climbing work platforms. In the U.S., the IPAF training program is managed by the North American subsidiary, American Work Platform Training. IPAF makes AWPT training available to SAIA members under preferential terms, and the SAIA is an AWPT-approved training center.
