Maximum Capacity Media held its second annual safe access, fall protection and training (SAF-T) conference last week at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport Sheraton Hotel, to a committed audience of mostly rental industry people directly involved in training customers in aerial safety.

The event was sponsored by Skyjack, IVES Training Group, United Rentals, Aerial Work Platform Training, Haulotte Group, JLG Industries, Miller by Sperian and Sunbelt Rentals.

Presenters included Mark Monson, president and owner of M2 Safety Solutions, a 20-year veteran of construction safety training; Tony Groat, AWPT North American membership development director; Jeff Stachowiak, national safety director for Sunbelt Rentals who spoke about common mistakes that result in injuries on aerial work platforms; Tom Dillon, national product sales manager for Miller Fall Protection; Dave Baxter, director of marketing, aftermarket products and service for JLG, who spoke about bi-lingual issues for AWP suppliers and the challenges and growing need to communicate in Spanish on construction sites; Gary Riley, president of Aerial Platform & Telehandler Training and Consulting, who talked about how maintenance relates to safety; Rob Vetter, technical director for IVES Training Group who spoke about how to select and groom a good trainer, and Brad Boehler, director of product safety for Skyjack.

Organizer Guy Ramsey, president of Maximum Capacity Media, told RER he was particularly pleased with the level of participation and quality of attendees. He added that the third annual SAF-T conference will be held in September or October 2009 in a yet-to-be finalized location.