The International Powered Access Federation this week announced that site and safety managers can now use the PAL (Powered Access Licence) card online verification tool at www.ipaf.org to check if a card is genuine. A valid PAL card issued by IPAF, or by its North American subsidiary Aerial Work Platform Training in the United States, is proof that the cardholder has been trained to operate powered access equipment safely and effectively.
IPAF launched the online verification tool in response to requests from site and safety managers for a quick and easy way to check if a card presented to them is genuine. The yellow, plastic PAL card already contains several security features. The front side carries the cardholder’s name and photograph. It also shows the expiration date and the machine categories the cardholder has been trained to operate. PAL cards are valid for five years. The reverse side features an IPAF logo printed as a hologram, to minimize counterfeiting risks, and the cardholder’s signature.
“PAL cards are valuable because there are many jobsites where operators without a valid card will not be allowed to operate powered access equipment, and there have been a small handful of cases involving forged PAL cards,” said Tim Whiteman, IPAF CEO. “The online verification tool gives site and safety managers added security and confidence in the system.”
IPAF’s PAL card operator training program is certified by TÜV as conforming to ISO 18878. More than 80,000 PAL cards are issued each year through a network of more than 400 IPAF-approved training centers worldwide.
IPAF is a not-for-profit members’ organization that promotes the safe and effective use of powered access equipment worldwide. For more information, visit www.ipaf.org.
