EWPA publishes secondary guarding crush protection guidelines 

Australia’s Elevating Work Platform Association (EWPA) has released a data sheet featuring revised guidance for aerial work platforms. 

Supporting a key aim to ensure safety within the elevating work platform industry in Australia, the association produced this information to include recommendations on background, risk assessment, selection and use of secondary guarding systems to ensure maximum protection.

One excerpt states: “There is a risk that the elevating work platform operator or platform occupants can become trapped or crushed between the platform and an external obstruction during the movement of the elevating work platform. Secondary guarding systems, in conjunction with safe work planning, work platform selection, operator training and familiarisation, plus existing platform design features, may further minimise the risk of crushing and entrapment plus reduce the harm if an entrapment occurs.” 

The worksheet ‘What do I need to know about Secondary Guarding Systems for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms’ can be downloaded from their website, where you can also view a video of its presentation on the subject.