Aerial Work Platforms are great places for using rugged computing power. Wireless data collection when you are elevated above the ground-whether on a fixed, tablet, or hand-held computer--just makes sense. But before you ever set foot on one you’ll want to make sure you are certified and fully understand the best practices that ensure safe operation.
To that end the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) and its US affiliate–American Work Platform Training (AWPT), have developed a successful online training program to help achieve the necessary certification.
Trainees who complete the online session must still pass a supervised theory test at an AWPT-approved training center and must successfully complete a half-day of practical training and testing before being issued with a PAL Card (Powered Access Licensed-Registration) as proof of successfully completed AWPT operator training.
Forklift Action News (free registration required) recently reported on this same program and how NES Rentals Holdings Inc (NES Rentals), a supplier of all kinds of lift equipment, had successfully “trained most of its 1,040 staff members to the level of the Powered Access License (PAL) card.”
“eLearning opens up alternative methods of delivering education and takes the AWPT training program to a new level,” says IPAF president Wayne Lawson. “It provides a new way for training centres to reach greater numbers but does not replace practical training. It enriches the learning process and allows us to bring the safe and effective use of AWPs to a wider public.”