Hire and Rental News - Access in Action - November 2017

28 ACCESS IN ACTION • NOVEMBER 2017 president's message Unbelievably we are racing towards Christmas and invariably the EWPA’s Annual General Meeting which will be held 2 November in Brisbane this year. Hope to see you all there. NOVEMBER 2017 VOL19 NO 2 ELEVATING WORK PLATFORM ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INC ABN 32 545 830 419 EWPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Rick Mustillo Tel: 02 9817 7610 Vice President: (Interim) Tim Nuttall Tel: 03 9547 7700 Past President: Tim Nuttall Tel: 03 9547 7700 Chief Executive Officer: James Oxenham Tel: 0410 704 979 Operations Manager: Nicolas Chiew Tel: 0410 468 468 NSW President: John Glover Tel: 0419 663 863 VIC President: Keith Clarke Tel: 0400 369 900 QLD President: Richard Gannon Tel: 0437 477 279 SA President: Ben Pritchard Tel: 0407 911 935 WA President: Will Reilly Tel: 0408 474 261 TECHNICAL DIRECTOR – OPERATIONS Peter Davis Tel: 02 8796 50551 TECHNICAL DIRECTOR – ENGINEERING Peter Wenn Tel: 03 9568 7211 COMMITTEE Dean Halliwell Tel: 0408 403 783 Bob Mules Tel: 0402 982 999 Doug Rawlings Tel: 0412 501 035 TELESCOPIC HANDLER ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA (TSHA) PRESIDENT: Chris Taylor Tel: 0448 450 132 EWPA & TSHA PO Box 1304, Mona Vale NSW 1660 Tel: 02 9998 2222 Email: info@ewpa.com.au Web: www.ewpa.com.au Opinions published in Hire and Rental News do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the association or the Editor. The HRIA accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any information contained in this magazine and readers should rely upon their own enquiries in making decisions related to their own interest. All rights reserved. ISSN 1838-1197 This will be my last report as President because after five years it’s time for me to step down and for another to take on the National President’s role. Admittedly it will be with mixed emotions I pass on the baton. During the past five years a lot of water has gone under the bridge. We have achieved a great deal in that time including: A revised training program with electronic submission of records directly into the National database; photographic Operator Yellow Cards and Gold Cards for proof of training linked to the specific model of machine/s used; launch of EWPA Registered Inspector program; a seat on the ME0026 committee, representing telescopic handlers; input into the revision of AS 1418.10 for mobile elevating work platforms; research work for the International Standards Organisation (ISO) Technical Committee 214 on the standardisation of controls; specific course for apprentice mechanics; incident reporting documents and many more online resources available for the public to use, including the Online App. While on the subject of programs, I get asked frequently: “why does it take so long to..?” Generally, I explain it must be remembered, other than the small office-based team who co-ordinate membership activities, most of the programs are written by volunteers who, thanks to their employers, give their time freely and willingly. So naturally their existing roles must take priority and they fit in the EWPA work when they can. Then we must ensure any programs or documents we release are compliant with Workplace and Operational Health and Safety and relevant Australian Standards as well as Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) requirements. Since we don’t have harmonisation yet, everything must conform to, or address, each State’s requirements. The extra burden this places on the volunteering team can be quite onerous. However, that aside, I am continually amazed at the amount of output we produce. Over the past year we have become a more global oriented organisation with members representing Australia on the International Moving on and making way in the EWPA Standards committee. I was also invited to be on the judging panel for the International Association of Powered Access (IAPA) awards and we recently hosted the ISO Technical Committee 214 meeting in Sydney. The EWPA has been having discussions with IPAF, ASIA (based out of Singapore) and EWPA of New Zealand. Because we are all working in the same industry with the same equipment we believe we can assist each other to make the industry safer. Safety should not only be our mantra but continuous safety improvement needs to be ingrained in everything we do. As part of our safety program we have had numerous requests for a course aimed at site supervisors. I am thrilled to say we have engaged Chris Wraith, who until recently was the Technical and Safety Executive at IPAF, as a consultant to develop and write the course for us. Chris’s view is very much to develop the course we need to consult with all parties, so it’s his intention to speak with OEMs, Tier 1 construction companies, rental companies, regulators, equipment users and trainers. We believe with the global experience Chris brings, he will be a valuable member of the team. On the international side, it’s pleasing to see a number of global manufacturers are looking at breaking into the Australian market. They recognise with the right product and good local partner, opportunities exist. To wrap up I must add some ‘thank yous’. To James and the team in Mona Vale; thanks for keeping me organised and on track. To Tim Nuttall, ever the voice of reason, thanks for your time and advice. It’s been greatly appreciated. To the rest of the Board, State Presidents and Technical Directors for your time and input over the years. It’s been a great ride. Rick Mustillo EWPA National President Rick Mustillo ACCESS in ACTION