New functions for IPAF accident reporting dashboard

What is the IPAF accident reporting portal?

The accident reporting portal allows everyone who works with MEWPs to share information on accidents that occur while using powered access equipment. It helps to identify areas of risk and to establish trends within the industry, which in turn will increase our understanding of working practices and inform IPAF guidance, training and safety campaigns. The main aim is to reduce the number of incidents that occur while working at height with MEWPs.

What has the data shown so far?

IPAF has been collecting data through their portal for the past 10 years. They have received data from 41 countries in total, with 4,374 reports submitted between 2012-2021.

According to the latest Global Safety Report (June 2022), trends are encouraging: the number of filled reports is up while the number of fatalities is down when compared with previous years. The three most common causes of serious and fatal accidents remain the same, though. They are:

• Falls from platforms.
• Electrocution.
• Platforms overturning.

This shows that things are going in the right direction but that work such as IPAF’s latest Don’t Fall For It campaign is vital to reducing accidents and tackling safety within the industry generally.

What’s changed?

Thanks to new developments, those who log incidents in the portal can now see where their own safety statistics sit when compared with the industry as a whole. New dashboard functionality allows users to view their incidents alongside all entries in the database; all records are anonymous. Find out more about the changes on IPAF’s news page.

How do I report an incident?

To report an incident to the IPAF accident reporting portal, you need to register. You can find out more and register on their website – IPAFaccidentreporting.org. You can also report incidents through the IPAF ePAL App.