The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) confirmed the election of Brad Boehler, president of Skyjack, to the role of president of its board at the association’s annual general meeting in Dubai.
Other changes included Norty Turner of United Rentals elected as IPAF deputy president and Karin Nars of Dinolift confirmed as vice president.
Nick Selley of AFI-Uplift completed his full two-year term as president, assuming the ex officio role of immediate past president, and Andy Studdert of Cramo, the 2015-2017 IPAF president, will maintain his seat on the IPAF board as a director. Tim Whiteman continues in his role as CEO and managing director of IPAF.
Boehler’s involvement with IPAF began about 15 years ago, as a product safety manager, saying his original analysis of MEWP injuries led him to believe that more could be done to prevent them through educating operators and site managers more effectively.
“I was also faced with updating our own training program and ensuring that our training staff was properly accredited,” Boehler said. “It was at this time I met with Tim Whiteman and Dennis Eckstine about how IPAF could help. I was very happy to get behind the IPAF mandate of promoting the safe and effective use of powered access around the globe.”
Boehler said much has happened since that time: IPAF training centers have trained more than 1.6 million operators and expanded from an organization with 98% of its membership in the U.K. to one where 64.3% of the membership is from other countries.
“The safe and effective use of powered access has no borders, and we will continue to ensure that we advocate for the advancement of our industry around the globe,” Boehler said.
He says he plans to focus on fulfilling IPAF’s current three-year plan, which emphasizes engaging more effectively with its membership, developing career paths for young people entering the industry, finding ways to reduce fatal and injury incidents related to MEWPs, and continuing to explore and develop the ever-changing digital world relating to Smart PAL Cards, online training, and “extended reality” possibilities.
At the meeting, IPAF also released its 2018 report, which showed growth across the board in terms of membership, training delivery, turnover, and territories covered. The association also increased revenues 8.5% year-over-year.
Enhanced income from events and a 5.8% increase in training revenue, including significant growth in demand in countries where IPAF previously delivered little or no training, all helped contribute to a reversal of its deficit in 2017. IPAF is a nonprofit organization, with all available revenue reinvested into safety and training programs.
For more information and to download the annual report, visit www.ipaf.org.
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