The Scaffold & Access Industry Association (SAIA) was in New Orleans this past week for its annual Committee Week, where the Association’s 11 industry councils gathered to review existing and determine new initiatives, discuss industry issues and trends, and determine presentation topics for the Association’s annual Convention and Expo in Austin, Texas, July 27-30.
Sponsors of the event included Direct Scaffold Supply, Dependable Scaffolding, Coronet Scaffold, MDM Scaffolding Services, Stepup Scaffold, Edge International, Layher, McCausey Lumber Co., Power Climber, CER Inc., and A-1 Scaffold Mfg. Inc. Additionally, Allied Insurance Brokers, Avontus Software Corp., and SMART Scaffolder displayed their services during the week.
The 2014 Committee Week held at the JW Marriott on Canal St. in the French Quarter, kicked off Monday evening with an opening reception before two days of extensive meetings. The customary President’s Reception, held Tuesday night, was sponsored by Stepup Scaffold, with an appropriately inspired Mardi Gras theme; attendees got into the spirit of the occasion with festive attire, local cuisine, and a live band playing Cajun and Creole tunes.
SAIA President, Marty Coughlin, thanked those in attendance, saying, “Committee Week is about coming together for the good of the industry. All the small contributions we make individually to the industry and Association are integral to the success and betterment of both as a whole. With 152 registered, 2014’s Committee Week has reached record attendance; thank you all for attending and we look forward to seeing you in Austin in July!”
A topic of discussion in more than one Council meeting was the SAIA’s recently renewed alliance with OSHA. Through this alliance, tip sheets have been developed on particular scaffold and access equipment, with discussions by several Councils to develop more tip sheets for equipment not already addressed. Laurie Weber, SAIA Executive Director, brought to the attention of the Aerial Work Platform Council that OSHA, in an effort to push technology, would eventually like the tip sheets, existing and ones that will be developed, made into videos; the SAIA’s AWP Council released five tip sheets in late 2013, with three more currently in the works.
Additionally, several Councils touched on how to better disseminate the tip sheets, as well as all other documents produced by the Councils, through the Association for the safe use of scaffold and access equipment.
An extensive recap of Committee Week will be featured in the May-June issue of Scaffold & Access Magazine.
For free safety downloads check out: www.saiaonline.org/FreeTips
Lift & Access is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
