ePAL MEWP operator app rolled out in new territories

A new mobile app for operators of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and mast-climbing work platforms (MCWPs) that brings training certification into the digital era and reduces the environmental impact of issuing the International Powered Access Federation’s (IPAF) PAL Card and training certification is now available in dozens of extra territories, following its successful launch in the UK and Ireland earlier this year.

IPAF’s new ePAL app is free to use and features a digital IPAF PAL Card, operator log book and operator safety guide. It allows operators to receive best practice tips and safety information, and lets them share qualifications with site managers quickly and easily. It is now available in 26 additional countries and regions: Bahrain, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, UAE and Zambia.

On 22 November, following the translation of ePAL and all associated systems, IPAF will roll out the new app for Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Uruguay. January 2022 will see the rollout for North America, Austria, Brazil, Germany and Italy.

The ePAL app is a major a step forward in IPAF’s ongoing drive to boost sustainability, as it shifts away from issuing plastic PAL Cards and paper certification to every training candidate successfully completing or renewing an IPAF operator course. The app also speeds up the processing time and reduces the resources required to issue training candidates with their PAL Card and certification.

Peter Douglas, IPAF CEO & MD, says: “The new app helps reduce the number of steps in processing a PAL Card, cutting needless delays and carbon emissions involved in shipping items around the globe for all IPAF Training Centres.

“We are pleased that, following a successful launch in the UK & Ireland, we’re able to extend ePAL into territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania. IPAF’s ePAL brings huge benefits for operators and IPAF Training Centres alike, and we are pleased more people around the world are now able to download the app.”

Søren Brogaard, CEO of Trackunit, an IPAF member company and specialist in fleet management solutions for construction that helped develop the app, says: “The app is performing brilliantly and allows IPAF to communicate directly with operators, for whom it offers a digital platform to record, show and share their qualifications and operating experience. We are also using the app to encourage and make it easier to report an accident or near-miss incident through the IPAF reporting portal. My hope is we can all contribute to building a safer, digital future for operators; pushing the app out into more territories is another significant step forward.”

• To find our more about the new IPAF ePAL mobile app, see www.ipaf.org/ePAL; the app is available for Apple iOS and Android through Google Play and will be updated with additional features as usage demands and evolving technology allows.