Familiarity breeds competence
June 1st 2008

Don't confuse familiarisation with training says IPAF.Training is a structured process that gives vital general knowledge and skills, while familiarisation is a follow on that covers specific machines.Both are crucial for safety and efficiency

Training is not familiarisation. Some people think that showing someone the basic functions of a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) or a mast climbing work platform (MCWP) amounts to training. It does not.Training is a structured process to provide people with the adequate and necessary knowledge and skills to use work equipment properly.

A trained platform operator knows how to perform a pre-start inspection before each use.He knows that he must perform a site inspection to check the ground conditions for items like drop-offs, holes and debris in the area he will be working.He knows how to use outriggers, stabilisers or spreader pads correctly.A trained platform operator checks blind spots while operating the machine.He wears a full body harness with a short restraint lanyard attached to a suitable anchor point when working on boom type platforms.These are some of the vital things covered in training that help platform operators work safely and effectively.

So what is familiarisation? Familiarisation follows on from basic training. It is about making people aware of machine-specific features on a piece of equipment that they may be using for the first time.Whereas training provides general principles on how to use platforms safely and correctly, familiarisation focuses on the specific machine, eg how the emergency descent function works on a specific machine.A machine-specific familiarisation should cover the manufacturer's instructions and warnings, the features of the specific model, control functions, safety devices and emergency lowering procedures.

Familiarisation is important because operators are usually trained on a certain machine, but may find themselves using a variety of machines on the job.An arrow pointing forward might mean one thing on one machine and a different thing on another.The emergency lowering system might be located in a different part of the machine. If operators were trained in the category static boom on a vehicle-mounted platform,would they be equally adept at operating a trailer-mounted platform in the same category? This is where familiarisation comes in. Operators who intend to use any machine with characteristics (weight, height, width, length or complexity) that differ significantly to the training they have undergone should receive a familiarisation to cover the differences.

IPAF has issued technical guidance F1, which gives practical advice on what constitutes familiarisation. Printed leaflets can be ordered free of charge by calling the number below. Or download the online version from the Publications section of www.ipaf.org. Powered access is a safe and efficient way to work at height, and should be kept that way.MEWPs and MCWPs should only used by those who are properly trained and familiarised.

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