This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at “Las grúas deberían elevar objetos, no personas”

IPAF welcomes the statement of the WEF, which recommends its use "only in exceptional circumstances"

"The cranes should raise objects, not people"

Drafting Interempresas12/07/2011

July 12, 2011

The International Federation of motorized access (Ipaf - International Powered Access Federation) has welcomed the position paper issued by the Group of products for cranes and lifting equipment of the FEM (Fédération Européenne the Manutention), which States that cranes must not be used to elevate people, except in exceptional circumstances in which the relevant security measures had been taken and held under the specific responsibility of the user.

FEM (Fédération Européenne the Manutention) is the European Association for the materials handling equipment manufacturers. In its position paper dated May 16, 2011 (document FEM CLE MC N 0284), the products group for cranes and lifting equipment of the FEM declares: "mobile cranes not be used never recreational purposes, for example, for lifting people in shows, elastic breaks, meals in suspension at high altitude or elevation of structures with people over or under the same (for example)"(, elevation of tents). Mobile cranes are not intended to raise people; "they can be used to hang in nacelles staff only in exceptional situations, when it is the safest way to do the work".

The Federation only recommends using nacelles in exceptional situations in which is the safest way to do the work.

"The cranes are not designed, manufactured, or intended to operate with personnel, either in construction work or recreational activities"

Safety first

The position paper echoed an earlier statement from the Association of crane motorcades and Pallas mechanical (PCSA), belonging to the AEM and based in USA, which says: "the cranes are not designed, designed or manufactured to operate on staff, whether construction work or recreational activities." "They have been designed to raise objects, not people".

The PCSA is one of the groups of products for the equipment manufacturers Association (AEM), organization that has more than 800 members. The previous statements to respond to a potentially dangerous trend whereby some entrepreneurs use cranes to raise people to high-altitude recreational meals in suspension at high altitude and elastic jumps.

In a show of support for the clarification of the WEF, IPAF CEO Tim Whiteman says aerial platforms built for a specific purpose to represent "an infinitely more secure and accurate mode" to provide access to the execution of specific work at height. "Compare this to a log suspended from a crane by means of a single string, which can antagonize the wind." "The cranes should be used to raise charges and not people".