Nationwide Access, the country’s leading powered access rental company, is alerting users of powered access equipment to be on their guard against bogus trainers and worthless certification. The move comes hard on the heels of a warning from the Health and Safety Executive about spurious training certificates and plant operators’ licences.

It seems that a number of unscrupulous training centres are continuing to offer what they claim to be a nationally recognised certificate, knowing full well that, while the instructor is qualified to the required standard, the resulting certification is not. The certification from these organisations may well be deemed "evidence of training", but contractors generally want to see certification from the CITB [Construction Industry Training Board] or IPAF [The International Powered Access Federation].

Nationwide is reminding companies hiring powered access equipment that the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 are very clear. They require the employer to ensure that equipment is operated only by people who are trained to operate it safely, and the only way that the standard of training can be guaranteed is when it is accredited via a nationally recognised training scheme.

Certainly there seems evidence of contractors finding themselves in the predicament of producing unacceptable licences to their customers, resulting in financial loss, reduced productivity and a damaged reputation.

Robert Wisniewski of Barnsley-based steel fabrication and erection company, Wisconco Limited, readily admits his frustration when Wisconco’s existing licences were rejected, as he always believed he had fulfilled his training obligation. Doncaster-based shopfitting and display company, Norking Aluminium Limited's contract supervisor, Paul Casterton, tells much the same tale. He says: "We wasted time and money on training that proved to be unacceptable to our customer.” He continues: “Nationwide Access responded to our problem by providing nationally recognised certification, and the powered access licence from IPAF assures us that our training certification will not be questioned in the future."

Nationwide runs fully accredited fast-track operator training schemes covering self propelled scissor lifts and booms, truck mounted booms, trailer mounted booms and vertical personnel platforms. The courses provide operators with a nationally recognised powered access operator’s licence that is approved by the CITB or IPAF.

Nationwide is part of the publicly-quoted Lavendon Group Plc and is headquartered in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. The Group is European market leader in the powered access rental market, trading under the name Zooom in France, Germany, Spain and Austria. Full details on the Nationwide offering of booms, scissor lifts and truck mounted units are included in Nationwide’s new Guide to Powered Access, and can also be found at
www.nationwideaccess.com.

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