13.12.2007

100,000th Oz Card

The Elevating Work Platform Association of Australia (EWPA) has registered its 100,000th Trained Operator under its Yellow Card operator training scheme.

Ian McLeod a warehouse production manager at John Gibson Displays of Victoria was the actual 100,000th Trained Operator. He was trained by Andrew Thomson of Coates Hire and presented with a commemorative plaque last week at a lunch to celebrate the milestone.
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(L-R)EWPA Victoria president Tim Nuttall, Ian McLeod the 100,000th card holder and Bernie Kiekebosch president of EWPA

McLeod said: “Our EWP trainer gave us a total understanding of how the machine works and operates. It was a very good education and a natural progression from our forklift training. Plus it ensures we meet our OHS requirements.”

“John Gibson Displays designs and installs custom exhibition display stands and as a consequence, a lot of our work takes place at various heights. Working on ladders at these heights is not safe, so we use scissor lifts to achieve what we need to. The number one priority for us is safety, ” he added.

The EWPA Yellow Card was set up in the late 1980’s and is a nationally accredited programme now run in cooperation with Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT) and recognised by all major manufacturers, suppliers and users of aerial work platforms.

The Yellow Card initiative meets the two key objectives of the Australian Occupational Health & Safety Acts:

•To confirm the operators of specific types of EWPs have been trained in the safe use of the work platform; and

•The supplier, employer and operator all have documentary evidence the required “duty of care” has been met or exceeded.