IPAF accredits first training centre in Kenya
Kailey’s consortium becomes the country’s first IPAF-certified training centre for MEWP operators during six-day visit to Nairobi
Quality powered access operator training is now available in Kenya after a six-day visit from representatives of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), during which Kaileys Consortium became the east African country’s first IPAF-certified training centre. Jur Kamsteeg, IPAF’s Benelux Representative and also a qualified IPAF Senior Instructor, and Richard Whiting, IPAF’s UK & Ireland General Manager, with responsibility for some other English-speaking nations worldwide, joined Kaileys for its work at height safety week.
During the visit the representatives completed practical training of four nominated instructors as well as overseeing the company’s training centre audit, and submitted the necessary paperwork to officially certify Kaileys Consortium as Kenya’s first IPAF Training Centre.
In September 2021, a new IPAF membership category was announced for access sector safety professionals.
“This was a fantastic visit to accredit IPAF’s first training centre in Kenya. It was rewarding not only to progress the instructor training and audit process, but also to discuss work at height safety more broadly with Kaileys owner Ken Kogei and his team, along with Ambassador David Ongesa, Country Head of Quality, Health, Safety, Security & Environment at Kansai Plascon Kenya, who is also President of the Workplace Safety Professionals Association of Kenya (WSPAK),” said Whiting on the announcement.
Once the instructor training had been completed and audit paperwork processed, the IPAF delegation stayed on to observe the first cohort of trainees receive their IPAF operator instruction and assessments. The first of which were ten training candidates that underwent a two-day operator training course on 3a category machines, followed by a further seven candidates on the same two-day course.
These first IPAF trainees included powered access operators in Kenya’s telecommunications, brewing, titanium, grain-handling, cement, petroleum and energy industries, as well as employees of Mars Wrigley Confectionery and Kenya Airways.
In October 2021, the IPAF approved Serious Labs’ MEWP VR simulator PAL card renewals and in May 2022, it launched its ‘Women in Powered Access’ initiative.
