2022 Access & Handling Summit to take place on 16 November
The event aims to provide a platform for work-at-height customers, equipment manufacturers and operators to engage in dialogue across a variety of key topics
The third edition of Construction Machinery Middle East (CMME)’s popular Access & Handling Summit will take place on 16 November at the Radisson Red hotel in Dubai Silicon Oasis.
The event will feature a number of panel discussions and presentations and will kickoff at 9am on the day. Registration is complementary for professionals from the access and handling, crane, construction, facilities management, power, transport, and equipment rental sectors.
Discussing some of the key themes of the forthcoming event, Mark Dowdall, Editor of Construction Machinery Middle East explained, ‘One of the big things we will examine is the ‘machine’ and how it can be best used and managed both on construction sites and in the post-construction phase for facility management and maintenance.”
In May 2022, rental specialist Johnson Arabia spoke to Dowdall about how it is creating a safer environment for end users.
He added, “In addition to machine enhancements, advances in technology are better equipping fleet operators to manage large, diverse fleets of access equipment. The event will offer the opportunity to explore these changes and delve into other challenges being faced by manufacturers, rental companies, fleet managers and operators including safety and training.”
The first panel discussion of the day will focus on how technology is changing mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) management and working at height, while the second will centre on training regional machinery operators. As with previous editions of the event, there will be outdoor machinery demonstrations, as well as several opportunities to network. The full agenda will be shared through the summit’s dedicated website here.
The work-at-height market has been impacted by several trends in the last couple of years and has seen players in the sector evolving to keep pace. Commenting on some of the trends he’s observed in the market in 2022, Dowdall notes, “Over the last several months alternative power sources such as lithium batteries and hydrogen technology have continued to develop, making these further viable alternatives to diesel engines on job sites.”
In July, the IPAF said that it had accredited its first training centre in Kenya.
“When it comes to aerial work platforms (AWPs), more models of this type have been added in the region with companies increasingly considering the total cost of ownership (TCO) before making a purchase. Some local municipalities have also started to specify electric machines only, so this is encouraging the electric machine change further.”
Dowdall believes that dialogue amongst stakeholders is vital for every player in the market to keep abreast of changes and keep pace with them. He notes, “Whether it’s training operators or increasing the maximum lifespan of the machine, doing these things effectively means having open forums of dialogue between all the different stakeholders. This conference aims to provide just that.”
Sharing his thoughts on the one key takeaway he hopes delegates will leave the summit with, Dowdall concludes, “I hope through this forum delegates not only get an insight into what’s happening on the ground level but can walk away better equipped to deal with their own unique challenges.”
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