‘MEWP safety changes take too long’, says Loxam’s Paul Rankin

Actions to improve safety in the use of aerial platforms should take two or three years and not 10, said Loxam’s Paul Rankin at the IPAF Summit in Dublin on 13 March.

Rankin, who is chief operating officer for Loxam’s Powered Access Division, said the pandemic had proved that the industry could adapt to new work practices very quickly, and that OEMs, IPAF and rental companies could all do more, and more quickly, to implement new safety technologies.

Paul Rankin of Loxam speaking at the 2025 IPAF Summit in Dublin. (Photo: KHL)

He gave the example of entrapment devices, harness technology, and the upcoming issue of anti-entrapment on scissor lifts.

“When it comes to safety - not features and benefits, but safety innovation - if there’s things that we can do, let’s get together and let’s embrace it and let’s make sure it’s not a 10-year window to get something adopted”, he said, “Let’s make sure it’s a two-, three-year window to get something adopted.”

In the case of anti-entrapment on self-propelled booms, Rankin said it had taken 10 years for devices to become widely accepted. He argued that anti-entrapment for scissor lifts should now be adopted quickly.

“This is about a kind of cry for action here to say adoption, in my opinion, takes too long in this industry”, said Rankin, “It’s the same issues that we have over and over again [falls from the basket, entrapment]. Let’s work together and much faster and let’s get things mandated and into this market quicker.”

Rankin said the whole supply chain could have an impact, but added that OEMs should play a leading role. He accepted that his own business, Nationwide Platforms – Loxam’s operation in the UK – needed to learn from the past in how it marketed its safety devices.

He concluded; “What would give you comfort that when your people are operating a MEWP, they were operating it safely? Let’s get the OEMs together and let’s say this is what this audience needs, let’s get it adopted and let’s get it into the market. And if we set that out, I think we’ll be in a far better place.”

Rankin was speaking in the morning session of the IPAF Summit. More than 520 people registered for the event, a record number. The winners of the IAPA awards will be announced during the evening dinner.