MCWPs first emerged in the mid-80s and 20% of sites using scaffolding now have them. As the name suggests, an MCWP is a working platform attached to a mast fixed to the side of a building. It is used to move workers and materials up and down tall buildings and is most common on refurbishments of high-rise tower blocks and for transporting heavy and bulky materials such as over-cladding and glass panels.
When the platforms first emerged, Health & Safety Executive guidance tagged them onto scaffolding, as they weren't thought widely used enough to have their own standard. The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) updated the guidance in 1997, but MCWPs didn't have a standard of their own until BS 7981:2002 was published last month.
About time too, believes Andrew Reid, chairman of the committee that drafted BS 7981. "This will clear up the confusion over which party is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating mast climbers. MCWPs have traditionally been treated as a piece of plant to hire, but contractors have started to realise over the last four years that they need to be incorporated as part of an overall offering from a specialist contractor."
The standard defines clear responsibilities for all parties in the chain, from client to contractor, rental companies to manufacturers. It works on the principle of appointed persons. The supplier of the mast climber appoints someone to plan, install, erect and dismantle it. This person also has to instruct the user on how to operate the MCWP and when it needs maintenance.
The appointed person from the user's side is responsible for making sure that the MCWP is operated in accordance with the supplier's instructions and that everyone using it has been properly trained and assessed. The user is also responsible for maintenance, although the supplier usually carries this out.
Now, instead of each tender document having to spell out what it means by an MCWP, access methods and specification, all that needs to be done is refer to BS 7891. That's quite a saving in paperwork and time.
The worry before the standard was introduced was that untrained people were operating the platforms, causing safety risks, and that they were lumped in with scaffolding, despite being a totally different kind of equipment. The standard means contractors can now write into tender documents that only certified people with cards verified by the IPAF can install the platforms and train users.
Iain Paterson, a principal inspector with the HSE and another member of the committee that created the standard, says that in general MCWPs aren't unsafe. "It's fair to say we don't have many accidents with mast climbers, but if they do collapse, they can do so in a big way." The HSE has investigated eight incidences involving mast climbers since 1997 (see factfile below).
Dave Carruthers, director of Sunderland Building Services and user of MCWPs, says the standard will help to clear up confusion with other members of the project team over their use. "Structural engineers seem to have a problem getting their heads round how the platforms work. They are always asking us to put on extra fixings, even though I assure them we put them up in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. This standard will help clear up that confusion."
The danger zone
Since 1997, the Health & Safety Executive has investigated eight incidents involving MCWPs. Four people have been injured, one seriously. Two involved mobile MCWPs. In both cases, the platforms were overturned when moved sideways, because those operating them did not follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Two accidents were a result of part of the platform falling off and hitting someone on the head. Two collapsed during dismantling because a proper system of work wasn’t followed. One accident was caused by an erector getting their hands caught in the mechanism, and the other by an MCWP getting caught in scaffolding.Source
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