Study finds MEWPs safer and more efficient

Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) are safer and more effective than other methods of work at height, according to research commissioned by UK-based Crown House Technologies (CHT), part of the Laing O’Rourke Group.

“Following our study we were able to provide evidence that MEWPs are safer, more productive, ergonomic and avoid unnecessary strain injury,” Gerry Mulholland, health and safety leader for CHT, told the Europlatform conference in Milan, Italy.

The findings were the result of a complete review of the work at height procedures (up to 4.5m) for mechanical and electrical installation CHTcarried out last year.

It found that just under a fifth of all accidents on site were related to access equipment. However, only small proportion (19%) was caused by MEWPs, compared with podiums, mobile towers, ladders and A-frames.

Reviewing a two-and-a-half-year period, CHT calculated that podiums accounted for 41% of claims costs while the figure for MEWPs was 11%.

Time and motion studies of different types of access equipment on two different projects showed MEWPs were on average three times more efficient to use than mobile towers and podiums.