There are now half a million valid PAL Cards (Powered Access License, or Powered Access Licensed-Registration in North America) worldwide, marking the success of the International Powered Access Federation's (IPAF’s) voluntary, industry-led operator training program in keeping the use of powered access equipment safe.

“This is a tremendous success for IPAF members,” said IPAF CEO Tim Whiteman. “Our members created and launched the platform operator training program in 1991, not because the law mandated it, but because they had a vision of a safe and professional industry. IPAF manages the program on behalf of its members and the income is re-invested in the training program and other safety initiatives, such as the ‘Clunk Click’ harness campaign, the spreader pads campaign, or the accident reporting project.”

A valid PAL Card is international proof that the cardholder has been trained to operate powered access equipment safely and effectively. PAL Cards can be issued in standard or Smart PAL Card (machine-readable) versions. They are valid for five years and can be verified online at www.ipaf.org. IPAF’s PAL Card operator training program is certified by TÜV as conforming to ISO 18878. There are currently 615 IPAF-approved training centers in 28 countries.

“IPAF’s Powered Access Rental Market Reports estimate that there are about 950,000 aerial work platforms in the rental fleet worldwide,” noted Whiteman. “With the number of PAL Cards currently at around half of the worldwide AWP rental fleet, we have set a goal of reaching a million valid PAL Cards by 2017. We congratulate our members on this achievement and look forward to working with them to keep the industry safe through trained operators.”