The aim of the agreement is to provide advice and assistance to each other's organisation and respective members by recognising and benefiting from each other's knowledge and skill base.
The Access Industry Forum, which represents all sectors of the access industry, will provide the following support in respect of working at height: A dedicated enquiry service to all APS registered members and practices; Provide information and resource for the APS website and publications; Supply expert speakers for APS regional CPD seminars and conferences; Offer working at height training and guidance to APS members; Engage with APS on any legislative, policy, technical or guidance matters;b Supply regular articles and features for the APS Digest magazine; Promote APS as the lead authority in its specialist area.
In return, the Association for Project Safety will: Provide advice and guidance to AIF and its member organisations regarding construction health and safety risk management; Work with AIF to help qualify the term 'competence' in the context of working at height; Promote AIF as its working at height partner.
James Ritchie, head of corporate affairs at APS said, "Through this strategic alliance it is hoped that our members, armed with greater working at height knowledge, will be better placed to carry out their duties as CDM co-ordinators and designers and thereby provide clients with a superior service."
Commenting for the AIF, Neil Tomlinson, marketing manager at NASC said, "Competence is at the heart of working at height. This strategic partnership is an obvious next step in joined up thinking between our two organisations to ensure that we jointly provide the best possible, objective information about working at height."
(Jim Evans)