The U.S. mobile access market has seen a broad trend towards stricter regulations around Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs). The United States has been an outlier in the global market where the performance and accuracy of these safety systems was below ISO norms. That is changing.
This trend is best seen in ANSI A92, which was made industry standard in June 2020. The new revisions put more rigor on aerial equipment wind ratings, chassis angles and load capacity of MEWPs, moving closer towards global ISO standards.
This isn’t a fluke, but an indicator to the market that liability and safety will continue to be a higher priority. Increased scrutiny in safety will drive the market as projects rebound in the later part of 2021 and 2022, and will be a cornerstone of market competition. Projects, bids and revenue will begin to tilt in favor of the OEM who can navigate these changes and deliver safety to the market.
Examining A92, we can see a greater emphasis on:
- Safe Use Planning: Mitigating site risks and ensuring MEWP safety.
- Supervisor Training: Supervising the safe and effective use of MEWP equipment.
- Occupant Training: Training for occupants in MEWP safety.
- Maintenance and Repair Personnel Training: Training in the inspection and maintenance of MEWP equipment.
This creates a clear picture in terms of market trends. MEWP leaders everywhere are mostly unanimous that these new ANSI regulations are the beginning – not the end – for stricter accountability in MEWP safety. MOBA agrees with this overall assessment. We’ve seen this focus on safety and innovation in the market firsthand globally and we expect the U.S. to begin aligning with global safety standards, which has driven market competition for the last decade.
Safety risk continues to be a high priority for the typical OEM in Europe where these safety standards have been industry norms for many years. Being a partner with some of the largest and innovative OEMs in the European market and with over 20 years of expertise , MOBA is already positioned for the new ANSI changes and the inevitable strengthening of regulations in the U.S. market.
