Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/280096
Industry Beat 14 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | March 2014 IN THE NEWS Infrastructure, Cross-Border Issues Top AED's Canadian Priorities AED is building its Canadian public policy presence with a focus on infrastructure and cross-border issues. Over the past year, the association has been working with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to complete a report titled "The Foundations of a Competitive Canada: The Need for Strategic Infrastructure Investment," which quantifies Canada's infrastructure challenges and the impact of underinvestment and recommends strategies to address the challenges identified in the report. In 2014, AED will be pushing out resources to help its members be part of the education effort and get directly engaged in dialogues about infrastructure with their members of parliament and government leaders. Beyond infrastructure advocacy, AED has been moni- toring an effort by the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) to change the tax treatment of construction equip- ment. The CCA has proposed moving from the current cost recovery system – 30 percent on a declining balance basis – to a straight line 25 percent per year depreciation schedule, meaning that construction equipment would be fully depreci- ated over five years, as it is in the U.S. The five-year life would more closely match the useful life of a machine and encourage new capital investment. Additionally, AED has been leading efforts on two policy issues with enormous market activity for equipment distributors on both sides of the border: the Keystone XL pipeline and the new Detroit-Windsor Bridge. Decem December mber 2013 The Foundations of a Competitive Canada: The Need f ed for Strategic Infra rastr structure Investment tment AWP Fatalities Reported for 2013 Through IPAF Database There were 53 fatalities worldwide in 2013 involving aerial work platforms (AWPs), according to preliminary results from IPAF's accident database. This is an increase from 32 fatalities in 2012, the first year of the accident-reporting project. The main causes of these fatali- ties were: overturn (16), fall from height (13), entrapment (10), electrocution (7), impact with AWP (4) and falling object (2). Almost half of the number of reported fatali- ties (26 or 49 percent) involved mobile booms. Fourteen fatalities (26 percent) involved mobile verticals and 11 (21 percent) involved static booms. Thirty (57 percent) of the fatalities occurred in the U.S., home of 54 percent of the world's rental fleet. IPAF's accident reporting project has filled a gap where there was previously no single mechanism for reporting and analyzing serious accidents involving AWPs and no definitive data on the number and main causes of fatal accidents. IPAF technical officer Chris Wraith stressed that the accident project is still in an early stage and cautioned against direct comparisons in its second year. "It will be at least 2016-2017 before any realistic year-on-year comparison on the frequency of accidents can be of value," he said. All manufacturers, rental companies, contractors and users are encouraged to report any known fatal and serious accidents involving aerial work platforms and mast climbing work platforms worldwide at www.ipaf.org/accident. JCB dealers will have a new place to entertain customers and prospects. The company plans to construct a $49 million golf course next to its world headquarters in Staffordshire, England, to help boost sales and build global awareness of its brand. A spec- tacular 18-hole, par-72 championship golf course located on 240 acres of rolling countryside will be built to tour-quality standards. Woodseat Hall, an 18th century mansion currently in ruins, will have a new lease on life under plans to renovate it as the course club- house, complete with a new luxury spa, leisure facility and five-star hotel-style accommodation for JCB guests from across the world. "The golf course will be the biggest marketing tool available to JCB in its history, helping grow sales and create jobs," said Graeme Macdonald, JCB chief executive officer (pictured at right). The course will be made available primarily to JCB's network of 770 global dealers. Upon completion, golf days will become a feature of the wider JCB visitor experience, which already includes factory visits, the "Story of JCB" exhibition and machine demonstrations. JCB Plans $49 Million Golf Course