IPAF North America leader is ALH Person of the Year 2019

Tony Groat at IPAF Innovate 2018

Tony Groat, North America Regional Manager for the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), has been honoured as Person of the Year at the ALH Awards 2019 in San Diego, California, for his work to promote MEWP safety and training and in developing new US and Canadian standards.

The ALH Awards acknowledge and celebrate excellence in the North American powered access industry. Tony was nominated for the Person of the Year category for his contribution to the ANSI and CSA industry standards made during 2018 – specifically, to the development and promotion of new MEWP standards in the US and Canada.

On receiving the 2019 ALH Person of the Year Award, he comments: “I am humbled to be recognized in this way; helping deliver new standards and develop appropriate industry guidance and to align IPAF’s training programs to deliver compliance with the ANSI and CSA requirements has been a lot of hard work, but is absolutely worth it to deliver a consistent approach to design, safe use and training with regards to MEWPs.

“This award is very gratefully received; my thanks go to both the awards organizers and judging panel, and to my colleagues at IPAF and on the various councils and standards committees, who have supported the work so well over the past few years. There is always more to do and we look forward to the new ANSI standards coming into effect in the next few months.”

Andy Studdert, Interim CEO of IPAF, says: “This is well-deserved recognition for all the work Tony has led over the past years and across a long and distinguished career in powered access. All of us at IPAF are delighted to congratulate Tony on being named the ALH Person of the Year!”

“The new standards will doubtless make a huge and lasting positive difference on safety and professionalism in our industry, and Tony has been at the forefront of effecting that change. IPAF staff and members will continue to support this work across North America in the months and years ahead, as together we strive to make the industry as safe as it can possibly be,” he adds.

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