IPAF North America hosted the Working at Height Conference & Awards on October 15–16, 2025, at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee – bringing together industry leaders from construction, utilities, manufacturing, and equipment rental sectors to share innovations, insights, and best practices for safer and more efficient work at height.
Because Christmas or other festive lighting installations often take place in high-footfall areas (shopping streets, pedestrian zones, municipal squares) and often under constrained timescales (night work, off hours) the additional risks need careful management.
IPAF is excited to announce that once again it will be exhibiting at the APEX Show 2026, taking place from 2–4 June 2026 at the MECC in Maastricht, Netherlands.
The countdown has officially begun for one of the powered access industry’s most anticipated events – the IPAF Summit & International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs) 2026, taking place in Istanbul, Turkey, on 21-22 April 2026.
IPAF is advising members that there has been a revision to the effective date for the ANSI A92 suite of standards, which has now been extended to March 1 2020.
IPAF is pleased to be able to announce Peter Douglas as its new CEO & Managing Director, following a thorough recruitment process that attracted almost 50 applicants from around the world. The new CEO & MD will take up post on 1 December 2019 and will be based in the UK.
Senior representatives of IPAF have given more feedback to the UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) of MPs looking into falls from height in the workplace at a recent meeting in Westminster, including a review of IPAF’s accident reporting project.
MEWPs and technological advancements in the powered access industry can help to enhance safety and efficiency and aid people in their work, rather than replace people altogether, according to speakers at the Europlatform 2019 conference in Nice, France.
Andy Studdert, interim CEO and MD of IPAF, has used his closing remarks at the Europlatform 2019 conference in Nice, France, to pay tribute to departed IPAF President Brad Boehler, who stepped down after leaving his role at Skyjack recently.
Norty Turner has been named as the President of IPAF, after Brad Boehler decided to step down having recently left his role at member firm Skyjack. Karin Nars of Dinolift becomes Deputy President and Karel Huijser of JLG is named as Vice President.
The first training candidates have successfully passed IPAF’s PAL+ advanced MEWP operator course in a virtual reality (VR) environment using MEWP simulators, with the first certifications taking place at AFI-Uplift’s IPAF Training Centre near Leeds, Yorks.
IPAF is heading to Santiago, Chile, to take part in CONEXPO Latin America, for the major construction and infrastructure trade show that will be hosted on October 2-5.
Leading manufacturers have signed a pledge to ensure that all operators of boom-type MEWPs are provided with a full-body harness and correct lanyard at a special event hosted by IPAF during the BICES event in Beijing, China.
Tony Groat, North America Regional Manager for 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.
All rental/hire members of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) in the UK have “levelled up” to the IPAF Rental+ minimum standard, which assures people seeking to hire mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) that an IPAF member company will conform to the highest industry standards of safety and professionalism.
More than 50 delegates attended the first ever IPAF workshop on training and safety standards to be held in Oman, answering demand in the country to establish robust standards to improve operator safety and technical inspections of MEWP machines.
More than 300 delegates attended the IPAF Asia Conference and Showcase, held for the second time in Hangzhou, capital of China’s Zhejiang province, on 17 July 2019.
Attendees from all levels of the powered access industry participated in the second annual IPAF Innovate workshop, presentation & award event in Chicago, IL, which benefitted from a change in location and date from last year’s inaugural event.
After several months of development and fine-tuning, IPAF has announced it is now ready for “controlled trials” of its PAL+ advanced operator assessment in a virtual reality (VR) environment using MEWP simulators at some members’ training centres.
OHSSAI has amplified calls from IPAF to increase take-up of comprehensive MEWP operator training in India, to help eradicate unsafe practices such as using ground controls to elevate untrained personnel to carry out work at height.
Tim Whiteman has stepped down from the position of Managing Director and CEO of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) after 15 years in the position. Former IPAF President Andy Studdert will act as interim CEO to provide continuity as Tim Whiteman hands over and while the search for a new CEO is conducted.
The full line-up of industry thought-leaders confirmed to lead the topic-specific work groups at Innovate 2019 has been announced, with the second edition of the new workshop, challenge and award-format event hosted by IPAF in Chicago, July 16-17.
IPAF is pleased to again support UK Associations Week (17-21 June), which offers a chance for all British trade and membership organisations to celebrate the work they do, having been established in 2017 by the Institute of Association Leadership (IAL).
Global automotive manufacturer Renault is working to address global site safety concerns and has been raising awareness with a number of events aimed at management and safety employees, with assistance from IPAF representatives.
MEWP overturn incidents often result in serious injuries or fatalities. Instability leading to overturn is commonly among the top four causes of lost time incidents (LTIs) annually, according to global data.