IPAF at APF 2024: Promoting Safety in the Tree Care Industry

The 24th edition of the APF Exhibition, held from 19-21 September, was a fantastic opportunity for IPAF to engage with the wider forestry and arboriculture community. Held biennially, the event lived up to its reputation as the UK’s leading forestry event, with over 20,000 attendees and 300 exhibitors showcasing £80 million worth of machinery. 

The event featured exciting competitions such as the World Pole Climbing Championships and UK Lumberjack Championships, along with traditional woodland crafts, horse logging, and more. 

At the IPAF stand, we focused on promoting key safety messages, particularly regarding the use of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) in tree work. MEWPs provide a safe way to access height temporarily for tree care and vegetation control. All operators should be trained and familiarised with the specific MEWP they are required to use. We demonstrated common hazards across various MEWPs, including: ‘Beware of falling objects,’ ‘Keep clear of overhead cables,’ and ‘Attach your lanyard.’ 

Thank you to CMC, Versalift UK, and Niftylift for supplying the machines for our demonstrations. IPAF remains committed to producing relevant and updated guidance for the forestry and arboriculture industries. 

Richard Whiting, UK Market General Manager, who was in attendance, said: "IPAF was delighted to once again connect with attendees at the biggest event in the forestry calendar. APF does an excellent job of promoting the industry to people of all ages. At IPAF, we remain committed to building strong relationships with those in the sector who prioritise safety in their work. We will continue to develop guidance tailored to the tree care industry, and our Global Safety Report provides a wealth of data relevant to arboriculture that we believe will be of great interest. It was great to see IPAF members in attendance and exhibiting, we are looking forward to the next event." 

In addition to the machine demonstrations, IPAF promoted essential guidance, such as ‘Stay Safe When Using MEWPs for Tree Work,’ the 2024 Global Safety Report, and information on operator/manager training. We engaged with professionals across forestry, arboriculture, and timber industries, emphasising the importance of safety and best practices.

Our team was on hand to discuss IPAF’s training programmes for operators and managers, with an updated course tailored to the safe and effective use of powered access machinery set to launch soon.

We look forward to continuing our work to improve safety standards within the tree care industry. Thanks to everyone who visited our stand—we hope to see you again at the next APF event in 2026! For more upcoming events, click HERE.