Big and small names triumph at access awards

The three founders of Genie Industries, Lavendon Access Services and smaller rental and training companies from Chile and Singapore were among the winners at the second International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs) held in London on 25 March 2010.

A record audience of more than 430 at the Grange St. Paul’s Hotel joined Roger Brown, Ward Bushnell and Bob Wilkerson in celebrating their Lifetime Achievement Award. Lavendon won the Access Rental Company of the Year Award.

Other winners included Brad Boehler of Skyjack and Kevin O’Shea of Atlanta-based Mastclimbers LLC (joint winners, IPAF Safety Champion of the Year), Spanish manufacturer Mecaplús (New Product of the Year for the ME12SL self-levelling articulated boom platform) and RSC Equipment Rental (Access Industry Sustainability Award).

The full list of winners follows:

Access Rental Company of the Year
Lavendon Access Services

Access International New Product of the Year
Mecaplús (ME12SL)

IPAF Safety Champion of the Year
Brad Boehler, Skyjack (joint winner)
Kevin O’Shea, Mastclimbers (joint winner)

Contribution to Safe Working at Height – Rental Company
A-Plant Powered Access

Contribution to Safe Working at Height – Manufacturer
Niftylift

Contribution to Safe Working at Height – End User
Crown House Technologies

Mast Climbing Work Platform Achievement Award
Harsco Infrastructure (formerly SGB Mastclimbers)

Access Industry Training Award
Serfin

Access Industry Sustainability Award
RSC Equipment Rental

Access International / IPAF Lifetime Achievement Award
Roger Brown, Ward Bushnell, Bob Wilkerson, Genie Industries

Best Marketing Campaign for IPAF Training
Alo Rentals/Alo Training, Chile

IPAF Instructor of the Year
Jildou de Jong, Kamphuis Hoogwerkers (joint winner)
Gerry Palmer, HSS Hire/HSS Training (joint winner)

Best New IPAF Training Centre
BS Technology, Singapore

The judges said that it had been a difficult job choosing the winners and that all winners and shortlisted companies should be congratulated for their achievements. A total of 85 entries were received, 20% more than for the first awards in 2009.

Of Lavendon, the judges said, “Big can often be beautiful. The judges wanted to recognise Lavendon Access Services’ leadership during a difficult year. While expanding through acquisitions and dealing with the economic challenges, it stayed true to its core values, investing in its health and safety activities and in the development of its employees.”

The judges paid tribute to the three founders of Genie: “Roger, Ward and Bob jointly built one of the world’s biggest aerial platform businesses and at the same time helped to develop a rental industry that is now a global business. Although they became a major company, they stayed true to their values of innovation, safety, teamwork and customer satisfaction. Each played a key role in the success of Genie and they leave a legacy of excellence and integrity.”

RSC Equipment Rentals was the first ever winner of the Sustainability award, with the judges stating that its emissions tracking system “will set the standard for environmental awareness and customer services in the rental business worldwide.”

BS Technology of Singapore won the Best New IPAF Training Centre award and was described as having “extraordinary corporate courage in promoting aerial platform training in areas where regulations and common practices are working against them”.

Chile’s Alo Rentals/Alo Training won the Best Marketing Campaign for IPAF Training award for its pioneering efforts to promote operator training in South America.

The judges said that Niftylift, winner of the Contribution to Safe Working at Height – Manufacturer award, should be “congratulated on its timely answer to a real and current safety risk – that of an operator being pinned in the basket by overhead obstructions. Its sensor device on the platform controls has the potential to be a life-saving device.”

They praised the focus on safety at A-Plant Powered Access and said that “the claim that health and safety is part of the company’s DNA is a convincing one. From general policy down to detailed technical issues, A-Plant is A-Plus in safety.”

The awards are jointly organised by Access International and IPAF.

The award winners were selected by an independent panel of judges based on information submitted with official entries. The judging panel comprised:
• Paul Adorian, managing director, Powered Access Certification (PAC), UK
• John Ball, outgoing IPAF president and managing director, Height for Hire Ireland
• Renzo Pagliero, managing director, Multitel Pagliero, Italy
• Murray Pollok, managing editor, Access International, UK
• Andy Studdert, CEO, NES Rentals, USA.

The next IAPAs will be held on 14 April 2011 in Amsterdam. Details at ipaf.org/iapa