Two new BSI Standards Publications have been published - BS 8460:2025 'Safe use of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) - Code of practice' and BS 7981:2025 'Mast climbing work platforms (MCWPs) – Selection, configuration, installation, maintenance, thorough examination and safe use – Code of practice'.
The recent UK Budget included a significant change that will be of interest to our rental members. From January 2026, equipment purchased for lease, which was previously excluded from capital allowances, will now qualify for a 40% First Year Allowance (FYA). This follows sustained lobbying from across the industry to correct a long-standing inconsistency in the capital allowances system.
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.
IPAF to hold its first Women in Powered Access webinar, themed ‘Women in Leadership,’ one of three in a series of live webinars, free of charge to both members and non-members.
The first IPAF Approved Training Centre opens in Thailand following the tenth IPAF Asia Conference held in Bangkok. IPAF site visit sponsor Promech Resources leads the way in powered access operator training.
The IPAF Asia Conference was held for the first time in Thailand with over 150 attendees to support the country’s developing market and IPAF’s growing membership in the region.
A new representative to cover mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan has been announced by IPAF, with Tim Mo set to take up the post from 1 August.
A new standard to help equipment rental companies meet safety requirements and comply with legislation and to assist them in consistently delivering excellent customer service is set for launch at IPAF’s Asia Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, 3-4 August.
A new EU Machinery Regulation has been introduced, which will replace the current EU Machinery Directive, has been published at the end of June, and it will enter into force during July, and IPAF has informed its members to be aware of the changes.
Places are booking fast for IPAF Elevation UK, which will mark the federation’s 40th anniversary at The Belfry Hotel & Resort in the West Midlands, on 16 & 17 November.
In 2022, both the European and US MEWP rental markets boomed, though rental and utilisation rates have yet to return to levels seen in 2019 amid uncertainty around high inflation and ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to the latest IPAF/Ducker report.
Attendees at the IPAF Summit 2023, held in Berlin, Germany, on 20 April, enjoyed presentations on the theme “The Future of Powered Access: Dynamic, Digital, Diverse”.
Despite incident reporting increasing over the past year, the fatality rates of the most common types of accidents have declined, according to IPAF’s Global Safety Report.
A free webinar has been created to mark the publication of this year’s IPAF Rental Market Reports, compiled exclusively for IPAF by research specialist Ducker.
A new representative to assist the IPAF’s Swiss members has been appointed, with Roger Grossniklaus taking up the post as Switzerland Regional Manager in June.
A global safety campaign pointing out risks of working at height in the vicinity of power lines will be among the messages promoted by IPAF at the APEX event on 6-8 June.
IPAF has agreed an official memorandum of understanding committing to closer co-operation in the realm of work at height safety with the Korea Crane Association.
A promising future lies ahead for members of IPAF Switzerland, which celebrates its 18th birthday this year with announcements on key improvements to its quality MEWP training programme, including updates to courses, digitalisation of delivery and the ePAL mobile app that already has more than 2,000 daily Swiss users.
Members and friends of IPAF are invited to share their industry memories, featuring favourite moments, innovations, and influential people from the past four decades,
as part of the federation’s 40th anniversary celebrations.
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.
