Enter the 2025 Working at Height Awards

The spotlight is on! The 2025 Working at Height Awards are now open for entries, kicking off the race to recognize the access and rental industry’s latest and most innovative contributions to safety, productivity and excellence.

Working at Height 2024 Award winners celebrate in Nashville on Nov. 20, 2024.

As part of the Working at Height Conference & Awards event co-organized by Access, Lift & Handlers (AHL) magazine and the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), the Working at Height Awards brings together MEWP manufacturers, rental companies, contractors and suppliers to recognize and celebrate exceptional achievements in safety, innovation and performance.

The awards are free to enter and include eight categories that will cover new product introductions, technologies, work processes and programs. All shortlisted companies receive two complementary tickets for the two-day event that runs Oct. 15-16 at Music City Center in Nashville.

The 2025 Working at Height Awards categories are:

Working at Height Safety Innovation – OEM/Supplier

This award recognizes an access equipment OEM or supplier that has made a significant contribution to improving safety in the working at height sector.

The winner will have demonstrated impactful innovation or sustained commitment to promoting safe practices either within their organization or across the wider industry over the past 12-18 months.

Judging will be based on the following criteria:

• Introduction of new features, products or systems that enhance user safety when using access equipment.
• Internal initiatives that embed a strong safety culture across the organization, which could include design philosophy, training programs or R&D activity.
• Industry engagement: demonstrate an active role in promoting industry-wide safe working at height practices through campaigns, partnerships, education or support of safety standards.
• Where possible, highlight actual results of safety-related innovations or initiatives.

Safety Culture and Leadership Excellence – Rental Industry

This award honors a rental company or individual within a rental company that has provided leadership in creating a strong safety culture throughout its organization and the wider industry.

Among the key judging criteria will be:

• Leadership Commitment: Active leadership, both internally and industry-wide, in driving safety initiatives, setting clear expectations, and leading by example to create a positive, safety-first environment.
• Safety Culture Integration: Demonstrated commitment to safety at every level of the organization, with safety embedded in daily operations, decision-making and company values.
• For an individual, a demonstrated impact on changing or improving the safety culture of a company and/or the wider industry.
• Employee Engagement: evidence of meaningful employee involvement in safety programs, including training, reporting and continuous improvement efforts.

Technology Innovation Award

This award recognizes a significant new technology that advances the working at height and rental industries. The innovation could relate to technical/engineering innovations in MEWPs or telehandlers, or developments in software, IoT/telematics and artificial intelligence systems used by the industry.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

• The innovation should represent a clear advance over existing solutions or add something new, demonstrating originality and producing real benefits for rental companies and users/buyers of MEWPs and telehandlers. These benefits might be in operational efficiency, total cost of ownership, ease of ownership, improved reliability or business intelligence tools.
• Practicality and ease of implementation, with a focus on scalability and real-world application.
• The potential for the innovation to shape future industry practices or set new standards in the working at height and access equipment industry.
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New Product Award – Scissor Lifts

For manufacturers that have launched new scissor lifts. Judges will consider equipment launched from early 2024 and on.

New Product Award - Boom Lifts

For manufacturers that have launched new boom lifts. Judges will consider equipment launched from early 2024 and on.

New Product Award – Atrium Lifts/Compact Crawlers

For manufacturers that have launched new Atrium Lift/Compact Crawlers. Judges will consider equipment launched from early 2024 and on.

IPAF North America Member Company of the Year

To be chosen by IPAF and announced at awards dinner.

IPAF/ALH Person of the Year – North America

To be chosen by IPAF & ALH magazine and announced at the awards dinner.

The winners will be revealed on Oct. 16 at a high-profile ceremony held following the Working at Height Conference earlier that day.

Companies interested in entering can find full category details and entry forms on the official Working at Height website, here. The deadline for entries is July 31.