Why IPAF's Global Safety Report Matters to Every MEWP Operator

When it comes to improving safety in the powered access industry, few resources are as important as IPAF's Global Safety Report. Produced using incident data collected from around the world, the report helps identify the most common causes of serious injuries and fatalities, allowing the industry to better understand risk and, most importantly, prevent future incidents.

As part of our ongoing interview series, we recently sat down with Paul Roddis, Training Manager at IPAF, to discuss the value of the Global Safety Report, why incident reporting matters, and how the data is helping shape safer working practices across the industry.

"The Incident Reporting Is the Hub of What IPAF Do"

One of the strongest points Paul made during the discussion was the importance of incident reporting to IPAF's wider safety work. Paul explained that IPAF has now been collecting incident data for around 14 years, creating an increasingly clear picture of what is actually happening on sites across the world. By analysing reports from operators, employers and organisations, IPAF can identify the most common causes of serious incidents and use that information to influence everything from safety campaigns and guidance through to the training delivered in classrooms and practical environments.

Building a More Complete Picture

Historically, much of the focus was on fatal incidents. More recently, IPAF has expanded the report to include both fatal and major incidents, helping create a broader understanding of the risks facing operators and those working around powered access equipment. "The fact that someone didn't die doesn't mean it's really less important."

Although the reporting categories have evolved, the approach to training remains consistent. The aim is still to understand where incidents occur, why they occur, and how they can be prevented.

Why Reporting Matters

The value of the Global Safety Report depends entirely on the information being submitted. During our discussion, we spoke about the different types of events that can be reported to IPAF, including accidents, near misses and equipment failures. Reports can be submitted through the IPAF website, the ePAL app and IPAF's Safety Portal, and can be completed anonymously if preferred.

Paul was keen to reassure operators and organisations that confidentiality is a priority. Only a very small number of authorised individuals have access to identifying information and, before the data is analysed, it is anonymised to remove details that could identify individuals or businesses.

That means reporting can focus on what really matters: sharing information that may help prevent future incidents.

What the Report Has Shown

After more than a decade of collecting and analysing data, IPAF has developed a clear understanding of the most common causes of serious incidents involving MEWPs.

These include:

• Falls from the platform
• Electrocution
• Machine overturns
• Entrapment
• Collisions
• Machine failure

The real value of understanding these trends is that they can be built directly into training programmes. "What that allows us to do of course is to build that into the training and literally be able to teach people how to prevent that happening.". The industry then learns from real-world data and uses it to improve competence, awareness and decision-making.

What This Means for Training

One of the most encouraging points raised during the interview was that incident rates continue to reduce despite MEWP use increasing across the world.

Looking at incident numbers alone does not always tell the full story. When viewed alongside the growth in powered access usage, the data shows that safety performance continues to improve.

Paul explained that organisations, instructors and operators who take safety seriously are making a measurable difference, and that is exactly where quality training plays such an important role.

At Certora, we regularly see how effective IPAF training improves confidence, competence and decision-making on site. The Global Safety Report provides further evidence that the right training, delivered to the right people and reinforced by a strong safety culture, has a positive impact across the industry.

The 2026 IPAF Global Safety Report has just recently been released and we look forward to working with IPAF in the future to talk through this year’s reporting and the differences since last year.

Watch the Full Interview

Our exclusive interview with Paul Roddis goes into much more detail about the Global Safety Report, incident reporting, and how the data is helping improve safety across the powered access industry.

Watch the full interview below to hear the discussion for yourself.