Weekly Powered Access Industry Briefing – 2 January 2026

Danny Iwanejko

UK & Europe | Cherry Pickers • Spider Lifts • Tracked MEWPs • High-Access Equipment

This weekly briefing pulls together the most relevant updates from across the powered-access and high-access industry, with a focus on new standards, safety guidance, and practical trends that working operators should actually care about.

New British Standards: MEWPs and MCWPs

Two notable British Standards updates have landed:

BS 8460:2025 – Safe Use of MEWPs

This updated standard refreshes guidance on topics including:

  • Planning and risk assessment
  • Working near structures and pinch/crush points
  • Wind considerations and task suitability
  • Load handling devices and attachments
  • Rescue planning and emergency arrangements
  • Expectations around guarding and operator protection

BS 7981:2025 – Mast Climbing Work Platforms (MCWPs)

A new/updated standard covering recommended practices for:

  • Selection and suitability
  • Installation and configuration
  • Maintenance and thorough examination
  • Safe use on-site

Why it matters (operator takeaway):
Standards updates tend to filter into site rules, principal contractor requirements, and audit expectations. Even if you’re not quoting standards day-to-day, these documents often shape what customers and safety teams expect to see in your planning, RAMS, and rescue provisions.

HSE Safety Focus: Entrapment and Crushing Risk

HSE continues to highlight entrapment/crushing incidents as a serious risk category during MEWP operations, particularly where operators can be pinned between the basket controls and nearby structures.

Key practical points being reinforced across guidance and research:

  • Control shrouds/covers alone may not remove the entrapment risk
  • Risk assessment must consider task, proximity hazards, and control positioning
  • Secondary guarding and other safeguards need to be selected with real-world limitations in mind
  • Operator awareness and rescue planning remain critical

Why it matters (operator takeaway):
Entrapment risk is one of those hazards that goes from “fine” to “life-changing” in a split second. The safest operators I know treat it like overhead lines: always planned for, never assumed away.

IPAF: Training and Industry Direction of Travel

IPAF continues to push industry-wide messaging around:

  • Competence, training and standardised good practice
  • Safety leadership and site controls
  • Upcoming industry engagement at major events and conferences

There’s also ongoing attention on how policy and procurement pressures are affecting fleet choices (electric vs hybrid vs diesel), and how training and safe systems of work need to keep pace.

Why it matters (operator takeaway):
Whether you’re an owner-operator or running a small team, IPAF’s direction tends to influence what hire companies, large contractors, and insurers start expecting as “normal”.

Trend Watch: Spider Lifts and Tracked Access Continue to Grow

Spider lifts and tracked MEWPs continue gaining traction across the UK and Europe, driven by:

  • Tight or awkward access routes
  • Delicate ground conditions
  • Uneven terrain where wheeled booms struggle
  • Niche-but-growing sectors (arboriculture, façade work, sensitive sites)

Why it matters (operator takeaway):
Tracked access is increasingly becoming the “go-to” when you need compact footprint + reach + site friendliness. If you’re quoting work where access is the main constraint, spiders are now part of the mainstream conversation rather than a specialist oddity.

Quick Summary for Working Operators

  • New UK standards are tightening expectations around planning, rescue, and safe use
  • Entrapment risk remains a major focus – control covers aren’t a magic fix
  • Training/competence messaging continues to strengthen (and will influence procurement)
  • Spider lifts/tracked MEWPs are steadily moving into more everyday applications

Sources & Further Reading

British Standards – MEWPs & MCWPs

HSE Guidance

IPAF (International Powered Access Federation)

Trade Coverage & General Information
For ongoing industry reporting, machine news, and broader trends from reputable outlets:

Vertikal Magazine – Industry news on access, cranes, MEWPs, standards, and OEM announcements
https://vertikal.net/en/

Access Briefing – Powered access news, analysis and trends
https://www.accessbriefing.com/

About the Author

This article has been edited, curated, and published by Danny Iwanejko, owner of DJI High Access Services Ltd and creator of Dan the Cherry Picker Man, bringing together key updates from manufacturers, industry bodies, and trade publications into an operator-focused summary.

Danny works hands-on in the powered access and high-access industry, using cherry pickers and specialist access equipment day-to-day across roofing, chimney work, inspections, and maintenance.

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