IPAF to ‘fill gap’ in digital processing of training

Peter Douglas, IPAF’s CEO, said next year will see “fully digital” testing and processing of the practical element of PAL card training.

“That is the only part of the process that still uses paper,” said Douglas, speaking at the morning session of the IPAF Summit which opened today in Istanbul, Turkey, “It will fill the missing piece in going fully digital.”

In addition, Douglas said that from January 2027 each country will be able to choose to go totally digital – “digital by default” – on PAL cards and certificates. In the year-to-date 83% of cards and certificates were digital.

Peter Douglas, IPAF CEO, at the IPAF Summit in Istanbul. (Image: KHL Group)

The UK and Ireland have already agreed on that course and others expected to follow.

Douglas also said that next year the operator course will also be made available in three additional languages, traditional Chinese, Hungarian and Finnish.

Growth after ‘difficult 2025’

In his Summit presentation Douglas said PAL card training this year had “started slowly, but after a disappointing first quarter, the Federation has got back to good year-on-year growth in training numbers and membership.”

This follows a difficult 2025, when there was a softening in the European market and others, he said.

This year also saw the launch in January of IPAF’s ‘Spotter’ course, with more than 500 candidates having already completed the course. This is currently available in English, but translated versions are being prepared.

“A key milestone in September was the first meeting of the International Training Committee represented by expert members from 14 different countries”, said Douglas.

“Historically the IPAF training committee was very UK-centric. Going forward this new committee will be tasked with managing and improving IPAF’s training portfolio.”

He reported that IPAF now has 2,045 members in 84 countries, with Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic being the latest additions this year.

Contractor engagement

Douglas also highlighted the association’s focus on engagement with contractors; “It has been a key focus of IPAF for several years now.

More than 300 delegates at the IPAF Summit in Istanbul. (Image: KHL Group)

“The UK Contractors group have tasked IPAF with producing a site induction video that will be shown to all MEWP users attending their sites as part of the site induction. This powerful tool can be translated into other core languages.”

At the conclusion of his presentation, Douglas congratulated Turkish manufacturer Maksan Lift on becoming IPAF’s first Mast Climbing and Hoist Training centre in Turkey, inviting representatives of the company on to the stage.