Why Entrapment Is Rising, and How SiOPS Helps Prevent It

Entrapment incidents are rising across the industry. Here’s why — and how Niftylift’s SiOPS® technology helps prevent them.

Entrapment is increasing — the industry must respond

Entrapment is one of the most serious risks when using Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs). It occurs when an operator or platform occupant becomes trapped between the platform structure or controls and an external obstruction. While MEWPs remain among the safest ways to work at height, recent data shows a worrying trend: the IPAF Global Safety Report 2025 recorded a 75% rise in entrapment reports and a 62% rise in entrapment fatalities between 2023 and 2024, with construction accounting for more than a third of all incidents. This reflects findings from the Construction Industry Plant Safety Group (CIPSG), which identified 73 global entrapment fatalities between 2016 and 2020 and noted that such injuries are usually serious and often fatal.

Why entrapment happens

Entrapment often develops in fast-moving environments where MEWPs operate close to overhead structures, steelwork, pipe runs or cladding. Common contributors include:

• Restricted visibility at height

• Complex access routes around structural steelwork or services

• Unexpected movement caused by uneven ground or platform bounce

• Operator distraction or loss of situational awareness

• Poor route planning or rushed tasks

CIPSG notes that operators may be trapped by rising, slewing or telescoping movements near an obstruction, or by accidental activation of controls when forced onto the console. The HSE’s RR961 report highlights that once trapped, sustained involuntary pressure on the controls can continue to drive the MEWP into the obstruction, escalating injury severity within seconds.

Construction carries the highest risk

According to IPAF, 37% of MEWP incidents in 2024 occurred in construction. Typical risk factors include dense overhead steelwork, rapidly changing environments, multiple trades sharing space, frequent manoeuvring in tight areas and driving at height near unfinished structures. Certora’s analysis also stresses that entrapment can occur at low heights and that vigilance during travel and positioning is essential.

Why traditional controls are not enough

Good planning, training, familiarisation, rescue procedures and PFPE are essential, but they cannot eliminate every entrapment. Once an operator is pinned against the controls, those controls can remain activated involuntarily. The HSE, IPAF, CITB and CIPSG all identify sustained involuntary operation as a key factor that increases harm and reduces the chance of self-rescue. This hazard requires engineered protection.

SiOPS® — engineered prevention of sustained involuntary operation

Niftylift’s SiOPS® (Sustained Involuntary Operation Prevention System), fitted as standard on all Niftylift boom lifts, is designed to address this exact risk. SiOPS® detects significant abnormal pressure on the console and:

• Stops all machine movement immediately

• Prevents further drive or lift inputs

• Buys time for the operator to recover

• Enables safe intervention by the ground rescue team

By halting motion when pressure is detected on the control panel, SiOPS® helps prevent escalation and further injury.

Good practice still matters

Industry guidance consistently recommends:

1. Plan the MEWP route carefully — identify and avoid entrapment points; use spotters in high-risk zones.

2. Select the right MEWP — reach, clearance and control precision directly affect safety.

3. Provide specific familiarisation — ensure operators understand each machine’s controls and rescue functions.

4. Maintain clear communication — nominate trained rescue personnel who can intervene immediately.

5. Practise the rescue plan — IPAF notes unrehearsed rescues are a major factor in increased harm.

A safer future for MEWP operation

Safety performance continues to improve, yet entrapment remains a severe risk. Rising incident rates show the need for enhanced measures. Engineered systems should complement robust planning and training. SiOPS® provides a critical protective layer by preventing the most dangerous phase of an entrapment event and demonstrates Niftylift’s commitment to safer work at height.

Download the Entrapment Prevention White Paper

Our comprehensive white paper brings together the latest data, HSE and IPAF guidance and construction-sector insights to explain why entrapments are rising and how to prevent them — including how SiOPS® interrupts sustained involuntary operation.

For more information on Why Entrapment Is Rising, and How SiOPS Helps Prevent It talk to Niftylift Ltd