Innovation and continued improvement are achieved by the listening that shapes them, says Steve Napieralski, President at OZ Lifting.

July 2026 | ILH Magazine | By Staff

On the threshold of another Global Lifting Awareness Day (GLAD), and as my company’s new stainless steel davit cranes hit the market, I’m reminded that staying in tune with industry is the bedrock of progress. In simple terms, the ability to read the room remains essential. Perhaps it is no coincidence we are built with two ears and only one mouth.

When the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) introduced its GLAD tagline – ‘Not all lifting equipment is created equal’ – it prompted reflection on how widely that message is truly absorbed among manufacturers, their channel partners, and end users. While the sentiment is one I fully support, it does raise a breader question: why, on the awareness day’s seventh staging, does such a fundamental reminder still need to be made so explicitly?

This isn’t marketing jargon. LEEA is right that lifting accessories and equipment are routinely purchased without the grade information, environmental constraints or duty rating data that determines whether a product is actually suitable for the application it will be used in. When procurement decisions are made on load ratings alone, the gap between what the documentation says and what the operation needs is where the risk sits.

I would concur that the most consequential decisions in a lifting operation is frequently made not on sit, but weeks earlier at the point of purchase. It is here that the sling, hoist, shackle, or lifting accessory is specified, documentation provided, and judgement is made on incomplete specification data. When that process takes place in an information vacuum, the risk does not vanish, it is passed downstream to those undertaking the work.

Slow Learners

Any business that works in specialized industries will hear this message loud and clear. Perhaps others are taking a little longer to convince. Working closely with purchasing decision makers in corrosive, sanitary, and wash-down environments reminds me every day that not all lifting equipment is created equal. In fact, not all lifting equipment is safe wherever it is exposed to chemicals, or strict hygiene requirements. This includes food and beverage production such as dairies, meat processors, breweries, and ready-meal facilities, where frequent high-pressure cleaning is needed to prevent contamination.

Such environments are also found in pharmaceutical and laboratory settings, chemical processing plants, and water or wastewater treatment facilities, where exposure to aggressive substances and disinfectants is routine. In addition, marine and offshore areas, along with agricultural and animal processing operations, present highly corrosive conditions due to saltwater, organic matter, and regular cleaning regimes. Across all these sectors, the common requirement is equipment that can withstand both corrosion risk and intensive sanitation, while maintaining safety and reliability.

There’s a great deal to be learned from these specialist markets, particularly when it comes to the importance of listening. The most effective innovations in lifting equipment rarely begin in isolation; they come from sustained conversations with the people who are dealing with real-world lifting challenges every day. When you spend time listening properly, patterns begin to emerge that go far beyond individual applications.

That is one of the key reasons we continue to participate in trade shows and industry events. They are not just opportunities to present product, but to understand problems. By engaging directly with end users, engineers, and safety professionals, you start to recognize common denominators across specific sectors. There are many recurring challenges, constraints, and expectations that shape how lifting solutions need to evolve.

The One-Size-Fits-All Trap

Different applications demand different levels of performance, safety, and usability, and adopting a one-size-fits-all approach rarely reflects the reality of modern industry. Listening is what helps bridge that gap between assumption and requirement. This is particularly evident in how materials are being re-evaluated across lifting design. Traditional steel still has a clear and enduring place, but it is no longer the default answer to every application. Instead, material selection is becoming more closely aligned with environment, handling requirements, and lifecycle performance.

Stainless steel, for example, has become increasingly relevant in certain surroundings. However, even stainless is not a universal solution; grade selection, surface condition, and operating context all play a role in determining its true performance over time. Ultimately, it reinforces the need to consider not just the material itself, but how and where it will be used in practice.

Alongside this, composite materials are steadily changing expectations around what lifting equipment can achieve in terms of handling and usability. Their reduced weight compared to steel can make a significant difference in day-to-day operation, particularly where equipment needs to be installed, repositioned, or handled manually. In practical terms, this can improve ergonomics, reduce physical strain, and streamline installation without compromising engineered performance when correctly specified.

What is important here is not a shift from one material to another, but a broader recognition that different environments demand different solutions. Stainless steel may address corrosion resistance and durability, while composites may better support handling efficiency and ergonomic goals. Increasingly, the decision is not about choosing a better material in absolute terms, but about selecting the most appropriate one for the specific operational reality.

This is where the value of industry feedback – and our ability to listen – becomes apparent. When design is informed by real-world conditions rather than assumption, material choice becomes more precise, and lifting solutions are better aligned with the demands placed on them in practice. Engineers and end users now have greater flexibility to match material properties to operational need, rather than defaulting to a single conventional approach. In many cases, the decision is less about substitution and more about optimization.

How close is the industry really keep its ear to the ground when it comes to real-world lifting challenges?

•Global Lifting Awareness Day (GLAD) 2026 will take place on Thursday 2 July and will be signposted at the hashtag, #GLAD2026 on social media.