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Ainscough Crane Hire has been honoured for the Company Innovation of the Year at the industry leading Construction News Awards 2025, held last week in London.
The award recognises Ainscough’s ground-breaking ‘Ready for Work’ pre-use crane check system – a digital-first innovation that has redefined safety protocols across the lifting industry.
Developed to fill a long-standing and often overlooked gap in crane operation safety, the initiative uses a combination of mobile apps, QR codes, and an integrated management information system to ensure every crane is thoroughly inspected before use.
While crane accidents are rare, their consequences can be severe. Ainscough’s proactive solution addresses the industry-wide ambiguity around pre-lift responsibility, bringing much-needed clarity, accountability, and digital traceability to the process. The innovation ensures that no crane is operated without documented assurance that it is fully inspected and ready for safe operation.
Construction News Awards judges praised the initiative, stating: “What makes this innovation exceptional is not just the technology, but Ainscough’s strategic approach to achieving industry-wide adoption. The company collaborated with tier-one contractors and the Construction Plant-hire Association to ensure the system aligned with both existing roles and British safety standards. The system is now fully implemented across Ainscough’s 25 locations, 400 cranes and 650 personnel. It is great to see the company freely sharing and promoting this innovation to improve safety for others.”
Mark James, Operations Director, Ainscough Crane Hire, said: “We’re proud that our ‘Ready for Work’ initiative has been recognised by our peers at the Construction News Awards. This is a much-needed breakthrough that will save lives and is representative of our commitment to innovation, safety and changing our industry for the better.
“The implementation of ‘Ready for Work’ pre-use crane checks fills a vital gap that has existed for decades, where responsibilities were too often assumed rather than confirmed. Thanks to new technology and an unwavering commitment to safety, we’ve introduced a system that not only improves operational reliability but sets a new standard for the entire industry. It is fully aligned with our ‘Make the Safe Choice principles and a testament to the brilliant team we have at Ainscough.”
