Global Lifting Awareness Day 2026 Set for July 2 Focuses on Equipment Procurement and Safety Messaging

The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) has scheduled Global Lifting Awareness Day (GLAD) 2026 for Thursday, July 2, 2026. The annual industry observance will carry the theme: “Not all lifting equipment is created equal.”

The seventh edition of GLAD, supported by LEEA members and other industry stakeholders, is intended to promote awareness of safe and high-quality load lifting practices across the global lifting equipment sector. The event will include coordinated activity from manufacturers, suppliers and end users, with participation across social media, video content, articles and in-person engagement under the hashtag #GLAD2026.

A key output of the 2026 campaign will be the publication of a guidance document aimed at procurement professionals involved in sourcing lifting equipment. The document is intended to support decision-making at the purchasing stage, where LEEA notes that specifications and documentation can influence operational risk later in a lifting project.

LEEA continues to run annual campaigns focused on lifting and height safety, with an emphasis on education and industry best practice. The organization states its broader objective is to support safer lifting environments and improve understanding of equipment selection and use.

Matt Barber, director of membership at LEEA, said: “GLAD is a globally recognised concept that stands on firm footings in its purpose to raise awareness about the challenges facing lifting industries across the world. LEEA has always sought to use the day to intensify our focus on a campaign message, whether that be addressing skills shortages and shaping tomorrow’s workforce, or reminding industry that not all lifting equipment is created equal. If we can leave industry with a meaningful takeaway, it only serves to give greater meaning and purpose to members’ and end users’ ongoing efforts to celebrate their roles in our sector.”

He added: “The most consequential decision in a lifting operation is often made weeks before the lift takes place, at the point of purchase. The sling, the hoist, the shackle, the lifting accessory; what was specified, what documentation came with it and whether the person who bought it had the information to make the right call. When that decision is made in an information vacuum, the risk doesn’t disappear. It gets transferred to the people doing the work.”

LEEA’s GLAD campaign also includes a spring survey effort involving both product suppliers and procurement professionals. The organization reports that differences in how lifting equipment is described in the market can create challenges in distinguishing between products intended for heavy-duty use and those designed for less frequent application.

Matt Barber said: “Our end goal is to bring suppliers and buyers together on 2 July to make a collective pledge to do better.”

The campaign will continue to be tracked through the #GLAD2026 hashtag.