AWAH: What is it?

AWAH—what is it? New friends frequently ask me this question. I explain that AWAH is a brand, a company, a totem for air conditioning workers, and a banner of unity for workers working at heights, in addition to being a WeChat group.

1. I am an air conditioning worker
In 2003, during the SARS pandemic, I learned how to install air conditioning at the largest home appliance store in Dongguan. Since then, what has accompanied my 11-year career has been a chest belt and a cotton rope—the most commonly used safety equipment for Chinese air conditioning workers.
For 11 years, I worked safely. However, in June 2014, while repairing an outdoor air conditioning unit on the 11th floor, I was struck by a falling window. In an instant, I plummeted to the 9th floor and rebounded to the 10th... At that moment, my life flashed before my eyes like slides... Miraculously, I was unscathed! I knew that if I continued like this, one day I would fall and die. Over the past decade, my team had lost over 30 workers: one died, one became comatose, and 5 to 6 others were seriously injured or disabled. This is the current reality for Chinese air conditioning workers, and nothing has significantly changed by 2024.

2. The awakening of rope techniques
After the accident, I searched for a safer solution. At that time, short videos hadn't yet emerged, and I was watching videos on Youku. In July 2014, while searching for "Ascender," I found some introductory videos on the Single Rope Technique from the Chongqing Cave Exploration Team. I thought it would be perfect for air conditioning installations, so I explored posts on the popular 8264 outdoor BBS to learn the Single Rope Technique. This led me to discover rope techniques.

3. AWAH WeChat group
In 2016, our WeChat group "Report To Master 5" split. Some colleagues who were eager to learn rope techniques joined my group. At the time, I thought: China doesn’t lack craftsmen, but it lacks innovative artisans. Coincidentally, we were working at heights, so I named our WeChat group "Artisans Working At Heights."
Back then, group members were obsessed with rope techniques. Our group may have been the first among Chinese air conditioning workers to use the Double Rope Technique. We felt that other air conditioning workers were risking their lives and not making progress. Members of the AWAH WeChat group who didn't show improvement within three months were removed, and the group had about sixty to seventy members.

4. Team development and growth
In our WeChat group, we discuss height-related accidents, which serve as warnings to colleagues. This attracted some rope technique enthusiasts, coaches, and safety management experts who offer insurance to workers at heights to join the AWAH WeChat group. Through mutual support and learning, a positive learning environment and business ecosystem have developed, and the team continues to grow. During the COVID-19 pandemic, AWAH grew from a group of a few dozen people to several groups of four to five hundred members.

5. Starting commercial operations
One person's power is limited, but together we can go further.

• In 2022, we registered our company under the name "Artisans Working At Heights" and applied for a trademark.
• In 2023, we launched the AWAH Z2 – Multi-functional Pulley, a lifting device using rope and powered by an electric drill. The impressive name "Z2" has not only become popular among domestic air conditioning workers but has also gained traction in Taiwan, Thailand, the USA, Norway, France, and Russia.
• In 2024, we are developing a new electric lift and descent device called "Knight-Errant," aimed at addressing the difficulties and pain points faced by workers at heights and those involved in cargo lifting, with the image of a hero who helps those in need.

6. Future development direction
AWAH is the initial abbreviation of Artisans Working At Heights. In fact, the original meaning of "Artisan" refers to a craftsman with unique skills, more akin to an artist. That is to say, we are not only striving to be craftsmen but rather artists working at heights...