IPAF Training Courses
If an employee’s role involves carrying out – or potentially carrying out – work involving a MEWP (Mobile Elevating Work Platform), an IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) License is highly recommended. MEWPS are sometimes referred to as “powered access equipment” and include cherry pickers, scissor lifts and boom lifts.
IPAF is the most recognised governing body when it comes to using Powered Access Equipment, or Mobile Elevating Working Platforms (MEWPs). IPAF was originally set up by the manufacturers in the industry, and is the recognised legal body designed to standardise everyone’s abilities to control the equipment effectively and safely.
IPAF Training Courses
IPAF categorise their licenses in a similar way to how the DVLA offer different licenses for lorries and cars etc. IPAF has two main categories of MEWPs – scissor lift and cherry picker. These categories are then subdivided as below:-
- IPAF 1a (Static Vertical) Category: Static scissor lift training, static vertical personnel platform training
- IPAF 1b (Static Boom) Category: Static cherry picker training, vehicle-mounted platform training
- IPAF 3a (Mobile Vertical) Category: Mobile scissor lift training, mobile vertical personnel platform training
- IPAF 3b (Mobile Boom) Category: Mobile cherry picker training, mobile self-propelled boom training
Other IPAF courses also include:-
What’s the difference between a mobile and a static boom?
Mobile booms can be driven forwards and backwards by the operator whilst the machine is up in the air, whereas a static boom or static scissor cannot be.
IPAF Certification
Once passed, each candidate will receive a license (a PAL card) which demonstrates that you’re qualified to operate. PAL cards are valid for 5 years and you can add other machines/categories to that license over time if needed.
The minimum age to hold an IPAF license is 16. There are currently no minimum or maximum limits on the size of machine you can operate, as long as you’ve got an IPAF license for that category. There’s also no maximum age limit to hold an IPAF PAL card itself.
If you have any questions about IPAF or any of our other training courses here at The Safety Maintenance Company, please call us on 0113 257 0842 or fill in our contact form.