Which IPAF Category Does Your MEWP Operator Need?
How IPAF categories match the machines on site, which combinations are most common and how to choose the right course.
IPAF training isn’t one course. The Powered Access Licence (PAL Card) lists the categories an operator is trained on, and each category covers a different type of mobile elevating work platform (MEWP). An operator trained on scissor lifts isn’t automatically covered for a boom.
The short answer is that the machine decides the category. Scissor lifts fall under 3a, self-propelled booms under 3b, and vehicle or trailer-mounted booms under 1b. Most operators on construction sites need 3a and 3b together.
This guide explains each category, the machines it covers and how to choose the right IPAF course for the work.
What the IPAF Categories Mean
IPAF groups MEWPs by two things: whether the platform moves only vertically or can reach out, and whether the machine can be driven with the platform raised. That gives the main categories below.
Category | Machine type | Common examples |
|---|---|---|
1a | Static vertical | Vertical personnel platforms |
1b | Static boom | Vehicle-mounted and trailer-mounted booms |
3a | Mobile vertical | Scissor lifts |
3b | Mobile boom | Self-propelled booms, cherry pickers |
1a: Static Vertical Platforms
Category 1a covers vertical platforms that must be set up and stabilised before the platform is raised, and can’t be driven while raised, such as vertical personnel platforms. They’re used for indoor maintenance and installation work in tighter spaces. They’re less common on construction sites than the mobile categories, so 1a is usually only needed where operators use these machines regularly.
1b: Vehicle and Trailer-Mounted Booms
Category 1b covers booms that must be set up on outriggers before use, such as truck-mounted and trailer-mounted platforms. They’re common in highways, utilities and tree work. Operators who use these alongside scissors and self-propelled booms can train on all three in the IPAF 3a, 3b and 1b course.
3a: Scissor Lifts
Category 3a covers machines that lift straight up and can be driven while raised, mainly scissor lifts. It’s the most common category on construction and fit-out sites, used for ceilings, cladding and installation work.
3b: Self-Propelled Booms
Category 3b covers booms that reach up and out and can be driven while raised, often called cherry pickers. They’re used where the work is over obstacles or at a distance from the base, such as on steel frames and building facades.
As many sites use both scissors and booms, 3a and 3b are usually trained together in one IPAF 3a and 3b course.
Is IPAF Training a Legal Requirement?
The law doesn’t name IPAF specifically. The Work at Height Regulations and PUWER require employers to make sure anyone using work equipment is trained and competent to use it. In practice, IPAF is the industry standard for MEWPs, and most principal contractors and hire companies ask to see a PAL Card before an operator uses a machine.
What the PAL Card Shows
The PAL Card shows the operator’s photo, the categories they’re trained on and the expiry date. Site managers can check it in seconds, so it’s worth making sure the categories on the card match the machines planned for the job before the operator arrives on site.
How to Choose the Right Course
List the machines the operator will actually use, including any on hire.
Match each machine to its category using the table above.
If the work involves both scissors and booms, book 3a and 3b together.
Add 1b only if vehicle or trailer-mounted booms are part of the job.
Training on categories the operator will never use adds cost without adding value. Missing a category the job needs means the operator can’t legally use that machine, however experienced they are.
Harness Use on Booms
Industry guidance expects operators and anyone else in the basket of a boom-type MEWP, categories 3b and 1b, to wear a full body harness with a short restraint lanyard attached to the anchor point. The aim is to stop the person being thrown out of the platform, not to arrest a fall. Harness use and pre-use checks are covered in the operator course, and some employers add dedicated harness training for teams that work in booms every day.
Scissor lifts in category 3a are designed with guardrails as the main protection, so a harness isn’t normally required unless the site’s risk assessment says otherwise.
Beyond the Operator Course
Anyone planning or supervising MEWP work, rather than operating the machines, may need management-level training instead. Where the work involves a tower scaffold rather than a powered platform, the right qualification is PASMA, not IPAF. Both fall under working at height training.
The PAL Card is valid for five years, after which the operator retakes the course for each category they need to keep.
Key Takeaways
The machine decides the IPAF category, not the job title.
3a covers scissor lifts, 3b self-propelled booms and 1b vehicle and trailer-mounted booms.
Most construction operators need 3a and 3b, which are usually trained together.
Only add categories the operator will actually use.
The PAL Card lasts five years and lists every category the operator is trained on.
Book an IPAF 3a and 3b course or browse working at height training at Easybook Training, or call us on 01892 543000 if you’re not sure which category you need.