Any worker who wants to work at height using MEWP will need to take IPAF training and have a licence first to ensure safety and that accident would not happen – and it does involve some amount.
But how much does IPAF training cost? The cost depends primarily on the category of machine you want to have licence on. The 3a, 3b and Push-Around Vertical training would cost somewhere in the ballpark figure of £150-£200 including the printing of the licence card; the other IPAF training categories also have the same cost.
Some training providers charge more than that said amount depending on the modernity of their training facilities and equipment and the qualifications of the instructor.
The training is composed of classroom and hands-on exercises. To obtain your IPAF PAL licence, you have to pass the evaluation which is administered at the end of the course. The licence is valid for five (5) years.
The training only lasts less than a day and it would not take much of your time. If you are a manager or a business owner, the onsite training is the recommended way so that the course curriculum can be improved to suit the workplace condition, equipment used onsite and the behavior of the workers.
An individual who is at least 16 years old is allowed to take the training and apply for the licence; and there is no upper age limit. Likewise, there are no restrictions on what type of machine you want to operate as long as you have undergone the training course and have a licence to operate that machine.
Ways You Can Do to Save Money, Follow These Simple Tips
- Instead of one category, take 2 or more. This is because training providers charge much cheaper if you are going to take the training on 2 or more machines. Even you only need one category, it is still advisable to be trained on several machines; who knows you might need it for future job roles. See the different IPAF categories below.
- Find an IPAF course provider that had produced qualified graduates. You would not have a hard time looking for a good training provider, just ask your colleagues where they took their training. In as much as possible, prior to registering in, personally visit the provider’s facility and ask about their instructor’s training background. In the end, you would get the value of your money for quality education.
- Combine the training for operator and demonstrator. You would get a much bigger discount if you are going to combine training for both operator and demonstrator. Talk to a training provider, and negotiate the price; they usually have a package at a reasonable price.
- If you are a business owner or a manager, have an option to conduct the training onsite. This way, not only you save money for the number of workers you want to attend but the instructor can modify the course to fit with the workplace setting to address the issue and concerns. You can request with the provider to have the training be done onsite.
Different Categories of IPAF Training
The most common IPAF categories workers are taking are the following:
- Static Vertical (1a) – this category refers to the vertical personnel and MEWPs. You may find it hard to identify these machines as they are no longer common. This type of machine before going into action, the hydraulic outriggers, jacks and stabilizers have to be engaged first so that the machine stays in a stationary position, hence the name static.
- Static Boom (1b) – They are self-propelled booms (outriggers) capable of vertical lift, trailers/push-arounds, outreqach-capable vehicle-mounted platforms are some of the examples of the type of machines. The static boom can be mounted on vans, trucks, road-towable trailers, or self-propelled track-mount chassis.
- Mobile Vertical (3a) - The vertical personnel platforms (mobile) and scissor lifts are the types of machines that falls into this category, other machines that are in this category can have vertical mast lift, scissor, or sigma lifting mechanism.
- Mobile Boom (3b) – that machines that fall into this category are those with articulated that has an up-and-over outreach or telescopic booms with a line-of-sight outreach. Machines in this category are common in many workplaces as they the ones preferred for work in height because of maneuverability and reach.
- Push Around Vertical (PAV) - Push around verticals – just like the machines under 3a, PAVS has sigma, scissor or vertical mast lift and only capable of vertical lifting. if you do have a licence for machines under 1a or 3b category, you are allowed to operate PAVs, you don’t need separate training.
For more information about other IPAF categories, please see this page. https://www.ipaf.org/en/resource-library/ipaf-categories
The Cost You Have to Spend is Just a Small Investment
The IPAF training is part of the health and safety program of the company. We all have a common goal – that is to prevent workplace accidents and advocate safety awareness among employees.
If you spend some amount for yourself or for your workers, there’s nothing to lose but there’s a lot to gain.
Provision of IPAF training is not just a moral obligation but is compliance with the law. You might have heard that there’s no legal requirement for someone who is working at height to have an IPAF licence. However, the Work at Height Regulations 2015 clearly says that employers and business owners should ensure that their workers are knowledgeable about working at height and should be supervised by a more experienced superior.
Ultimately, the IPAF training will benefit both the workers and employers.
