IPAF Training Explained: Why It Matters When You Hire an Access Platform

"IPAF-trained operator" appears on most access platform hire websites, ours included — but it's worth knowing what it actually means, because it has a direct bearing on how safely your job gets done.

What IPAF certification covers

IPAF (the International Powered Access Federation) is the industry body for the powered access sector. Its training programmes cover the safe operation of platforms like cherry pickers and boom lifts — pre-use checks, safe positioning, load limits, emergency procedures, and working safely around obstacles, other people and overhead hazards. An IPAF-trained operator has been tested on this, not just shown how the controls work.

Why it matters for you as the customer

• Insurance validity — many policies (ours included) rely on the platform being operated by a certified individual
• Safety on your site — a trained operator is assessing ground conditions, overhead risks and load safety before work starts, not during it
• Damage prevention — correct operation reduces the risk of damage to the platform, your property or anything nearby
• Compliance — for commercial and construction sites in particular, working with an IPAF-certified operator is often a straightforward requirement, not just good practice

Our operators

Every job we carry out is done by one of our own IPAF-trained operators — it's why we only offer operated hire rather than self-drive. It means you're not just hiring a machine, you're hiring someone who knows how to use it safely on your specific job, on your specific site.