Working at Height · IPAF
IPAF Training Northern Ireland: MEWP Operator (3a Scissor, 3b Boom, 1b)
Get your IPAF PAL card in a day. Our IPAF-approved instructors train you on scissor lifts and boom lifts at ITS Portadown or on your own site, with new dates almost every week.
- 4.8 on Google
At a glance
IPAF training NI at a glance
ITS is an IPAF-approved training centre in Portadown, Co. Armagh. The one-day IPAF MEWP Operator course covers categories 3a (mobile vertical/scissor lift), 3b (mobile boom/cherry picker) and 1b (static boom). It costs from £195 + VAT, runs most weeks, and successful delegates receive an IPAF Powered Access Licence (PAL card) valid for five years, issued digitally on the IPAF ePAL app.
How It Works
From Booking to PAL Card in Four Steps
01
Book Online
Choose a Portadown date and the categories you need (3a, 3b or both), then get your joining instructions by email.
02
Arrive Prepared
Arrive 15 – 30 minutes early and bring photo ID with your normal PPE.
03
Do the Course
Our expert trainers guide you through every topic, finishing with an assessment to confirm your competence.
04
Get Certified
Successful delegates receive their IPAF PAL card on the ePAL app, proving competence to employers and site managers.
IPAF-Approved MEWP Training in Northern Ireland
About this Course
Most NI sites, factories and facilities contracts won’t let anyone operate a scissor lift or cherry picker without an IPAF PAL card. It’s the most widely recognised MEWP licence in the UK and Ireland, and it proves you’ve been trained and tested on the categories you use.
This course trains you on the machines themselves, not just slides. You’ll learn to inspect, set up, drive, position and safely lower a MEWP, and how to use a harness and lanyard correctly in a boom.
Who Should Attend
This course is for anyone who operates, or will operate, a MEWP in Northern Ireland, including:
New MEWP operators who need their first PAL card
- Operators whose PAL card is due to expire
Electricians, M&E contractors, signage, cladding and glazing installers
Facilities management and maintenance teams in warehouses, factories and retail
Construction workers asked to use scissor lifts or booms on site
Utility, street lighting and tree-surgery crews using trailer or vehicle-mounted platforms (1b)
Whether you’re new to powered access or renewing, this course gives you competence, confidence and compliance.
Course Aims
To give MEWP operators the practical skill and knowledge to carry out pre-use inspections, operate MEWPs safely within their limits, and manage fall risks.
Delegates will also know the emergency procedures and leave with an IPAF PAL card for the categories they pass.
25+
Years Training NI & Ireland
10,000+
Delegates
2
Large Scale Training Centres
4.8
Google Rating
Additional Information
By the end of the course, delegate will:
be able to carry out pre-use checks and operate a MEWP confidently, positioning it safely for the task. They will understand machine limits, ground conditions and the correct use of harnesses and lanyards. Delegates will also know how to carry out emergency lowering and a safe shutdown.
What The course covers:
- IPAF categories: 3a mobile vertical (scissor), 3b mobile boom (cherry picker), 1b static boom
- Pre-use inspections and daily checks
- Driving, manoeuvring and positioning the MEWP
- Machine controls, limits, ground conditions and outrigger set-up
- Fall protection: harness standards, anchor points, lanyards and inspection
- Emergency procedures, emergency lowering and safe shutdown
- Legislation, manufacturer guidance and IPAF best practice
Overview:
Classroom theory followed by hands-on time on real machines, so delegates leave able to operate safely, not just pass a test.
Training Includes:
- Classroom-based theory
- Tutor demonstrations on each machine
- Hands-on practical operation
- Practical assessment for each category
- Written theory test
About
This course follows the IPAF MEWP Operator training programme, recognised internationally, and reflects current Northern Ireland work-at-height and equipment law.
Legislation
- Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978
- Work at Height Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005
- Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 (LOLER)
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 (PUWER)
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993
About
Please read the following before booking.
Before you attend
- Bring photo ID along with your normal PPE.
- Your PAL card is issued digitally on the IPAF ePAL app; a physical card is available for an extra fee.
- The PAL card is valid for 5 years and lists every category you pass.
- Training runs at ITS Portadown or on your site in Northern Ireland, subject to suitable machines and space.
Are you ready for Health & Safety in Your Workplace?
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Frequently Asked Questions
IPAF MEWP operator training at ITS Portadown starts at £195 + VAT.
One day
3a is a mobile vertical platform, usually a scissor lift. 3b is a mobile boom, often called a cherry picker, which can reach up and out.
Five years. You’ll need to retrain and pass the test again before it expires.
Your PAL card is issued digitally on the IPAF ePAL app. A physical card can be ordered for an extra fee.
We no longer do 1B e-learning, instead we have a designated 1b classroom – led course at the end of each month
Yes. ITS Portadown is around 40 minutes from Belfast on the M1. We can also train on your site.
Yes, subject to a site and machine check. Call 028 3839 8700.
Where You Will Train
ITS Portadown [HQ]
- 7 Derryneskan Road, Portadown, Co. Armagh, BT62 1UH
One of Ireland’s largest health and safety training providers, delivering accredited courses since 2000. Train in our purpose-built confined space rig in Portadown, with free parking, a canteen and free tea and coffee, or book our mobile unit to train on your site anywhere in Northern Ireland.
