Do I Need a Yellow Card or Scissor Lift Licence?

Discover Whether You and Your Workers Need a Licence to Operate the Equipment

Scissor lifts have been gaining space in the logistics sector throughout the country. This equipment was previously widely used to lift people for maintenance at towering heights but has been increasing its applicability in cargo handling.

With the reduction of spaces in large urban centres, companies do not have flat areas to expand their activities. Nowadays it is common to find industries in unsuitable buildings with different floor heights. One of the applications of a scissor lift is to solve this problem, enabling factories to move materials inside their manufacturing plants, regardless of the height levels of the floor, since scissor lifts help to raise or lower the load from one level to another in any type of building or unevenness.

Scissor lifts are robust and can be designed for a wide variety of functions. As long as there is the need to lower or raise loads, it will be applicable.

Mobile Elevating Work Platforms Briefly Explained  

A Mobile Elevating Work Platform, also called a MEWP, is a handy piece of equipment mostly used for access in high places. It is a powered access machine that workers can use in a vast range of construction and warehousing services. One can basically find two models of MEWPs, boom, or cherry pickers, and vertical, or scissor lifts.

Talking about scissor lifts, they have two types of operation: static and mobile. And they can also have a telescopic mast. These are covered by mobile vertical training, or the individual PAV (Push Around Vertical) category.

However, talking about high areas is also talking about hazardous areas. Meaning that a number of people have already been seriously injured and even killed in accidents involving these platforms.

Unfortunately, said accidents happened due to equipment failure, failure to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer, inadequate training and supervision, and failure to assess the hazards and risks associated with the job, site, and pieces of equipment.

Who Can Operate a Scissor Lift Platform?

If you are still asking yourself if you need a licence to operate a scissor lift, the answer could not be other than yes. When misused, scissor lifts can present great danger. And the accidents they can cause can lead to serious injuries. Not to mention structural and equipment damages to the company’s goods.

Therefore, all personnel who work with or near scissor lifts must be trained and licensed, according to regulatory requirements. Professional safety training and certification are requirements in Australia as they safeguard both the operator and the surrounding crew.

If on one hand Mobile Elevating Work Platforms are great because they decrease the hazards of working at heights, it does not mean such risks will cease to exist. Usually, PCBUs, i.e., those responsible, are aware of most risks. But sadly, the larger crush risks are typically underestimated.

Why Is This Licence So Important?

First of all, it is mandatory. And we are not the ones saying this but Occupational Health Services Australia. Anyone who works on or near a scissor lift must be professionally trained and certified. Therefore, if you are a business owner, you must confirm that your employees have received OSHA-approved training so that they can operate the equipment properly.

How the Training Works

Yellow Card training programs are intended for those who need to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to operate MEWPs. These trainings are meant to teach the safe use of distinct types of elevated work platforms, such as scissor lifts and electric scissor lifts. Depending on the institution that is offering the training, course modules may differ, and focus on specific platforms.

However, whatever training you choose for yourself and/or your employees, it must include both formal and practical instructions, and also demonstrations of how to operate the distinct types of scissor lifts, perform routine maintenance and equipment inspections, as well as how to assess the surrounding environment. After all, the main objective is to avoid potential hazards that could result in serious accidents.

How to Get Your Licence

A Yellow Card training can be completed in as little as a single day. You can apply for a Yellow Card training course to operate scissor lifts and other MEWPs and EWPs by getting in touch with a local institution near you. Do not forget to read all vital information on its website and make sure you are following all needed requirements, such as age limit etc.

Now that you have learned more about the use of elevating work platforms like scissor lifts, as well as its extreme importance and the requirements that involve the handling of this equipment, you can now rest assured about safety within your working environment.

However, you should be aware that the EWPA Yellow Card is only a nationally recognised course and not a Nationally Recognised Unit of Competency. Which does not mean this type of training is not important. In fact, we recommend that other people working near a scissor lift are also instructed on safety and emergency precautions.

Auslift has been playing a key role in improving the quality of its equipment, going hand in hand with the safety measures that are becoming increasingly efficient.