Elevating Work Platform Certification: What You Need to Know

An elevating work platform is a machine that lifts people, tools and materials up to a work area on a platform. Common names include EWP, MEWP (mobile elevating work platform), aerial work platform and aerial lift. They all describe the same family of machines.

EWPs are safer than ladders or makeshift platforms for many jobs at height. But they bring their own serious hazards. A lift can tip over, a worker can fall or be thrown from the platform, someone can be crushed against a beam or ceiling, and the machine can contact an overhead power line.

That is why operators must be trained before they use a lift, and why “certification” always includes two parts: theory and a practical evaluation on the machine.

Under the CSA B354 MEWP standards, lifts are grouped by how the platform moves. The two main groups are easy to remember:

Gama’s Elevating Work Platforms course covers both vertical (scissor-type) and boom-supported machines. That makes it a good choice if you use more than one kind of lift.

• Tip-overs: caused by soft or sloped ground, potholes, overloading, high wind, or driving with the platform raised where it is not allowed.
• Falls from the platform: from climbing on rails, leaning out too far, or a sudden jolt.
• Crushing and entrapment: being pinned between the platform and a beam, ceiling or other overhead object.
• Power lines: electricity can jump to a lift that comes too close. You must keep the safe limit of approach set by your province.
• Struck-by: falling tools and materials, or traffic and pedestrians around the base.

Most of these can be prevented with a good pre-use inspection, a site check before setup, and following the manufacturer’s limits for load, wind and slope.

In Canada, there is no single government licence for elevating work platforms. Instead, provincial OHS regulations require employers to make sure operators are trained and competent before they use a lift. The CSA B354 MEWP standards set out design, safe use and training requirements, and many workplaces follow them.

In practice, “certified” means you can show proof that you:

1. Completed operator theory training.
2. Passed a hands-on practical evaluation on the type of lift you will use.
3. Were familiarized with the specific make and model, including its controls, safety devices and manual.

Your employer must also make sure the lift is inspected and maintained, and that there is a rescue plan if a worker gets stuck at height.

Anyone who operates a scissor lift, boom lift or vertical mast lift at work. Common jobs include:

Supervisors who plan work at height also benefit, because they need to understand site setup, load limits and rescue.

Workers who already hold training on one kind of lift should also check whether it covers the machine they will use next. Moving from a scissor lift to a boom lift, for example, means new controls, new hazards and a new practical evaluation.

Gama Safety’s online Elevating Work Platforms course has two parts:

1. Elevating Work Platforms Course I: MEWP types and classifications, key components, pre-use inspections, function tests, and how to assess a work site before setup.
2. Elevating Work Platforms Course II: safe operation, load and stability limits, power line clearance, fall protection on the platform, and emergency lowering and rescue.

Fall protection rules differ between lift types and provinces. On boom lifts, a full-body harness tied to the platform’s anchor point is commonly required. Always follow the manufacturer’s manual and your provincial rules.

The online course is the theory part. It does not make you a certified operator on its own. Before you operate a lift on the job, you also need a hands-on practical evaluation on the machine you will use, usually done by your employer or a qualified evaluator.

Gama Safety offers hands-on elevating work platform training at our Burnaby, BC training centre or at your site. Many workers do the theory online first, then book the practical, so the hands-on time is spent on the machine.

Does it expire? There is no single national expiry date in law. It depends on your province and employer, and many employers ask for refresher training every 1 to 3 years, or sooner after an incident or a change to a new type of lift.

1. Enrol in the online Elevating Work Platforms course and start right away on any device.
2. Learn at your own pace. The course takes about 3.5 hours, and your progress saves automatically.
3. Pass the final exam with 80% or better. Retakes are unlimited and free. Download your certificate right away, and get a wallet card mailed free.
4. Complete your hands-on evaluation with your employer, a qualified evaluator, or Gama in Burnaby or at your site.

The course is available in English, French, Spanish, Punjabi, Hindi, Mandarin and more, and it is recognized by employers across Canada. Training a team? Team pricing starts at 2 seats. Call 1-866-661-9803 or email info@gamasafety.ca.