IPAF Categories Explained: What 3a, 3b and Every Licence Actually Covers

Knowing which IPAF category you need before you put a machine to work is not optional admin – it is the foundation of legal compliance and safe operation. Get it wrong and you have operators on machines they are not qualified for, sites refusing access, and potential liability under the Working at Height Regulations 2005 and PUWER.

This guide covers every IPAF category, explains what 3a and 3b actually mean, and maps each licence to the machines that require it.

What is IPAF and why does the PAL card matter?

IPAF – the International Powered Access Federation – is the industry body that sets the standard for MEWP operator training worldwide. Completing an IPAF course results in a PAL card (Powered Access Licence), which is the recognised proof of competence accepted by principal contractors, hire companies, and site managers across the UK.

IPAF training is not a legal requirement in isolation, but under the Working at Height Regulations 2005 and PUWER, employers must ensure operators are competent to use the equipment they are given. In practice, most construction sites and hire contracts require a valid PAL card as standard. Turning up without one will get an operator turned away. APS offers IPAF and work at height training for operators across the UK.

How the IPAF category system works

IPAF categories follow a simple logic. The number indicates the machine’s mobility – static (1) or mobile (3). The letter indicates the platform type – vertical (a), boom (b), or vehicle-mounted (c).

A scissor lift is mobile and moves vertically, so it sits under 3a. A self-propelled cherry picker is mobile with a boom, so it sits under 3b. Once you understand the logic the categories become straightforward.

The full IPAF category breakdown

Category	Machine type	Examples	Typical use
1a	Static vertical	Mast climbers, static scissor lifts	Fixed position interior work
1b	Static boom	Static boom lifts	Fixed position, high-level access
3a	Mobile vertical	Self-propelled scissor lifts, push-around platforms	Warehouses, construction floors, flat surface work
3b	Mobile boom	Articulated booms, telescopic booms, cherry pickers, Hinowa spider lifts	Outdoor work, irregular terrain, high-reach and over-obstacle access
3c	Vehicle-mounted	Truck-mounted cherry pickers, van-mounted platforms	Highways, utilities, arboriculture

Most operators in the powered access sector will need 3a, 3b, or both. Static categories (1a and 1b) are less common outside specialist applications.

3a vs 3b – what is the difference?

This is the question APS gets most often from operators and buyers who are new to powered access.

3a covers mobile elevated work platforms that move vertically – primarily scissor lifts and push-around platforms. The platform goes straight up and straight down. Operators trained to 3a standard are assessed on safe pre-use checks, travel on gradients, positioning, and emergency lowering procedures for that type of machine.

3b covers mobile boom-type machines – articulated booms, telescopic booms, cherry pickers, and tracked spider lifts. These platforms extend outward as well as upward, can reach over obstacles, and operate on a wider range of terrain. The 3b assessment covers additional skills including outreach, slewing, and working near overhead hazards.

You can hold both. Many operators in construction, utilities, and arboriculture carry a PAL card covering 3a and 3b – the training can be completed in a single day at most IPAF-approved centres, and both categories appear on one card.

If you are buying or hiring a scissor lift, you need 3a. If you are buying or hiring a cherry picker or boom lift, you need 3b. If your work involves truck-mounted platforms, you need 3c.

Do you legally need an IPAF licence?

IPAF training is not a standalone legal requirement – there is no specific law that names the PAL card. However, the Working at Height Regulations 2005 require employers to ensure that anyone working at height is competent, and PUWER requires that operators of work equipment are adequately trained.

The PAL card is the industry-accepted way of demonstrating that competence. In practice this means the question is rarely “do I legally need it” – it is “will I be able to work without it.” On most managed sites and with most hire agreements, the answer is no.

Employers are responsible for ensuring their operators hold the correct category for the machine in use. Sending a 3a-qualified operator onto a 3b machine is a compliance failure regardless of the operator’s practical experience.

How to get IPAF trained

An IPAF course is typically completed in one day per category. The course covers a theory element – platform types, pre-use checks, legislation, emergency procedures – followed by a practical assessment on the relevant machine type.

On passing, the PAL card is issued and valid for five years. Renewal requires a refresher course rather than a full reassessment.

APS offers IPAF and work at height training across a range of categories. For operators who need training alongside a new machine purchase, our training team can arrange this as part of the handover process.

Which IPAF category do you need for APS machines?

APS supplies new and approved used powered access equipment across the full range of MEWP categories. Here is how the IPAF requirements map to the machines on our site:

• Scissor lifts – 3a. Our range covers electric and diesel scissor lifts from 6m to 16.2m working height. See the full scissor lift range.
• Cherry pickers and articulated booms – 3b. Covers the full boom lift range including push-around and self-propelled models. See the full cherry picker range.
• Hinowa tracked spider lifts – 3b. As the UK’s authorised Hinowa distributor, APS stocks the full spider lift range from 14m to 40m working height. Spider lifts are 3b machines – their tracked mobility and boom configuration place them firmly in this category.
• Truck mounted cherry pickers – 3c. Vehicle-mounted platforms require a separate 3c qualification on top of 3a or 3b. See our truck mounted range.
• Push-around platforms – 3a. Manual and electric push-around models fall under the mobile vertical category. See our low level access range.

If you are looking at a machine and want to confirm which IPAF category applies before your team gets trained, our team is happy to advise. Contact us or speak to us about finance options if you are planning a new machine purchase alongside training.

A note on LOLER and ongoing compliance

IPAF training covers operator competence. Keeping your machines compliant also requires regular LOLER inspections – a thorough examination by a competent person every six months for MEWPs used to lift people. APS AfterCare handles LOLER inspections and fixed price servicing nationwide, so operators and fleet managers can manage training and compliance through one supplier.