IPAF categories explained

A category describes the operator, not the machine

IPAF, the International Powered Access Federation, runs the training and certification scheme most of the powered access industry uses in the UK and much of Europe. Its PAL Card categories classify what an operator has been trained and assessed to run, based on how a machine moves rather than its brand, size or machine type.

That's a genuinely different axis from the one this site uses to organise the catalogue. A scissor lift and a spider lift can sit in different IPAF categories from each other despite both being MEWPs, and two scissor lifts can sit in different categories from each other too, depending on one specific thing: whether the machine is rated to be driven with the platform elevated.

The four categories

1a covers static vertical machines: platforms that move straight up and down and must be stationary before they're raised. 1b covers static boom machines: platforms with a jib or boom that reaches beyond straight vertical travel, also required to be stationary before raising.

3a and 3b are the mobile equivalents of those same two movement types: 3a for vertical machines rated to drive while the platform is elevated, 3b for boom machines rated to do the same. The letter tells you the movement (vertical vs boom), the number tells you whether it can travel elevated (1 for static, 3 for mobile).

Whether a specific machine is static or mobile-rated isn't something you can guess from its category of machine on this site. Two otherwise similar scissor lifts, or two otherwise similar spider lifts, can carry different IPAF ratings depending on the model, so it's the manufacturer's operating manual and the operator's actual PAL Card that decide what's permitted, not the general shape of the machine.

Why it matters when you're booking a machine, not just training an operator

A machine's spec sheet tells you what it's physically capable of. It doesn't tell you whether the operator you have available is certified to run it. If your team's PAL Cards only cover 1b, a machine rated 3b doesn't help unless someone on site is actually certified for that category, regardless of whether it's otherwise the right machine for the job.

IPAF isn't the only scheme in use, and category definitions and equivalent frameworks can vary by country. Confirm the applicable scheme, the exact category required, and your operators' current certification directly with IPAF or your training provider rather than relying on a general description like this one.