Which MEWP certificate to go for?

[Sciadopitys]

I did my MEWP certificate with NPTC, as i am an Arborist and all my other professional certificates for chainsaws and climbing are held with NPTC. I have heard rumors that i will not be allowed onto sites to work with a NPTC MEWP cert. Is this true? Do i need to do CPCS MEWP to get onto sites as a MEWP operator? Then there is IPAF. I am a bit lost with it all.

 

So, i know guys who have CPCS MEWP and work on sites with a chainsaw in the basket, and actually hold no aerial treework qualifications, just CS30,31,32and33. How can they be allowed on sites and me not when i have had MEWP training as well as CS30,31,32,33,34,35,38,39,40,41. Who is more likely the better operator? Opinions and facts please gentlemen!!!

[John Hancock]

I did the same as you – went the NPTC route, which I think is only natural. As far as I know the rumours stem from the vast differences that lay between Arb and construction. Its very plausible that if you had to do a tree in the middle of a construction site and you submitted your method statement listing qualifications etc, you might not get the job; but what are the odds of that happening? All it needs is NPCT and IPAF to get together over a drink and shake hands, as they are both worthy qualifications.

[Andy Collins]

I think the IPAF cert is known better nationally than the NPTC version. As said, it covers you to work anywhere outside of arb too. I agree, its about time all training agencies got together so one ticket is equal to another, and recognised equally.

[Big 'Ammer]

I did my MEWP certificate with NPTC, as i am an Arborist and all my other professional certificates for chainsaws and climbing are held with NPTC. I have heard rumors that i will not be allowed onto sites to work with a NPTC MEWP cert. Is this true? Do i need to do CPCS MEWP to get onto sites as a MEWP operator? Then there is IPAF. I am a bit lost with it all.

 

So, i know guys who have CPCS MEWP and work on sites with a chainsaw in the basket, and actually hold no aerial treework qualifications, just CS30,31,32and33. How can they be allowed on sites and me not when i have had MEWP training as well as CS30,31,32,33,34,35,38,39,40,41. Who is more likely the better operator? Opinions and facts please gentlemen!!!

 

Don't know about NPTC MEWP certs on sites as opposed to IPAF, but in theory any form of approprite training should be satisfactory.

 

I had a discussion recently with a NPTC trainer and assessor about this.

 

No one should be using a chainsaw in a basket unless:-

 

1. they are a certificated MEWP operator, either NPTC, IPAF or LANTRA or other recognised training provider, and

 

2. they hold CS30,31,and 39. OR CS 30,31 and 47.

 

No-one who holds CS39 only should be doing any lowering, rigging or pulling tops off with a tag line unless they additionally hold CS41.

 

Those who are not climbers without CS39, but who hold CS47 are not permitted to use a top handled saw in the basket.

 

Basically, the minimum accepted by HSE is some form of aerial chainsaw training, either CS39 or CS47. ( I assume the older aerially saw tickets will count as well)

 

The guys on your site with mewp and ground felling tickets are not properly covered, they should be getting CS47 if they are not climbers.

[Arbocop]

i did an article on this for tree line mag ill see if i can dig it out

kev

[Billy Goat Gruff]

I have IPAF, which I did with a local company, it was a one day course with a minimum of two students, and cost about £250.00 per student.

The instructer was extremely arrogant, with no man management skills what so ever, and read the whole sylabus out of a book.

We then had to do the practical, i.e. show that we could operate the mewp, and extend the booms in correct order, and go up and down etc.

It's very worth while noting that you have to have a full arrest body harness,to clip onto the cradle to comply with construction HSE, and IPAF, we didn't, just had our climbing harnesses, and they then said to carry on we would have to buy a full arrest harness off them at £75.00. luckily they didn't have any, in our size, so had to loan us one for free.

We felt that when we hire one of these machines then we at least have the certificate to operate it, so comply with HSE and our insurance.

[Sciadopitys]

i did an article on this for tree line mag ill see if i can dig it out

kev

 

I would be well up for a read of that mate!!!!! look forward to getting my mitts on a copy asap!

 

Cheers!

[Arbutus 510]

The NPTC ticket will not be recognised on a lot of sites however the IPAF will, you also need a CSCS card to enter many sites. This is a multiple choise question test (its hard to fail)! My understanding is that if you have 40/41 then you are competent and there is no need to do the NPTC chainsaw from MEWP

[Peter]

I did the IPAF, it counted as one the most boring days of my life. The hardest thing about the course was staying awake.

 

I think the IPAF is probably the most widely recognised ticket. I dont know how the NPTC one works but with IPAF you have to do a seperate ticket for each type of machine, ie truck mount, self propelled, scissor lift ect. If you use more than one type it could get expensive. Also with ipaf you get a log book to record all your operating time, and when your ticket expires if the log book is full then you can do a shorter refresher course rather than repeat the whole thing.