The MEWP certification is not negotiable. You cannot apply for an operator position if you do not have the correct document that accredits all the knowledge and skills required to exercise safely.
Read us to the end so you know how to get it, what you will need for it, and how long you can get it.
- How do you get certified for MEWP?
The answer to how to get certified to operate MEWP is simple: you will have to take a course.
These are generally courses that are designed with the intent to impart sufficient knowledge to cover the general requirements for safe operation of Mobile Elevated Work Platforms, or MEWPs.
The MEWP certification will help you when you want to prove your knowledge to operate scissor lifts, aerial lifts, and bucket trucks (often referred to as powered personnel platforms).
- What will you need to complete a course to get certified?
If you really want to gain full knowledge of the area, you’ll need to make sure your training program begins with comprehensive professional classroom instruction.
From there, many of them usually provide workbooks that are ideal for beginners, and take a final written exam, where, in addition, a practical evaluation is done to approve you as an operator.
Also, you must take care that the study plan covers the different necessary regulations (such as OSHA and ANSI, for example), so that your MEWP certificate can be valid.
- Is a practical evaluation really necessary?
The importance of the MEWP Certification is based on being able to verify that the operator has the necessary knowledge to perform well within their functions.
The only way to ensure that the operator truly has the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to safely operate the equipment is with a practical assessment.
And, don’t forget that, as an operator, you will need to be tested on each class, and model, of personal lift you are being accredited to drive on your certificate. Each one of them is different, so it is not a general training.
- Consider that…
Security measures, even more so in the learning phase, are of vital importance. Do not expose yourself to a machine if you do not have a hard hat, safety glasses, work gloves, a vest or jacket, work boots, and the appropriate clothing.
If you don’t know what we mean when we say “the right clothes”, this is something you will also learn before you earn your certificate. If your program doesn’t teach you the basics, you may need to switch to another.
- Avoid bogus certificates!
To obtain a valid MEWP certification, you will have to go to a serious study program, which has all the requirements so that, when you arrive at a company, the training process is appropriate for the position you have proven to know.
Courses typically last 4-6 hours, so you can earn your certification in less than a day. Remember to bring paper and pen to write down everything that is necessary.