When this template fits
For operators and supervisors using a mobile elevating work platform — scissor lift, boom or cherry picker — on construction, facilities or arboriculture sites. Where the principal contractor requires a MEWP RAMS with a rescue plan before the machine is delivered, this document covers the IPAF categories, the LOLER thorough examination and the all-important recovery of a stranded operator. It assumes a hired or owned machine operated within its rated capacity.
What this RAMS includes
- ✓ 9 task-specific hazards scored on a 5×5 matrix (initial → residual)
- ✓ Specific control measures for each hazard, in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓ A 10-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
Scope of works
Operate mobile elevating work platforms (scissor/boom) for access at height.
Sequence of works
- 11. PLANNING & SITE SURVEY: Before mobilisation, review drawings and carry out a site survey to identify ground conditions, overhead services (especially power lines), proximity to edges, traffic routes, and structures. Complete a task-specific risk assessment and confirm the MEWP type is suitable for the task.
- 22. OPERATOR CHECKS & AUTHORISATION: Confirm the operator holds a valid IPAF PAL Card (or equivalent) for the MEWP category to be used. Brief all ground crew on the rescue plan, emergency lowering procedure, and communication methods before work begins.
- 33. PRE-USE INSPECTION: Carry out and record a documented pre-use check of the MEWP (controls, guardrails, emergency lowering, outriggers, tyres, fluid levels, LOLER certificate validity) in accordance with the manufacturer's checklist and site procedure.
- 44. EXCLUSION ZONE ESTABLISHMENT: Position barriers, cones, or hard barriers to create a segregated exclusion zone around the MEWP's working and travel area. Appoint a banksman where required and ensure pedestrian routes are clear.
- 55. MACHINE POSITIONING & STABILISATION: Position the MEWP on firm, level ground. Deploy outriggers/stabilisers fully on appropriate spreader plates if required. Verify gradient is within the manufacturer's stated limits before any elevation.
- 66. PLATFORM PREPARATION & PPE DONNING: Operator dons full-body harness, hard hat, and hi-vis before entering the platform. Attach lanyard to the designated anchor point. Confirm tools are secured with lanyards or in tool bags; load does not exceed the platform SWL.
- 77. ELEVATION & WORK AT HEIGHT: Elevate the platform smoothly, communicating with the ground-based spotter. Monitor wind conditions and overhead clearances continuously. Do not lean over guardrails, sit on the platform edge, or transfer between the platform and another structure.
- 88. REPOSITIONING: Lower the platform fully before travelling the MEWP to a new position unless the manufacturer explicitly permits travel at height for that machine and conditions. Re-check ground conditions at each new position.
- 99. COMPLETION & SECURING: Lower the platform to ground level, switch off and immobilise the machine in accordance with the manufacturer's procedure. Remove barriers only once the machine is secured. Record any defects in the site plant register and report to the plant supervisor.
- 1010. DEBRIEF & DOCUMENTATION: Sign off the pre-use record, note any near-misses or defects, and communicate findings to the site supervisor. Ensure LOLER documentation is stored on site and accessible for inspection.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Fall from height
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Ensure all guardrails, mid-rails and toe-boards on the MEWP platform are fully in place and undamaged before use. Never remove or lean over them.
- › Only operators holding a valid IPAF PAL Card (or equivalent) for the relevant MEWP category (1b/3b etc.) may operate the machine.
- › Operator wears a full-body harness with a work restraint lanyard connected to the manufacturer-designated anchor point inside the platform to prevent reaching the platform edge.
MEWP overturning or instability
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Competent person assesses and confirms ground conditions (gradient, bearing capacity, voids, drainage covers) before positioning the MEWP. Use spreader plates where required.
- › For boom MEWPs, extend and lock all outriggers on firm, level bearing in accordance with the manufacturer's operating manual before elevating.
- › Check manufacturer's safe working load and maximum wind speed; cease operations if wind speed exceeds the rated limit. Do not exceed the platform SWL including tools and materials.
Collision with overhead services or structures
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Identify and mark all overhead services (especially live electrical lines) before work begins. Establish exclusion zones and, where possible, arrange for power to be isolated or insulated.
- › Appoint a trained banksman on the ground to guide the operator when overhead obstructions or blind spots exist, using agreed hand signals or radio.
- › Use machines fitted with audible travel alarms and, where available, height limit devices. Inspect that these are functioning during pre-use checks.
Struck by moving MEWP
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Establish physical barriers or cones to create a minimum exclusion zone around the MEWP travel and working area, preventing unauthorised access.
- › A trained banksman directs MEWP movement in confined or busy areas. MEWP must only travel at walking pace in such conditions.
- › All persons working near or guiding the MEWP wear hi-vis vests to ensure they are visible to the operator at all times.
Falling objects from platform
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Fit platform toe-boards and use tool lanyards or secured tool bags to prevent objects falling from the platform.
- › Maintain a clear exclusion zone directly below the platform. Use barriers and signage to prevent access to this zone.
- › All personnel in or near the MEWP work area wear a hard hat to protect against falling objects.
MEWP mechanical failure or entrapment
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Conduct a documented pre-use check before each shift. Ensure the machine has a current LOLER thorough examination certificate (6-monthly for personnel lifting equipment).
- › Operators and at least one ground-based person are trained and familiar with the manual emergency lowering procedure as described in the manufacturer's handbook.
- › Test ground/base controls are operational during pre-use inspection to enable recovery of the platform in the event of operator incapacitation.
Operator incapacitation at height
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › A site-specific rescue plan detailing how an incapacitated operator will be recovered must be prepared, communicated to all relevant personnel, and equipment made ready before elevation.
- › A nominated second person on the ground maintains communication (radio or visual) with the elevated operator throughout the task and knows the emergency procedure.
- › An anti-suspension trauma strap (relief strap) is available on the platform to reduce the risk of suspension trauma if the operator is arrested in the harness.
Electrocution from overhead power lines
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where feasible, request the DNO or network operator to isolate, divert, or insulate overhead conductors before MEWP operations take place in the vicinity.
- › Establish and enforce a minimum safe approach distance to live overhead lines in accordance with HSE guidance (typically 9 m for 33 kV lines). Use goal posts and barriers as physical indicators.
- › Issue a formal permit to work before any MEWP operates within the controlled exclusion zone of overhead lines, requiring authorisation from a competent electrical person.
Slips and trips during platform access/egress
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Operators maintain three points of contact when climbing into and out of the platform. Platform is only accessed from ground level — never from scaffolding, ladders, or adjacent structures.
- › Platform floor, entry steps, and access points are kept clear of materials, trailing cables, and debris. Anti-slip surfaces inspected as part of pre-use check.
- › Operator wears safety footwear with ankle support and anti-slip soles rated for the prevailing ground conditions.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ Safety harness and lanyard where fall arrest is the selected control
- ✓ Insulated gloves where live work is unavoidable
Competence
- ✓ Site induction completed; CSCS or equivalent where the site requires it
Schemes (CSCS, PASMA, IPAF…) evidence competence; they are not statutory requirements in themselves.
Plant & equipment
- › MEWP of the correct type (scissor, vertical mast or articulated boom) for the reach
- › Outrigger spreader pads / sole boards for ground loading
- › Full-body harness with adjustable restraint lanyard and basket anchor point
- › Ground-level emergency/auxiliary lowering controls (machine-fitted)
- › Overhead-line goal posts or exclusion barriers where lines are present
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ A rescue plan that recovers a stranded operator using the machine's auxiliary descent, not by calling the fire service
- ✓ That the LOLER thorough examination certificate is current (within six months) and referenced
- ✓ That the operator's IPAF category matches the machine type — 3a for verticals, 3b for booms
- ✓ The document is site-specific — real address, access arrangements and dates, not a generic template
- ✓ Hazards match the actual task and the controls are specific (not “take care” and “use PPE”)
- ✓ Named supervisor and competent person, with operative sign-off space
- ✓ Emergency and rescue arrangements that work for this site
The report builder runs these as pre-submission checks before you download — or run an existing document through the free RAMS pre-submission checker.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a MEWP RAMS need a rescue plan if the machine has emergency lowering?
Because the operator may be the person who is incapacitated — slumped over the controls after a medical event or trapped against a structure — so they cannot operate the emergency descent themselves. The Work at Height Regulations require you to plan for emergencies and rescue, and a plan that relies on a 999 call ignores how long fire-service rescue from height actually takes. A workable plan trains a ground person to bring the basket down on the auxiliary controls and accounts for suspension trauma if a harness is in use. Reviewers treat the rescue plan as the heart of a MEWP RAMS.
Should I wear a harness in a scissor lift?
Generally no fall-arrest harness is needed in a scissor lift — the enclosed guardrails are the primary protection (BS 8460), and a trailing lanyard can create its own trip and snag hazards. A boom MEWP is different: it can catapult an operator out of the basket if the boom strikes an obstruction, so a restraint lanyard clipped to the basket anchor is standard practice on booms. In both cases follow the machine manufacturer's instructions and any site rules, which your RAMS should reference.
What regulations apply to mewp / cherry picker?
Work at Height Regulations 2005, LOLER 1998 — Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 are the main ones, alongside Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a method statement need to be site-specific?
Yes — this is the most common reason documents get sent back. Principal contractors reject generic copy-paste RAMS. Your document should name the site, access arrangements, dates, supervisor and any site-specific hazards. The RamsDocs builder fills these in for you and flags what's missing before you download.
Is this template free?
Yes — everything on RamsDocs is free during early access, including building a site-specific version of this RAMS and downloading the PDF. No card required.