Do I need IPAF, PASMA, or both?
Decide by the equipment your team uses. Operatives on powered access platforms (scissor lifts, boom lifts, MEWPs) need IPAF. Operatives on mobile aluminium towers need PASMA. Operatives who do both need both. Most construction sites use both equipment types, so most operatives end up holding both cards.
Key facts
- The decision is equipment-driven, not role-driven.
- Scissor lifts, boom lifts, MEWPs: IPAF.
- Mobile aluminium towers, podiums, low-level access: PASMA.
- Mixed access fleets: both cards.
- One card does not legally cover the other. An IPAF card does not authorise tower erection, and a PASMA card does not authorise MEWP use.
- Combined block: PASMA Towers for Users (day 1) + IPAF 3A (day 2) is the most common 2-day baseline for new work-at-height operatives.
Decision by equipment type
| If your team uses… | The card needed is |
|---|---|
| Scissor lifts | IPAF 3A |
| Boom lifts / cherry pickers | IPAF 3B (plus Harness Awareness) |
| Vehicle-mounted booms (telecoms, tree work) | IPAF 1B |
| Push-around vertical platforms | IPAF PAV |
| Mobile aluminium towers | PASMA Towers for Users |
| Mobile towers in stairwells | PASMA Towers for Users + Towers for Stairs |
| Podiums and low-level access platforms | PASMA Combined Low Level Access + Towers for Users |
| Mast climbers | IPAF MR (rigger) or MO (operator) |
| Supervising tower work without operating | PASMA Towers for Managers |
| Supervising MEWP work without operating | IPAF MEWPs for Managers (e-learning) |
Operatives whose work spans more than one row need a card for each row. There is no ‘blanket’ work-at-height card under UK industry rules.
When you only need IPAF
You only need IPAF when the operative’s work at height is exclusively on powered access. Typical examples:
- Internal fit-out teams on scissor lifts only. 3A IPAF.
- External facade and steel-erection on boom lifts. 3B IPAF + Harness Awareness.
- Tree surgeons on vehicle-mounted booms. 1B IPAF + Harness Awareness.
- Telecoms and line workers in MEWPs only. 1B or 3B IPAF + Harness Awareness.
If the project also uses towers anywhere, even occasionally, the operative needs PASMA too.
When you only need PASMA
You only need PASMA when the operative’s work at height is exclusively on mobile aluminium towers and similar low-level access products. Typical examples:
- Painters and decorators on mobile towers indoors. Towers for Users.
- Maintenance crews using stairwell towers. Towers for Users + Towers for Stairs.
- Shopfitters on podiums and mini-towers. Combined Low Level Access + Towers for Users.
- Plumbers and electricians servicing facilities at low height. Towers for Users.
If the operative ever steps onto a MEWP, they need IPAF too.
When you need both
Most operatives on UK construction, facilities and maintenance projects need both. Reasons:
- Mixed access fleets. Most projects of any size use both MEWPs and towers depending on the task.
- Flexibility on site. An operative who can move between a scissor and a tower is far more useful than one who can only use one.
- Sub-contract work. Trade contractors moving between sites cannot predict which access equipment will be available.
- Faster turnaround. Holding both cards removes the “wait for a colleague with the right card” delay that costs site time.
The most efficient combined booking is PASMA Towers for Users (day 1) + IPAF 3A (day 2). For operatives also working from boom lifts, add IPAF 3B and Harness Awareness, taking the block to 3–3.5 days.
Decision for site managers and supervisors
Personnel who plan or oversee work at height without operating the equipment themselves do not need the operator cards, but they should not be invisible to the schemes either. PASMA offers Towers for Managers as a one-day course for supervisors specifying tower work. IPAF offers MEWPs for Managers as an e-learning equivalent for supervisors specifying MEWP work. Most site managers and project managers in construction take both.
Decision for plant hire and rental fleets
Plant hire firms typically train their entire delivery and inspection workforce on at least IPAF 3A + 3B and PASMA Towers for Users. The operatives are not full-time site users, but the demo, hand-over and yard-inspection work all happen on the equipment. Holding the cards means the operatives can demonstrate the equipment safely to clients and conduct pre-hire inspections in line with manufacturer guidance.
Related questions
- What’s the difference between IPAF and PASMA?
- What MEWP categories does IPAF cover?
- What is the PASMA card?
- How much do IPAF and PASMA courses cost?
- Can IPAF and PASMA training be delivered on-site?
Quick answers to related questions
Does my IPAF card cover tower work?
No. An IPAF PAL Card authorises MEWP use only. A site supervisor will not let an operative erect or work from a mobile tower on the strength of a PAL Card.
Does my PASMA card cover MEWP use?
No. A PASMA card authorises mobile aluminium tower work only. The operative needs an IPAF PAL Card before any MEWP is signed out.
Can both courses be booked together?
Yes. The most common combined booking is PASMA Towers for Users + IPAF 3A across two consecutive days. Adding IPAF 3B + Harness Awareness extends the block to 3–3.5 days.
Last updated: 2026-05-21. Reviewed by the MPTT work-at-height training team, IPAF- and PASMA-approved instructors.
Not Sure Which Card You Need?
Midland Plant Training & Testing scopes the right combination of IPAF and PASMA courses for each operative based on the equipment your team uses. Send us a list of the access equipment on site, the operative count and the deadline, and we will come back with a combined IPAF and PASMA course block that delivers every card the operatives need in the smallest number of attendance days.
