- Written by
- Scaffold Exchange Team
- Published
- September 26, 2026
- Reading time
- 6 min
What "certification" actually means
OSHA does not certify aerial lift operators and does not recognise any card. What OSHA requires is that the employer train each employee before they operate the machine and keep a record of it. A training provider's "certification" is that provider's statement that a person completed its course. It is useful evidence, it is what a general contractor asks to see at the gate, and it is worth nothing if the employer has not also familiarised the operator with the specific machine on site.
That is why a card from an online course, on its own, is not compliance. The course covers the theory. The employer still owes the hands-on part, on the model the operator will use, and the record of both.
What OSHA requires
Two paragraphs do the work in construction. For boom-type aerial lifts, 1926.453(a)(2) applies ANSI A92.2 and its training requirements; OSHA has said in letters of interpretation that only trained persons may operate aerial lifts and that the training must cover the manufacturer's instructions, the hazards, and the fall protection rules. For scissor lifts, which OSHA treats as mobile scaffolds, 1926.454 requires training by a qualified person in the hazards and procedures, and retraining when the work, the equipment or the worker's performance shows it is needed. In general industry the parallel is 1910.67(c)(2)(ii): only trained persons operate an aerial lift.
What ANSI A92.24 requires
ANSI A92.24-2018 is the training standard for mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs, the 2018 term for aerial lifts). It is not law, but OSHA cites it, rental agreements require it, and most general contractors write it into site rules. It sets out three kinds of training.
| Role | Who | What the training covers |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Anyone who drives or elevates the machine. | The classification system (Groups A and B, Types 1 to 3), the manual, pre-start inspection, workplace risk assessment, controls, hazards including electrocution and ejection, fall protection, rescue, and a hands-on evaluation. Then familiarisation on each specific model before use. |
| Occupant | Anyone on the platform who is not operating. | The hazards, fall protection and how to use it, the manual, how to lower the platform in an emergency, and site rules. Shorter than operator training but required before going up. |
| Supervisor | Anyone who directs or monitors MEWP work. | Selecting the right machine, the rules and the manual, the hazards, recognising untrained or unsafe operation, and the rescue plan. |
Two of those catch employers out. Occupant training means the apprentice riding in the basket needs training too, not just the operator. Familiarisation means that operator training on a Genie GS-1930 does not cover a JLG 600S; someone has to walk the operator through the new model's controls, decals and emergency lowering before the first use. A rental delivery driver can do that if the rental company offers it, and many do for a fee.
Getting trained: options and costs
- Online theory courses. $50 to $100 per person, two to four hours, a certificate and a wallet card on completion. Covers the A92.24 theory content. Does not cover the hands-on evaluation or familiarisation; the employer must add both and record them.
- Rental company training. The national chains and many independents run half-day operator courses, usually $150 to $300 per person, often on their yard or at your site with the machine you are renting. Theory, hands-on and familiarisation in one, which is the simplest way to comply.
- Manufacturer programmes. Genie and JLG both offer operator and train-the-trainer courses. Train-the-trainer ($500 to $1,000) lets one supervisor train and evaluate the crew in house, which is the cheapest route for companies that use lifts constantly.
- Union and apprenticeship programmes. Carpenters, electricians, ironworkers and painters all include MEWP training in their apprenticeships; ask for the card.
- SAIA accredited providers. The Scaffold & Access Industry Association lists trainers accredited to teach both scaffold and MEWP courses; suppliers in the directory who train are under scaffold training.
Whatever route you take, the employer keeps the record: who was trained, on what, by whom, when, and the familiarisation for each model. That record is what a compliance officer or a general contractor asks for, and it is the employer's, not the training provider's.
Renewal, cards and site rules
Most providers issue cards valid for three years, and most general contractors accept a card within that window plus the employer's familiarisation record for the machine on site. Some owners, notably refineries and plants, require their own site-specific MEWP orientation regardless of cards. Read the site rules before the first day; the jobs board posts often list which cards a company expects.
Retrain sooner than three years when the rule says to: a new class of machine, a near miss, a change in the work, or a supervisor who sees an operator drive with the platform raised on an uneven floor. The fall protection and safety guide lists the behaviours that show up in fatality reports, which is the list a supervisor should be watching for.
Scaffolding has its own training rule and its own set of cards, and crews that use both need both; the competent person training guide covers that side. If your scaffolding supplier also rents lifts, ask whether they train; several suppliers listed under forklift and reach-lift rental do.