Cherry Picker Training

Cherry Pickers are one of the most widely used Mobile Elevating Working Platforms (MEWP), they are used for when people need to work at height quickly and safely. Cherry Pickers can be used to assist with a range of jobs from roof repairs, tree surgery to exterior lighting, installation of racking systems and general exterior maintenance.

The Cherry Picker course is designed to provide operators with an understanding of the equipment and the main safety risks involved with their use. The course also covers the specific legalisation governing the use of Cherry Pickers.

Providing your operators with Cherry Picker training ensures that they have the necessary skills to safely operate a Cherry Picker within your operation. The course is designed to provide operators of Cherry Pickers with both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to comply with the standards and regulations contained within the The Provision and Use of Working Regulations (PUWER, 1998) and The Working at Height Regulations (2005).

Please note: It is a pre-requisite of the course for you to provide your operators with the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as harnesses, lanyard and hard hat.


The Course

Course Duration: 1 day (usually 09:00 to 16:30).
Maximum operators: 3.
Delivery Method: Classroom & Practical training & Assessment.
Location: Customer premises.
Pre requisites: Operators need to have good eyesight, they should not have a fear of heights, suffer with vertigo or balance problems, or be hard of hearing.
Assessment: multiple choice & written paper, practical skills test.
Certification: Successful operators will receive a certificate of training.

Course Aim’s:

  • To provide effective basic operator training for those who will be required to operate MEWPs as part of their normal work duties.
  • This operator training course is designed to meet the requirements placed upon employers with regard to their duties under the HEALTH and SAFETY AT WORK ACT (1974); the PROVISION and USE of WORK EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS (PUWER, 1998); the WORKING at HEIGHT REGULATIONS (2005) as applicable and other relevant regulations and codes of practice.

Course Objective’s:

Upon successful completion of this course, operators will be able to:

  • Operate the MEWP used during the training course, safely and correctly in accordance with safe operating practices.
  • Show their understanding, by clearly stating the causes of instability of MEWPs and loads.
  • Correctly carry out the pre-use inspection routine of the MEWP prior to use.
  • Demonstrate an understanding for the need of PPE.

Course Syllabus

  • Introduction to the MEWP that is to be used on the course.
  • Pre-use inspection of the equipment to ensure that it is safe to use.
  • An introduction to the controls and instruments of the MEWP, including safe use of hydraulic controls and emergency lowering devices.
  • An introduction to environmental factors and their impact on use of a MEWP, including overhead obstructions, wind speed and ground conditions.
  • Safe Working Load assessment, including the capacity plate and maximum lift height.
  • Starting, moving and stopping the MEWP, including emergency controls.
  • Safe manoeuvring and positioning of the MEWP.
  • Written test of operator knowledge.
  • Practical test of basic operating skills.

This course includes full certification and training materials.