Who this course is for
- Operators who work from a cherry picker, scissor lift or boom-type platform
- Maintenance, electrical and painting crews who reach height from a powered platform
- Warehouse, stadium and facilities teams who service high-level plant and lighting
- Supervisors who have to appoint competent platform operators on site
What you will be able to do after this course
- Carry out pre-use and daily inspections on a mobile elevated work platform
- Set the machine up safely, including ground assessment, outriggers and levelling
- Operate the platform through its full range and position it accurately at height
- Recognise the limits of the machine and shut down, stow and park it correctly
What the course covers
The course works through the Occupational Health and Safety Act Driven Machinery Regulations as they apply to powered platforms, and then through the machine itself.
Learners cover the types of platform and where each is used, pre-use and daily inspections, ground conditions and set-up, rated capacity and platform loading, operating the boom or scissor through its range, working safely around people, structures and overhead services, emergency lowering, and correct stowing and parking. The operating work is done practically on the machine.
How you are assessed and what you receive
Assessment covers a written knowledge test and a practical on the machine, where the learner inspects the platform, sets it up, operates it at height and lowers and stows it under supervision. On successful completion the learner is certificated against SAQA unit standard 243272, and the certificate can be downloaded from the Fundza portal as well as issued directly.
What this certificate is worth
A powered platform is lifting machinery under the Driven Machinery Regulations, so an employer has to be able to show the operator is competent. This certificate is what a client safety officer or site induction asks for before a machine is signed onto site. Learners can download the certificate from the Fundza portal at any time, which matters when proof is needed at short notice.
Duration, dates and fees
| Option | Duration | Fee | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full course | 5 Days | R6,010 | First-time certification |
| Refresher | 1 Day | R1,204 | Already certified, renewing |
On-site delivery at your own operation is available and is usually the better option for a crew, because the practical work is done on the machines your own teams operate. For group bookings, tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based.
Where and how the training runs
Training runs at the Fundza Training Institute centre in Mokopane, and on site at your own operation. On-site delivery is generally better for a crew, since the practical work happens on the machine they will actually be operating and in the conditions they work in. For a group booking, tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based, and we will come back with dates and a quotation.
Platform operator and working at heights: how they differ
| Mobile elevated platform (this course) | Working at heights | |
|---|---|---|
| What it certifies | Operating the powered platform | Protecting yourself from a fall |
| Unit standard | SAQA 243272 | SAQA 229998 |
| Duration | 5 days | 2 days |
| When it is needed | Only where a powered platform is used | Any work with a fall risk |
Most sites expect a platform operator to hold both. This course covers the machine; working at heights covers the harness, anchor points and rescue.
Where this course can take you
Mobile elevated platform work sits inside the working-at-height stack at Fundza. The natural companions are Working at Heights and Scaffolding, and operators who also move material at height often add Telescopic Boom Handler or Counter-balanced Lift Truck. Browse the full range of lifting machinery training.
Enquire about this course
Tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based, and we will come back with dates and a quotation.