Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), including scissor lifts and boom lifts, need suitable selection, competent operation and effective rescue arrangements. This guide uses the IPAF Global Safety Report 2026 for worldwide incident evidence and HSE guidance for work in Great Britain. The two sources have different purposes and coverage.
Reviewed 15 October 2026. IPAF figures below concern worldwide reports for 2025, published in its 2026 report. They are not a UK accident total or an exposure-adjusted measure of equipment risk.
Key facts and figures
- 170 fatal and major powered-access incident reports for 2025 in IPAF’s worldwide dataset.
- 76 fatalities reported worldwide in that 2025 fatal-and-major-incident dataset.
- 192 people involved in the reported fatal and major incidents worldwide in 2025.
- 25 countries and regions contributed to the 2025 fatal-and-major-incident dataset.
- 28 electrocution and electric-shock reports in 2025, the leading cause in IPAF’s analysis.
- 20 fatalities in the electrocution and electric-shock category worldwide in 2025.
What the powered-access data shows
IPAF’s 2026 report covers MEWPs, mast-climbing work platforms and construction hoists. It analyses incidents submitted through its reporting portal, rather than a complete census of all powered-access accidents. Reporting coverage and later submissions can change the totals.
The headline counts are 170 fatal and major incident reports, 192 people involved and 76 fatalities for 2025. Incidents and people are different units: one incident may involve more than one person. These figures cannot show the probability of death for every MEWP user.
MEWP types and safe selection
Choose a machine for the required reach, load, ground conditions and working environment. The category describes the equipment; it does not, on its own, establish a risk ranking. Differences in the number of machines or hours worked also matter.
Static vertical platforms fall within category 1a. The table summarises three other commonly encountered categories. A trained operator still needs familiarisation with the particular machine and its controls.
| MEWP machine category | Typical equipment |
|---|---|
| 1b — static boom | Vehicle-mounted, trailer-mounted and other static boom platforms |
| 3a — mobile vertical | Scissor lifts and mobile vertical personnel platforms |
| 3b — mobile boom | Self-propelled boom lifts |
Serious incident causes
IPAF identifies electrocution and electric shock, falls from the platform and overturns as leading hazards in the 2025 data. Entrapment against structures is also a serious risk. The following are worldwide reported counts, not a ranking of UK accident rates.
| Incident category | Reports, 2025 | Fatalities, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrocution and electric shock | 28 | 20 |
| Falls from the platform | 25 | 19 |
| Overturns | 10 | 7 |
Electrical contact: plan work near overhead lines with appropriate advice and controls, including isolation where needed. Do not assume a machine or a nominal clearance alone makes the job safe.
Falls and ejection: remain within the platform and use the selected fall-protection arrangements correctly. Reposition the machine instead of climbing the guardrails or overreaching.
Stability and entrapment: assess ground support, loading, wind, overhead structures and the path of movement. Have a workable rescue plan and personnel able to operate emergency lowering controls.
Applying global findings to a local site
Construction features prominently in IPAF’s reporting, alongside arboriculture, facilities management and rental activity. The reported distribution reflects the submitted cases and equipment use; it does not prove that one sector has the highest risk per worker or operating hour.
Use the findings to prompt a site-specific assessment. A cherry picker beside overhead lines, a scissor lift beneath steelwork and a boom lift on uncertain ground need different controls, even if the tasks all involve working at height.
Training, familiarisation and supervision
HSE says operators should complete recognised training for the relevant MEWP category and receive familiarisation with the specific make and model. Training is part of the control system alongside suitable equipment, planning, supervision and rescue arrangements.
An IPAF PAL card is one route to demonstrating category training. The law does not make that particular branded card the sole route to competence, and a card alone does not establish competence for every task or machine. Supervisors also need knowledge appropriate to the work; a particular branded management course is not universally prescribed by law.
General online work-at-height awareness does not qualify a learner to operate a MEWP. Practical operator preparation, assessment and equipment-specific familiarisation must be arranged where required.
Legal requirements for MEWP use
In Great Britain, relevant duties arise under work-at-height, work-equipment and lifting-equipment legislation. HSE’s practical guidance includes:
- Selection and planning: choose a suitable machine, assess the site and plan the lifting operation and work.
- Competent operation: provide relevant training, machine familiarisation and supervision.
- Inspection and maintenance: carry out checks and servicing appropriate to the risks and manufacturer’s instructions.
- Thorough examination: a MEWP must be examined at least every six months, or under a competent person’s examination scheme.
- Emergency arrangements: prepare for breakdown, entrapment and rescue; ensure suitable personnel know the controls.
Use suitable personal fall protection where the risk assessment and equipment instructions require it. Thorough examination does not replace pre-use checks, maintenance or safe operating practices.
Sources & references
- IPAF — Global Safety Report 2026, worldwide reports for 2025
- IPAF — 2026 report launch and headline results, 2 September 2026
- HSE — mobile elevating work platforms: selection, training and examination
- HSE — introduction to working at height safely
- Work at Height Regulations 2005, Great Britain
- HSE — thorough examination of lifting equipment
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Mark writes about working at height, powered access safety, compliance and accredited training for Working at Heights Course, part of Online CPD Academy.