Checks, inspection and records — IPAF MEWP Operator Practice

Sample questions

1. 01You are about to start the morning function check on a boom. In what order should the controls be proved?

   • AEmergency lowering only, as the controls are proved at examination
   • BPlatform controls first, then the ground controls if there is time
   • CGround functions, both stops and lowering, then the basket
   • DPlatform controls only, as that is where the machine is driven from

   Why: Following the manufacturer’s checklist, the function check starts at the base: each ground function, both emergency stops and the emergency lowering system, then the platform controls. The ground controls and emergency lowering are how someone on the ground brings you down, so they are proved before you rely on them. Checking only from the basket is tempting because that is where you work, but it leaves the rescue controls untested. The thorough examination does not replace the daily check.

2. 02An experienced operator does the walk-round from memory after years of using scissor lifts. What should set the items and order of the walk-round?

   • AThe operator’s own experience of similar scissor lifts
   • BThe manufacturer’s pre-use checklist for that machine
   • CThe defects section of the last examination report
   • DA standard list of check items printed in LOLER itself

   Why: The manufacturer’s pre-use checklist sets the items and the order for that machine, which is why it sits in the manual and often on the machine. Experience is tempting to rely on, but machines differ and memory skips things. LOLER contains no walk-round list, and the examination report records what the examiner found, not the daily check items.

3. 03On the walk-round of a hired boom you notice a damp film of oil at a hose fitting. You are not sure whether that is normal for this model. What do you do?

   • AWipe it clean and look again after the first lift of the day
   • BNote it on the check sheet and carry on, as it is only a film
   • CAsk the person in control or the hire firm before using it
   • DUse it and mention the oil at the end of the shift instead

   Why: If you are not sure whether something is normal for this model, that is a question for the person in control or the hire company before you use the machine, not after. Wiping it and checking after a lift is tempting because it seems to gather evidence, but it means going up on a machine you have doubts about. Recording it is right, but recording alone does not settle whether it is safe.