Elevated work platforms — EWPs — are everywhere on modern sites. Scissor lifts, boom lifts, cherry pickers and vertical lifts let you work safely at height without dragging scaffold or ladders around. If your trade involves reaching ceilings, facades, structural steel, services in the roof space or anything above head height, being ticketed on an EWP makes you genuinely useful on the tools.
This guide explains the difference between the tickets you might need, when a nationally recognised high risk work licence is required versus operator training, what it costs and where to get it. As always, licensing sits under the model WHS laws administered by your state regulator — SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Victoria, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, SafeWork SA, WorkSafe WA and the rest.
Scissor lifts vs boom lifts — the key distinction
This is the thing everyone gets confused about, and it matters because it decides whether you need a formal high risk work licence.
- Scissor lifts move straight up and down on a scissor mechanism. The platform stays directly above the base. On its own, a scissor lift does not require a high risk work licence, but you still need proper training to operate it safely.
- Boom lifts (cherry pickers, knuckle booms, straight booms) have a boom that can extend outwards and articulate, so the platform can reach out beyond the base. If the boom length is more than 11 metres, operating it requires a high risk work licence class WP (boom-type elevating work platform).
So the simple rule: a boom-type EWP with a boom over 11 metres needs a WP high risk work licence. Scissor lifts and smaller booms don't legally require the licence, but they absolutely require training — and many employers insist on it either way.
What the WP high risk work licence involves
The WP licence is a nationally recognised high risk work (HRW) licence, in the same family as the ones covered in high risk work licences explained. To get one you:
- Step 1: Train with a Registered Training Organisation approved to deliver HRW licensing.
- Step 2: Complete the theory and practical assessment for the WP class.
- Step 3: Apply to your state regulator for the licence, providing ID and your assessment paperwork.
Once issued, a HRW licence is recognised across all states and territories, and it's valid for five years before you renew it. You must be at least 18 to hold one.
Operator training for scissor lifts and smaller EWPs
For scissor lifts and boom lifts under 11 metres, there's no HRW licence, but you're not off the hook. Under WHS law the business must ensure operators are competent, so training is expected. The common pathway is the Elevating Work Platform Association's Yellow Card (WP operator training), or a nationally recognised unit of competency for operating an EWP.
This training covers:
- Pre-start inspections and checks
- Safe set-up on stable, level ground
- Understanding the platform's rated capacity and reach limits
- Using a harness and lanyard where required (mandatory in boom lifts)
- Recognising hazards like powerlines, ground conditions, wind and overhead obstructions
- Emergency lowering procedures
Even a "simple" scissor lift can tip, trap or drop someone if it's used on soft ground, overloaded or driven into an obstacle. The training is short but genuinely useful.
When you actually need it on site
You need EWP credentials when your work puts you on a platform. That's common in electrical, air conditioning and refrigeration, painting, carpentry, boilermaking and structural steel, signage and facade work.
What you specifically need depends on the machine:
- Boom lift over 11 metres — you must hold a WP high risk work licence, full stop.
- Boom lift under 11 metres or a scissor lift — no HRW licence, but expect the employer or principal contractor to require Yellow Card or equivalent operator training plus a site-specific familiarisation.
Most sites also require you to hold a White Card, and because working from an EWP is working at height, a working at heights ticket is frequently expected alongside it — especially for boom lifts where a harness is mandatory.
What it costs and where to get it
Prices vary by RTO and state, so treat this as indicative only. The WP high risk work licence course generally costs more and runs over one to a few days because of the practical assessment and the regulator application fee on top. Yellow Card and scissor lift operator training are cheaper and shorter, often a single day.
Look for a Registered Training Organisation that's specifically approved to deliver high risk work licensing if you're chasing the WP class — not every RTO is. Many employers and Group Training Organisations will fund EWP tickets because they need you able to operate the gear on their jobs, so ask before paying yourself.
Using an EWP safely once you're ticketed
The ticket gets you started; good habits keep you alive. Every time you use an EWP:
- Do the pre-start inspection and log it — don't skip it because you're in a hurry.
- Check the ground is firm, level and clear of trenches, pits and soft fill.
- Never exceed the rated capacity or reach outside the platform to grab something.
- Wear your harness and clip on in a boom lift, every time.
- Watch for powerlines and keep well clear — overhead electrical contact is a common EWP fatality.
- Don't use an EWP in high wind beyond the manufacturer's limit.
If a machine looks damaged, overdue for service or isn't right, tag it out and tell your supervisor. Refusing to use faulty gear is exactly the kind of judgement employers notice.
If you're deciding which tickets to invest in first, read which tickets actually get you hired. When you're ready to use them, browse apprenticeship jobs or create a free profile.
Key takeaways
- Scissor lifts and small booms don't need a high risk work licence, but do need operator training (commonly Yellow Card).
- Boom-type EWPs with a boom over 11 metres require a WP high risk work licence from your state regulator.
- A HRW licence is nationally recognised, valid five years, and you must be 18 to hold one.
- Working from an EWP is working at height, so a harness (in booms) and often a working at heights ticket are expected.
- Always do pre-start checks, mind the ground, watch for powerlines and never exceed rated limits.
- Many employers and GTOs pay for EWP tickets — ask before paying yourself.