One key detail to consider is context. The rollout of the safe use and training standards came in the middle of 2020, about three months into the Covid pandemic.
Priorities shifted in the face of a global crisis. Organizations using MEWPs were primarily focused on simply keeping their operations up and running, while navigating constantly changing requirements and best practices.
Information about the new safe use and training standards likely were lost in the pandemic swirl, Groat says.
“Companies were struggling to keep their workers healthy and keep their businesses afloat,” he says. “Thinking about new industry standards was far from their top priority.”
The lapse in awareness lingers today.
“Many of the companies I provide training for are still unaware of the changes,” says Scott Owyen, Genie director of training for North America. “Unfortunately, there isn’t a mechanism for OSHA or ANSI to communicate directly with companies about regulations or standards changes. As a result, it’s up to companies to have someone responsible for understanding the regulations and standards, and when they change.”
As organizations have begun to catch up, those providing compliant training, including JLG, Genie, United Rentals, Sunbelt Rentals, IPAF, and others, have seen increased interest in operator and train-the-trainer programs.
“Our numbers have been steadily growing since 2021, when we had just over 200 [train-the-trainer] participants, to 2024, when we graduated nearly 400 participants,” says Logan Cunningham, senior manager for product training at JLG. He says JLG Training has been averaging about 1,000 operator enrollments a year.
MEWP supervisor training is another story.
MEWP supervisor training remains a blind spot
One of the least understood elements of the standards is the requirement for MEWP supervisors to be trained.
Training leaders say they have not seen significant participation in those courses.
“Unfortunately, supervisor training e-learning did not follow the same growth path as train-the-trainer and operator training,” says JLG’s Cunningham. “Program enrollment was high in 2019 and 2020, which was our biggest year with well over 550 participants, but since then, we’ve seen a steady decline in supervisor training enrollments.”
Francois-Xavier Huneault, director of United Academy for United Rentals, says the gap is widespread.
“Probably 90% of the companies out there ignore that their MEWP supervisors need training,” he says. “It’s still something that is not well known.”
That oversight carries real risk. Supervisors are responsible for:
- Verifying operator qualifications
- Selecting the right equipment for the job
- Performing worksite risk assessments
- Preparing rescue plans and emergency procedures
Unfortunately, by the time organizations are seeking out compliant training as outlined by the standards, it’s often too late.
“Many operator training courses I teach are still the result of a fatality that occurred,” Owyen says. “In many of these cases, untrained operators performed a task at the direction of an untrained supervisor—behaviors that the supervisor and operator would have known were unsafe with proper training.”
James “Red” Ronduen, technical safety training manager for Sunbelt Rentals, says that those who do take the training quickly see its value.
“Many have noted that the training not only improves their understanding of the safety regulations but also enhances their ability to effectively manage and oversee the safe operation of MEWPs within their teams.”
How to raise awareness of MEWP standards
Raising awareness and changing mindsets about the safe use and training for MEWPs shouldn’t be relegated to only the safety and training managers. It should be embraced by the culture of the entire organization—and it often takes only one person or team to initially lead the charge.
At Traylor Bros., it started with the equipment team.
After the design changes for new MEWPs, the shop was fielding a lot of service calls when the machines shut down for safety reasons, such as overloading or exceeding tilt limits. Marshall McCoy, equipment superintendent, says they decided to act.
“I thought if we actually take the reins on this, we can alleviate a lot of the problems that we have that are reoccurring,” McCoy says.
McCoy and a colleague achieved their train-the-trainer certification through JLG University, and they’ve since trained about 200 people in-house.
He says at first there was some pushback from those that had been in the industry for a long time, wondering why they needed additional training. It helped that the equipment team took ownership of it, he says, because it created a shared sense of responsibility for the safe use and care of the machines.
“It really changed the culture,” McCoy says.
After the training, calls about MEWPs not working stopped, and there was a better understanding overall about the capabilities and limitations of the equipment.
“We really didn’t have any more incidents,” he says. “I feel like the time was well spent, and it saved us time and money and all the frustration that we were having before all the training happened.”
It’s important to keep in mind that training is just the beginning, IPAF’s Groat says.
“Training doesn't make you a qualified person,” he says. “Training is the knowledge to enable you to become a qualified person, and they need to be assessed.”
Recognizing that, United Rentals’ United Academy started a proficiency assessment program to evaluate and verify operator competence per the standards’ requirements, Huneault says.
“We’ll observe them and take notes and give them back to their supervisor,” he says.
Once training and assessments are completed, it all must be documented and kept.
“Many companies today are not meeting the record retention requirements, and that is a huge issue,” Cunningham says.
Training providers, including JLG and United Rentals, are trying to close that gap with digital platforms that store credentials, records, training histories, and when recertification is needed in one place.
Improving MEWP safety requires more than policies. It takes a collective effort.
Organizations that use MEWPs need to make sure they:
- Know the standard requirements: Everyone should have a vested interest in safe use and training.
- Treat supervisor training as essential: It’s a requirement, not a recommendation.
- Collaborate across departments: Operations, project management, fleet, environmental health and safety—everyone should play a role.
- Prioritize proficiency over certification: It’s not about passing a test; it’s about preventing an accident.
- Only work with compliant training providers: Make sure comprehensive training follows the ANSI A92.22 & A92.24 standards.
- Keep records: Digital platforms can help manage and maintain compliance.
“We still have work to do educating the industry about the requirements in the ANSI A92 standards,” Owyen says. “We need to identify different ways to get the message out to educate more decision makers in the industry and help make job sites safer for the men and women that use this equipment daily.”
Feeling safe and being safe are not the same thing, Groat says.
“OSHA regulations are the minimum legal safety requirements,” he says. “ANSI standards are the most current safety practices, and it’s up to us to not only follow them, but to lead by example.”
