IPAF 1b training in Manchester for van-, truck- and trailer-mounted static booms, at our Pendlebury training centre or at your own depot.
IPAF 1b training in Manchester covers static booms: platforms that are set up on outriggers or stabilisers and don't drive while the basket is raised. That includes van-mounted and truck-mounted platforms, and the trailer-mounted booms towed behind a pickup. They are the machines you see on street lighting, traffic signals, telecoms, tree work and shopfronts across Greater Manchester.
A static boom is only as stable as the ground and the outriggers underneath it. The course puts heavy weight on site assessment, including kerbs, cellar covers, soft verges and slopes, and on deploying outriggers and spreader pads correctly. It also covers working next to live traffic and pedestrians, which is what most 1b work in the city involves.
Once the machine is set up, 1b covers the same essentials as any boom: slewing and outreach near structures and overhead lines, crush hazards, harness and lanyard use, and emergency lowering. The practical ends with an assessment, and 1b is added to your PAL card.
If your team also uses scissors and self-propelled booms, the 1b, 3a & 3b course covers all three categories and shares the theory.
We run IPAF 1b at our training centre at Agecroft, Pendlebury, a short drive from Junction 17 of the M60. Many 1b operators work out of depots across Greater Manchester, so we can also train on your own vehicle-mounted or trailer-mounted platform at your premises, for four or more delegates.
Pass the practical assessment and 1b is issued on your PAL card the same day as an ePAL, valid for five years. Courses run Monday to Saturday, so highways and utilities crews can train without pulling a vehicle off a weekday job.
Our 1b delegates include street lighting and signals teams, telecoms and utilities engineers, arborists working at the roadside, and shopfront and signage installers working across Manchester, Salford, Stockport and Oldham.

Courses run at Access Towers Manchester in Pendlebury, or on site at your premises. Send the form below or call us and we'll book you in.
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Training four or more people? We'll bring the course to your site or offices on a date that suits you — no travel, no downtime, and a better price per person than booking individual places.
Requires a minimum of 4 attendees
Static booms: van-mounted, truck-mounted and trailer-mounted platforms, plus other booms that work from outriggers or stabilisers.
Half a day to one day, including theory, practical and assessment.
Because a static boom's stability depends on the outriggers and the ground beneath them. Most serious incidents with these machines start at set-up.
It covers hazards at the work location, including traffic and pedestrians. Formal traffic management qualifications are separate.
Yes, if you have the vehicle and space. We deliver on site across Greater Manchester. Call 0161 533 0903.
Five years.
The same day you pass, as an ePAL in IPAF's free app. A physical card can be requested.
Yes. Courses run Monday to Saturday at our Pendlebury centre.
A suitable static boom, a safe area to set up the outriggers, and a minimum of four delegates. Call 0161 533 0903 and we will confirm the details.
Full-day courses run from 8am to 4pm, and half-day sessions from 8am to 1pm.
£140 + VAT per person. We're the best-priced training provider in Manchester and the North West: if you find the same course cheaper, call 0161 533 0903 and we'll beat it. Group rates are available for teams.
Book your place online, or call our team for honest advice and the next available dates. Group discounts and onsite training available.