The Elevating Work Platform Association (EWPA) has launched its Digital Yellow Card Operator Licence, a significant step forward in ensuring the safety and competency of workers operating elevating work platforms (EWPs). This new digital version of the Yellow Card will help prevent fraudulent certifications and ensure that all operators have received proper training.

Since its inception in 1987, the EWPA Yellow Card program has been a cornerstone of safety in industries where EWPs are used. With over 500,000 operators trained by more than 200 accredited trainers across Australia, the Yellow Card is widely recognised as a mark of quality training and safety compliance.

However, the prevalence of counterfeit Yellow Cards has posed significant risks, allowing untrained individuals to operate machinery, increasing the likelihood of workplace accidents.

The introduction of the Digital Yellow Card addresses these issues by offering a secure and easily verifiable credential that can’t be duplicated or misused. Employers and site supervisors can now quickly verify that a worker’s certification is authentic and up-to-date, providing peace of mind and reducing the risk of accidents caused by untrained operators.

What sets the EWPA training apart is the ability for employers to drill down on the makes and models of EWPs that operators were trained on, and every training record includes a photo of the operator. These features have been available since 2013 and the Digital Yellow Card takes it one step further, allowing operators to build on their training records by capturing Verification of Competency (VoC) in addition to the original EWPs they were trained on. All this is captured and verifiable via the new Digital Yellow Card.

The innovation comes at a critical time, with industrial manslaughter laws now in force across Australia, after Tasmania became the final state to pass legislation last month. The laws impose harsher penalties on organisations if preventable workplace incidents occur.

These laws underscore the importance of ensuring that all workers are properly trained and certified to operate equipment safely. The Digital Yellow Card will play a vital role in helping companies comply with these new regulations and avoid the severe consequences of non-compliance.

In addition to the Digital Yellow Card, the EWPA has also launched a digital version of the TSHA Gold Card for telehandlers, providing the same security and verification benefits. Like the Yellow Card, the TSHA Gold Card is essential for ensuring that operators of telehandlers are properly trained and competent.

“The launch of the Digital Yellow Card represents a major advancement in our ongoing efforts to improve workplace safety and uphold the highest standards in the EWP industry,” said James Oxenham, CEO at the EWPA.

“By embracing digital credentials, we are making it easier for employers to verify training and ensuring that workers are appropriately trained  to operate these complex machines. This is a crucial step in protecting lives and supporting the industry’s commitment to safety.”

The EWPA has also secured a trademark for the term ‘Yellow Card’, further protecting the integrity of the training program  and preventing unauthorised use by  non-accredited providers. This measure will eliminate any confusion about the legitimacy of Yellow Card training and ensure that only those trained by EWPA-Accredited Trainers receive the EWPA Yellow Card.