Every elevated work platform has a rated platform capacity — a maximum combined weight of people, tools and materials that the basket is designed and certified to carry. This figure is often called the Safe Working Load (SWL) or rated capacity, and it is one of the most commonly misunderstood specifications on a machine. Getting it wrong can void certification, fail an inspection, and — in a worst case — cause a structural failure at height.
What SWL means on an EWP
The rated platform capacity shown on the data plate is the maximum load the manufacturer has designed and tested the machine to carry — calculated at the worst-case combination of height, reach and boom angle. It includes everything in the basket: all occupants, all tools, all materials and any equipment mounted to the platform.
The SWL is not a safety buffer you can exceed 'just this once'. It is the limit at which the machine's structural components — welds, pins, cylinders and boom sections — were rated and certified. Operating beyond the rated capacity applies loads that the design and certification did not account for.
What counts towards the load
The following all count against the rated platform capacity:
- All persons in the basket, including their clothing and PPE.
- All tools carried into the basket — power tools, hand tools, testing equipment.
- All materials taken up — cable, conduit, pipe, paint, prunings.
- Any equipment bolted or clamped to the platform structure.
One person vs two person ratings
Some EWP baskets are rated for a single occupant; others for two or more. The number of permitted occupants is shown on the data plate and forms part of the machine's certification.
Using a single-person basket with two occupants is a compliance breach regardless of whether their combined weight stays under the SWL — the machine's certification limits both the number of persons and the total load.
SWL and inspection certification
During a major inspection, structural calculations are reviewed against the machine's rated capacity. Any modifications to the basket — added mounting frames, tool holders, or extended platforms — must be assessed by an engineer to confirm they do not affect the SWL or the basket's structural integrity.
Unapproved modifications that increase the basket weight or alter its load distribution can invalidate certification even if the machine is otherwise structurally sound.
This guide is general information prepared by EWP Australia and is grounded in publicly available Australian Standards and Safe Work Australia material. It is not a substitute for the current published edition of the relevant standard or for site-specific engineering advice. Always work from the current standard and consult a competent person for your specific equipment and application.