AS 2550.10 (Cranes, hoists and winches — Safe use — Part 10: Mobile elevating work platforms) sets out the accepted way to plan, select, site, operate, maintain and inspect a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) in Australia. If you operate or manage access equipment, this is the standard that frames what 'safe use' actually means.
What the standard covers
AS 2550.10 sits within the AS 2550 series on the safe use of cranes, hoists and winches. It is the safe-use companion to AS 1418.10, which deals with the design and manufacture of MEWPs. Where AS 1418.10 governs how a machine is built, AS 2550.10 governs how it is used, sited, maintained and inspected across its working life.
The standard was prepared by the joint technical committee ME-005 and was first published on 6 December 2006. It has since been revised, with AS 2550.10:2025 being the current edition. Because the standard is periodically updated, always work from the current published version rather than a summary.
Structure of the standard
AS 2550.10 is organised around the practical lifecycle of a MEWP:
- Scope and general — definitions, including the concept of a 'critical component' whose failure would create a risk to health and safety.
- Planning — the measures to consider before a MEWP is put to work.
- Selection — matching the right machine to the specific task and environment.
- Siting — evaluating ground and environmental conditions to avoid instability.
- Operation — safe work practices, logbooks, manuals, emergency procedures, controls, travel and work near power lines.
- Maintenance, inspection and repair — the inspection regime that keeps a machine compliant over time.
The inspection hierarchy
A central requirement of AS 2550.10 is that inspection and maintenance are carried out by a competent person at defined frequencies. The standard describes a tiered regime rather than a single annual check.
- Pre-operational checks — a visual inspection and functional test by the operator before use.
- Routine inspection and maintenance — carried out at no more than three-monthly intervals while the machine is in service.
- Periodic inspections — carried out by a competent person at no more than twelve-monthly intervals.
- Enhanced periodic inspections — additional scrutiny as the machine ages and components approach the end of their service life.
- Major inspections — the deep teardown check, due at 5 or 10 years depending on the equipment class.
Why compliance matters for procurement
For fleet managers, safety officers and procurement teams, AS 2550.10 is more than a technical reference. Demonstrating that a machine has been maintained and inspected in line with the standard is how you evidence due diligence under work health and safety obligations, satisfy auditors, and keep an asset legally able to work.
When a machine changes hands or is brought onto a new site, its logbook and inspection history are the record that proves the standard has been met. A gap in that record is a compliance gap, regardless of how the equipment looks.
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.