Manufacturing & Warehousing Safety Training

What you need depends on your tasks. These four areas have specific rules:

• Forklifts and other powered mobile equipment. In Alberta, an operator must be trained, show competency to a competent worker the employer designates, know the operating instructions and be authorized by the employer (OHS Code s. 256).
• WHMIS. Workers who work with or near hazardous products must be trained on labels, safety data sheets, safe storage and handling, and emergency procedures (Alberta OHS Code s. 397).
• Lockout. Before machinery is serviced, repaired or adjusted, it must be stopped and its hazardous energy isolated and secured, or the machine otherwise made inoperative (Alberta OHS Code s. 212).
• Lifting and repetitive work. In BC, workers who may be exposed to a risk of musculoskeletal injury (MSI) must be educated in spotting the risks and the early signs and symptoms (OHS Regulation s. 4.51).

Forklift Training (Counterbalanced) takes about 2 hours and covers balance, stability and capacity, inspections, load handling, refuelling and battery care. Its description says it was written to the theory training requirements in CSA B335-15.

Add WHMIS 2025 (about 1 hour), Lockout Tagout (about 75 minutes, following CSA Z460 and Z462, according to its description) and Safe Manual Material Handling (about 40 minutes). For other machines, see forklift and mobile equipment training and WHMIS options.

An online forklift course covers the theory. In Alberta, you still have to show competency on the equipment and be authorized by your employer before you operate it. WHMIS also needs a site-specific part from your employer.