Forklift & Mobile Equipment Training

If you drive a forklift, telehandler, skid steer or other mobile equipment at work, you need training first. The rules depend on your province:

• Alberta: you must be trained, know the operating instructions and be authorized by your employer before you run powered mobile equipment, which means any self-propelled machine designed to move material.
• British Columbia: lift truck operator training must meet Clause 6 of CSA B335, the national lift truck safety standard. WorkSafeBC says you must pass the test before you operate and get upgrade training at least every three years.
• Ontario: Regulation 851 requires lift truck operators in industrial workplaces to be competent, and the employer is responsible for establishing that competence.

• Forklift Training (Counterbalanced): about 2 hours on sit-down forklifts. Covers inspections, pedestrians, load handling, refuelling and battery charging.
• Forklift Training - All Classes of Lift Trucks: about 120 minutes covering counterbalance, reach, pallet trucks and more. The certificate expires 3 years from issue.
• Telehandler Certification: about 4 hours on variable reach lift trucks, with the requirements for each province and territory and a practical evaluation checklist.
• Skid Steer Loader Safety: about 165 minutes in two parts, Mobile Equipment Operator Safety (MEOS) training and then the skid steer itself.

• Warehouse trucks: Forklift Training - Narrow Aisle Reach Truck, Forklift Training - Order Picker, Stand-up Forklift Safety, or Pallet Jack (Manual and Electric).
• Telehandlers: Telehandler Certification, or the shorter Telehandler (Variable Reach Forklift) at about 75 minutes.
• Skid steers: the 60-minute CAN course, or Skid Steer Loader at about 1.75 hours.
• Supervisors and employers: Powered Industrial Truck (PIT) General (CAN) lists supervisors, managers and employers in its audience and includes a checklist for the practical evaluation.

• These courses cover the theory. You also need a practical evaluation on the equipment you will use. In Alberta, you show your competency to a competent worker your employer designates.
• Ontario's lift truck guideline says you should demonstrate your skills on the truck you will operate, and records should list each class of truck you were assessed on.