Canada has no single national forklift licence. Operator training rules come from each province's occupational health and safety law, and in each province covered here the employer is responsible for making sure the person at the controls is trained and competent. What changes from province to province is how specific the rules are. This page sets out what the regulators in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec say, in their own words wherever we could find them.
The short version: BC does not require a certificate, but operators must be trained to CSA standard B335-15, pass the test, and get upgrade training at least every three years. Quebec makes forklift operator training mandatory by regulation, with a practical part on the type of truck the operator will use. Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan put the duty on the employer to make sure operators are competent. A card from a training course is useful evidence, but it is not a licence.
On this page
British Columbia
WorkSafeBC says forklift workers do not need to be certified, but they must first be trained to CSA Standard B335-15, Industrial Lift Truck Operator Training, and have passed the test before they operate a lift truck. The training can come from the employer or a third-party provider, and workers must get upgrade training at least every three years under the same standard. The employer must make sure drivers are properly trained and that they get additional training and supervision when needed. WorkSafeBC lays this out on its forklift operator training page.
There is one extra rule for propane trucks. A driver who has to transfer propane from one container to refuel the lift truck also needs a propane handler's certificate. If refuelling only involves changing cylinders, no certificate is required. That is the routine we describe in our guide to changing and storing propane cylinders.
Alberta
Alberta's government publishes a forklift health and safety best practices guideline. It explains that workers must not operate powered forklifts unless they are trained and have shown they can operate them safely, or are under the direct supervision of a competent worker. A competent operator knows the class of forklift assigned, understands the hazards of the work, and can run the truck in a way that protects themselves and others.
The guideline goes further than the legal minimum on how to train. It says a course should typically be a full day, at least seven hours, balanced between classroom theory and hands-on practice. It recommends retraining at intervals of no more than three years, a skills check about 18 months in, and written records of each operator's training. Workers who refuel forklifts must be trained in WHMIS, including the practical side of refuelling.
One caution: that guideline was published in 2014, and Alberta's OHS Code has been amended since. Treat it as a guide to good practice, and confirm the current requirements with Alberta Occupational Health and Safety before you rely on a specific rule.
Saskatchewan
The Government of Saskatchewan says the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 contain the regulated safety standards for the selection, maintenance and operation of forklifts and other mobile equipment, and that the Saskatchewan Employment Act requires employers to provide adequate training on everything necessary to protect workers' health and safety. WorkSafe Saskatchewan's guide, Safe operation of forklifts, adds that training must ensure operators are competent, and that employers should also give information and instruction to people who work near forklifts.
Ontario
Ontario's Ministry of Labour guideline on powered lift trucks says that clause 51(2)(a) of the Industrial Establishments regulation requires the operator to be a competent person, and that it is the employer's responsibility to establish a worker's competence. A competent operator knows how to run the class of truck assigned, understands the hazards of the work, and can operate in a way that protects themselves and others. The employer should be satisfied the operator has demonstrated those skills to someone with expert knowledge of powered lift trucks, and should keep a record of the workers who are competent.
Quebec
Quebec is the most prescriptive. Section 256.3 of the Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (RSST) makes forklift operator training mandatory. CNESST, the provincial health and safety commission, describes it as covering the basics of forklifts, the workplace and how it affects driving, the driving itself, and safety rules, with a practical part carried out under an instructor's supervision on the type of forklift the operator will use. The employer must also retrain in certain situations, including after a modification to the truck, new conditions of use, or an operator's insufficient performance.
If you work in Quebec, read the current text of the RSST and the CNESST guidance in French, since that is the official version. We plan to publish a French version of this page.
Other provinces and territories
We have not set out the rules for Manitoba, the Atlantic provinces or the territories here. If you operate there, ask your provincial or territorial OHS regulator what applies to you, and confirm that any course you buy meets it.
What good training covers
Alberta's guideline, which adapts Ontario's, lists the skills an operator should be able to demonstrate. The ones that apply to any sit-down forklift include:
- A visual check of the truck and its attachments at the start of every shift, using the employer's checklist
- Wearing the seat belt, and starting and stopping smoothly
- Driving with the forks low, usually within about 10 cm of the floor and tilted back
- Keeping a clear view of the direction of travel, and reversing when the load blocks the view
- On ramps, driving unloaded trucks forward downhill and in reverse uphill, and loaded trucks in reverse downhill and forward uphill
- Knowing where the capacity plate is and what it says about capacity at a given load centre and height
- Parking with the forks lowered, the brake set, the controls in neutral and the engine off
Training also has to cover the particular truck the operator will use. If it has attachments, operators need specific training on them.
Training on our trucks
Our forklifts come with a sideshift and, on all but one model, a fork positioner, so attachment training is part of getting an operator ready. Raelon can arrange operator training on sit-down forklifts for $270 per person, tax included. Call 778-316-8133 or email info@prolifts.ca to book, and we will schedule it.
Need operators trained on a sit-down forklift?
Tell us how many operators and the type of truck, and we will arrange the training. You can also call 778-316-8133.
Common questions
Do I need a forklift licence in Canada?
There is no national forklift licence. Training rules are set by each province, and in the provinces covered on this page the employer must make sure operators are trained and competent. BC and Quebec set specific training requirements, while Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan put the duty on the employer.
Do I need a forklift certificate in BC?
No certificate is required, but operators must be trained to CSA Standard B335-15 and pass the test before operating a forklift, with upgrade training at least every three years.
Do I need a forklift licence in Alberta?
Workers must be trained and show they can operate the forklift safely, or be directly supervised by a competent worker. The employer is responsible for making sure that is the case.
What does Ontario require for forklift operators?
The operator must be a competent person under the Industrial Establishments regulation. The employer must establish the operator's competence and should keep a record of competent workers.
Is forklift training mandatory in Quebec?
Yes. Section 256.3 of the RSST requires forklift operator training, including a practical part on the type of forklift the operator will use.
How often do forklift operators need retraining?
In BC, upgrade training at least every three years. Alberta's guideline recommends retraining at intervals of no more than three years. Quebec requires retraining when the truck is modified, conditions of use change, or an operator's performance is insufficient.
Do I need a certificate to change a propane tank on a forklift in BC?
Not if the refuelling only involves changing cylinders. A propane handler's certificate is needed if the driver transfers propane from one container to another.
For questions about training for your team, contact us.
