Forklift operator training requirements in Ontario

The rules at a glance

What "competent person" means

The Occupational Health and Safety Act defines a competent person as someone who is qualified because of knowledge, training and experience to organize the work and its performance, is familiar with the provisions of the Act and the regulations that apply to the work, and has knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health or safety in the workplace.

Regulation 851 does not say specifically how an employer shows an operator meets that definition. The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development has published a guideline on powered lift trucks that sets out what it expects, and it is the best primary guide to the standard an inspector is likely to apply. A guideline is not itself a regulation, so treat it as the Ministry's stated expectation rather than a statutory checklist.

What a competent operator should understand

According to the Ministry guideline, a competent operator should understand:

• The sections of the OHSA and regulations that apply to the work
• The hazards of the work, including how the lift truck operates, workplace conditions and environment, and activities that pose actual or potential danger
• The manufacturer's specifications for safe operation and load handling for the class or type of truck being operated
• The workplace-specific procedures and practices set up to keep workers safe

What the operator should be able to demonstrate

The guideline says an operator should be able to perform the following on the truck they will actually use, under typical workplace conditions, and that the employer should be satisfied the operator has demonstrated these skills to a person with expert knowledge of safe lift truck operation:

• Pre-operational check
• Start-up and shut-down
• General operation, including stopping, starting, turning, driving forward and in reverse, parking, and operating around personnel
• Load handling, including selection and security of loads, pick-up and placement, personnel lifting, stacking and restocking
• Loading and unloading transport vehicles, structures and elevators
• Operational maintenance such as refuelling and recharging, where appropriate

Records and the people who work nearby

The guideline recommends that employers keep a record in the workplace of workers who are competent to operate powered lift trucks. For each worker the record should show the skills and knowledge successfully demonstrated, the class or classes of truck on which they were assessed, the name and affiliation of the assessor, and the date of the assessment. Employers may issue certificates to help identify competent operators.

Training the operator is not the whole job. The guideline also says employers have a responsibility to workers who work near lift trucks: the hazards should be identified, written rules and procedures prepared for preventing accidents, and supervisors and workers who work around lift trucks informed of the hazards and instructed in those rules.

The guideline suggests the CSA Group lift truck operator training standard (B335) may be useful in designing or evaluating a training program. It is a reference, not a legal requirement.

What this guide does not say

This guide does not state a refresher interval or a certificate validity period. The Ministry guideline does not set one. If your insurer, customer or site rules require refresher training on a schedule, that requirement comes from them and should be written into your own procedures.