Forklift Safety Requirements in Canada — Laws & CSA B335

Forklifts move heavy loads through busy workplaces, and every Canadian jurisdiction regulates who is allowed to operate one. Across Canada, operators must meet the training and competency requirements of the applicable OHS legislation, with practical evaluation and/or employer authorization required in a number of jurisdictions. This guide covers Canada's forklift rules and regulations in plain terms: the federal rules under the Canada Labour Code and COHSR, each province and territory's OHS regulations for powered mobile equipment, and CSA B335, the national lift-truck safety standard. It also explains how forklift operator certification actually works: how you get it, who issues it, and how long it stays valid.

What is a forklift?

Forklifts are industrial vehicles designed to lift, move and transport heavy loads over short distances. They are built around a mast and a pair of forks that slide under a load, raise it, carry it and set it down, which makes them standard equipment anywhere goods move in bulk: warehouses, plants, yards, construction sites and farms.

Canadian OHS law defines the machine directly. Saskatchewan's OHS regulations define a forklift as “a self-propelled machine that has a power-operated upright, angled or telescoping lifting device that can raise and lower a load for the purpose of transporting or stacking” 7, and the regulations of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut use almost the same words 17,18.

What are the main types of forklifts?

Four everyday types cover most of the work done in Canada; the classes CSA B335 lists are in the next section.

• Counterbalance forklifts — the most common design, with a rear counterweight that balances the load on the forks. They run on electricity, propane, gasoline or diesel, work indoors and out, and come in a wide range of sizes.
• Reach forklifts — built for narrow aisles, with forks that extend beyond the wheelbase to place and retrieve loads deep in racking. They are electric (ITA classes 2 and 3) and are almost always used indoors.
• Order picker forklifts — the operator rides a platform that rises with the forks to pick individual items from shelving. Common in retail distribution and e-commerce fulfilment.
• Rough terrain forklifts — large pneumatic tires and high ground clearance for uneven outdoor surfaces, powered by gasoline, diesel or propane, and used on construction sites, farms and in forestry.

Rough-terrain forklifts are also specifically addressed by ANSI/ITSDF B56.6, which is expressly referenced in several Canadian jurisdictions, among them British Columbia 5, Nova Scotia 13 and Yukon 16.

What are the classes of forklifts under CSA B335?

CSA B335 applies to Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 powered lift trucks, and certain clauses also cover Class 6 vehicles, non-powered high-lift trucks, and personnel and burden carriers — a classification system it shares with the ANSI/ITSDF B56 standards 3. The 2015 edition, CSA B335-15 (R2020), listed the same types 3. These are the types of lift truck the standard lists:

• Class 1: Electric motor rider trucks. This class includes electric-powered forklifts that are designed for carrying and lifting loads while the operator rides on the forklift.
• Class 2: Electric motor narrow aisle trucks. This class includes electric-powered forklifts that are designed for operating in narrow aisles with high stacking capabilities.
• Class 3: Electric motor-driven hand trucks. This class includes electric-powered forklifts that are designed for manual operation by the operator, either as a hand truck or as a rider truck.
• Class 4: Internal combustion engine lift trucks — cushion tires. This class includes forklifts powered by an internal combustion engine and cushion tires designed for indoor use on smooth surfaces.
• Class 5: Internal combustion engine lift trucks — pneumatic tires. This class includes forklifts powered by an internal combustion engine and pneumatic tires designed for outdoor use on rough surfaces.
• Class 6: Electric and internal combustion engine tractors. This class includes vehicles designed for towing and hauling loads and powered by either an electric motor or an internal combustion engine.
• Class 7: Rough terrain lift trucks. This class includes forklifts designed for outdoor use on rough and uneven terrain and powered by an internal combustion engine.
• Non-powered high lift trucks
• Personnel and burden carriers

What are the main forklift hazards?

Most forklift injuries trace back to a short list of hazards 20.

• Tip-overs — overloading, uneven ground, or taking a corner too fast. Operating without the seat belt is what turns a tip-over into an ejection or crushing injury.
• Falls from height — riding or lifting people on the forks, or working near a dock edge or an unguarded opening.
• Struck-by incidents — a pedestrian who cannot see the truck, or an operator who cannot see the pedestrian.
• Crush injuries — a worker pinned between the forklift and a wall, a rack or another vehicle, or caught under a machine that tips.
• Electrical hazards — contact with live overhead wires or conductive surfaces, plus the charging and battery risks that come with electric trucks.
• Exhaust and carbon monoxide — internal combustion trucks run indoors or in poorly ventilated spaces produce carbon monoxide, which is why fuelling, ventilation and exhaust are part of the operating rules.

Operator restraints are not just good practice — they are written into law. For example, Alberta's OHS Code requires the seat belt on a forklift to be present and usable (s. 284) 6, and Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut all require the operator of a forklift to actually wear the seat belt the machine is equipped with 7,17,18. Buckling up is what keeps a tip-over survivable: the operator who stays in the cab stays inside the rollover protection 19.

What are the main forklift safety rules and practices?

Four practices carry most of the weight.

• Operator training and certification — operators trained on the equipment they will use and assessed as competent, with practical evaluation and employer authorization where the applicable legislation requires it.
• Equipment maintenance and inspection — pre-shift checks of brakes, steering, tires, forks, horn and lights, with defects reported and repaired before the truck goes back to work.
• Hazard identification and assessment — surveying routes and work areas for uneven ground, narrow aisles, overhead obstructions and pedestrian traffic, then controlling what you find.
• Safe work procedures — written rules for loading and unloading, travelling and parking, refuelling and recharging, and working around people.

That pattern is the statutory pattern. Manitoba's Part 22 literally opens with the employer's duty to develop safe work procedures, train workers in them and enforce them (s. 22.2) 8.

The rules operators meet most often come straight from the regulations. For example:

• Pre-shift inspection — the operator inspects the truck before each shift on Prince Edward Island (s. 33.3) 14
• Seat belt — the operator must wear it in Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut 7,17,18
• Load-rating chart — the truck carries a legible one in Alberta (s. 283) 6
• Raised forks and riding platforms — on Ontario construction sites, forks may not be left raised unattended and a work platform may not ride the forks (O. Reg. 213/91, ss. 102 and 107) 10

What is CSA B335, the lift-truck safety standard?

CSA B335, Safety standard for lift trucks, is Canada's national lift-truck standard. The current edition is CSA B335:25 — the fourth edition, published in 2025, superseding the 2015, 2004 and 1994 editions 3. It specifies the elements of a lift truck safety program (Clause 4, including operator medical and fitness considerations) and design and construction requirements (Clause 5). The part most workers meet is Clause 6: minimum requirements for initial and ongoing familiarization and upgrade training of lift truck operators, including attachments, plus recommended qualifications for trainers and maintenance technicians. This edition is harmonized with CSA B56.1 and CSA B56.6, and its annex on truck classes reprints portions of the American ANSI/ITSDF B56.1 standard 3.

B335 is where regulators point. British Columbia's OHS Regulation requires lift-truck operator training to meet Clause 6 of CSA B335-15 5, and Yukon names CSA B335-04 for lift-truck operator training 16. Nova Scotia adopts the latest version of the applicable standard 13, and Newfoundland and Labrador names B335 for lift truck and associated operator training 15. One thing to watch: a regulation adopts the edition it names. BC's text pins B335-15 and Yukon's pins B335-04, so the edition carrying legal force in a given jurisdiction is the one that jurisdiction's regulation cites, which is not always the current published edition.

What is the federal forklift legislation?

For federally regulated employers (banks, rail, air, marine, interprovincial trucking, federal works), two instruments apply. The Canada Labour Code, Part II, sets the duty: the employer must “provide, in the prescribed manner, each employee with the information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety at work” (s. 125(1)(q)) 1. The Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (COHSR) spell it out for forklifts in Part XIV (Materials Handling). Every operator must be instructed and trained in the procedures for the equipment's inspection, fuelling, and safe and proper use, following the manufacturer's instructions and the conditions of the workplace (s. 14.23(1)). The employer must keep a written record of that training for as long as the operator is employed (s. 14.23(4)) 2. An employee may not be required to operate the equipment unless they meet the regulatory definition of an operator (s. 14.24); trainees may operate while receiving instruction under the direct supervision of a qualified person (s. 14.23(2)). Part XIV also carries the equipment-side rules — seat belts (s. 14.7) and signalling (s. 14.25). For everyone else, forklift safety is provincial or territorial law — see the table below.

What is the provincial and territorial forklift legislation?

Both federal and provincial laws apply to forklift operation in Canada. Federally regulated workplaces follow the Canada Labour Code and applicable federal regulations; most other workplaces follow the occupational health and safety legislation of their province or territory. Across all fourteen jurisdictions, operators must meet the training and competency requirements of the applicable OHS legislation, with practical evaluation and/or employer authorization required in a number of them. The instruments differ — several are worth knowing by name:

How do you get a forklift licence in Canada?

In Canada, a "forklift licence" (often spelled "forklift license") is a training credential, not a government permit. No ministry or workers' compensation board licenses forklift operators — even the federal regulations only ask whether provincial law requires a licence (COHSR s. 14.24), and none does. Unlike mobile-crane operation, which is a formal trade with qualification requirements in several provinces, forklift operation is not a licensed trade anywhere in the country. What employers and job postings call a licence is proof that you completed operator training and were assessed as competent on the equipment you will operate.

Getting forklift certified follows the same shape everywhere: theory training first, then a hands-on practical evaluation at your workplace on the type of truck you will operate, then the employer authorization and records your jurisdiction requires.

1. Complete the theory training — classroom or online — covering the CSA B335 Clause-6 program: hazards, the operating environment, the equipment itself, and the rules (see “What must a forklift operator program cover?” below).
2. Complete the hands-on practical evaluation at your workplace, on the type of truck you will actually operate, under a competent or qualified person. This step is written into the legislation in a number of jurisdictions: Alberta requires demonstrated competency to a designated worker, Quebec requires practical training supervised by an instructor, and Saskatchewan requires a practical-skills exam for each equipment type.
3. Complete the employer and site-specific authorization, evaluation and documentation required in your jurisdiction. Training records are a legal requirement, and some jurisdictions make this step formal: Alberta expressly requires employer authorization, and in Manitoba the employer itself issues the operating certificate that puts you on the truck legally. Ontario, by contrast, requires a competent operator rather than a certificate of this kind.

For example, in British Columbia, WorkSafeBC states the model plainly: workers “do not need to be certified but must first be trained to CSA standards” — by “their employer or a third-party provider” 4. How long does it take? The theory is measured in hours; the practical depends on your workplace and equipment — as a provincial example, Saskatchewan's statutory program sets a minimum of 16 hours of classroom and practical training combined 7. Quebec also sets a minimum age: operators must be at least 16 years old (RSST s. 256.2) 11. Starting a forklift career? This credential plus your employer's on-site evaluation is commonly what employers mean by "licensed". Not hired yet? You can complete the theory now; the practical evaluation is done by the employer who puts you on its trucks.

Who is responsible for forklift safety?

The employer is responsible for forklift safety — under Canadian OHS legislation, the employer must ensure that forklifts are operated only by workers who meet the applicable training and competency requirements, and must keep the equipment safe to use. Supervisors and operators carry duties too, and several regulations place the safe operation of the forklift on the operator directly. In Nova Scotia the employer's training duty explicitly covers every supervisor and operator 13. On Prince Edward Island the operator must inspect the machine before each shift 14. In Newfoundland and Labrador the operator must stay in control of the equipment and keep workers out of its swing radius, while a supervisor may not knowingly let an unsafe machine run 15.

Who must be trained to operate a forklift?

Forklift safety training is required wherever lift trucks are used.

• Manufacturing — moving heavy machinery, equipment and materials around the plant floor.
• Construction — lifting lumber, brick, block and concrete, often on uneven ground.
• Warehousing and logistics — moving and storing goods in busy aisles shared with other workers.
• Agriculture — hauling crops, feed, fertilizer and equipment around farms and storage buildings.
• Retail — moving merchandise from trucks into stockrooms and out onto the floor.

The rule is simple: if a worker operates a forklift anywhere in Canada — even occasionally — the training duty applies. In Nova Scotia the duty also reaches every supervisor of a lift truck 13.

Can the training be done online?

Yes — the theory half of forklift training can be done fully online. The hands-on half belongs to your workplace: your employer or a competent person runs and documents the practical evaluation on the specific truck you'll operate. Under CSA B335, that practical covers the pre-operational check; start-up and shutdown; general operations — stopping, starting, turning, driving forward and in reverse, parking, and operating around personnel; load handling; loading and unloading of transport vehicles, structures and elevators; and operational maintenance such as refuelling and recharging.

That two-part structure is what the law requires wherever practical training or evaluation is written into the statute: Alberta (demonstrated competency to a designated worker) 6, Quebec (supervised practical training) 11 and Manitoba (instruction, training, testing and demonstrated competency) 8 all do it expressly. A certificate sold as complete without any practical component — or any mention that one is needed — doesn't finish the legal job.

What must a forklift operator program cover?

Forklift safety training gives workers the knowledge and skills to operate lift trucks safely. Programs across Canada teach to the same core, set by CSA B335's training clause and echoed in the statutory curricula (Quebec's s. 256.3, Saskatchewan's Table 11, COHSR s. 14.23):

• Hazard identification and the operating environment — site and route evaluation, ground and clearances, pedestrian traffic
• Lift-truck types, classes and selection — and the specific design and controls of the truck you will operate, its attachments 3 and the manufacturer's operating instructions 2,7
• Pre-use inspection, start-up and shutdown procedures
• Operating: travel, steering, speed, visibility and blind spots, working around personnel
• Load handling: load charts and capacity, picking up, placing, stacking, and load stability
• Fuelling or recharging, and routine operational maintenance
• The rules: your jurisdiction's powered-mobile-equipment provisions and the duties of operators, supervisors and employers
• Records: the written proof of training and evaluation the law expects

When does the law require forklift retraining?

There is no government forklift licence in Canada, so nothing official expires; what runs on a clock is the training. Three years is the working answer across Canada — and it comes from the standard the law itself points to. CSA B335 requires ongoing familiarization and upgrade training, and WorkSafeBC states the requirement plainly: upgrade training at least every three years 4. CSA B335:25 recommends retraining at intervals of no more than three years (clause 7.2) 22; the standard itself does not make it law. British Columbia writes B335's training clause directly into its regulation 5. Where a jurisdiction adopts B335 by reference, the employer follows the edition the regulator names: Nova Scotia requires the latest version of B335 (or ANSI/ITSDF B56.1/B56.6) 13, Newfoundland and Labrador names B335 without an edition 15, and Yukon names B335-04 or other similar standards acceptable to the board 16.

Other jurisdictions may rely on ongoing competency, employer evaluation or other retraining requirements rather than a fixed interval. A training provider's printed expiry date should not be confused with a government-issued licence expiry. The eSafetyFirst certificate carries a printed expiry of three years from completion; that is the program's practice, not a legal requirement. The legal requirement in your workplace is whatever your jurisdiction's legislation sets. Retraining triggers can also come sooner than any interval:

• Saskatchewan: an operator who has not operated a given type of powered mobile equipment for three or more years — or whose equipment design has changed significantly — must be evaluated, re-trained and re-examined 7
• Manitoba: the employer must run an ongoing evaluation system behind every operating certificate it issues 8
• Everywhere: a new truck type, make or model, changed workplace conditions, or an incident or near-miss means retraining or re-familiarization before operating

Key takeaways

Forklift operation is regulated in every Canadian jurisdiction, and the duty runs to the employer: making sure operators meet the applicable training and competency requirements is a legal obligation, not a courtesy. CSA B335 is the standard behind that duty, and in several provinces the legislation incorporates it directly. Keep training current and keep the records ready.