Ok, so I get this question a lot, “What is the Law on Operating Knckle Pickers in Alberta?”, in fact so much I thought I’d write this post dedicated to that specifically and clear up all of the mis-information out there on this.

In Alberta, as in all other provinces, there are no LAWS around operating cranes of any size. There are however STANDARDS by which the operator must produce that information to ensure that they have been properly trained and understand the procedures on that type of equipment.
In Alberta specificallly however, according to Alberta Advanced Education, the requirements are HERE and they outline the weight class you are required to have a trade registerd operator at the controls vs a “certification” program such as ours that will cover the “gaps” left in the system.
As I mentioned above, there are no LAWS in place that can see you fined for not having a specific trade or certification to operate a crane, BUT…it’s a biggie, IF there is an incident with the crane of any sort (generally a recordable where damage to property or worse occurs), an OH&S investigative officer can fine the operator with a civil charge and that is where the LAW comes into effect.

For clarity, the capacity of any crane based on the load chart affixed to that equipment determines the training you will need. So for a knuckle picker, take a look at your loadchart and the very first weight or number the crane lifts on the left side is your base number. If this figures in Alberta based cranes, shows heavier than 8-tons, you are required to have a trade registered operator at the controls. IF your crane also has a winch installed that can lift an object with a single part hoist line configuration that lifts 5 tons, you are required to have a trade registered operator at the controls.

Other provinces in Canada are the same but I’ll give you a few options for looking into it on your own:

BC – For B.C we recommend you refer to the BCACS website HERE. It provides you with all the necessasary information you will need to work in BC using a crane of any type. We can and do provide training for companies that do work in B.C that are Alberta based, as B.C advised if your crane lifts LESS than 5 tons and does not reach more than 25′ you do not need any B.C.A.C.S programs.

In Saskatchewan, our program will suffice and provide you with all of the required information to operate a crane up to 5.5 tons in capacity. Any larger than that, you will be required to attend trade school there depending on the capacity of your picker. For the UP TO 15.5 Ton program or boom truck B, click HERE for more information. If your crane is larger than 15.5 tons you will need boom truck A program, for details on that, click HERE.

Our program is a simple, concise program that provides new operators with a strong foundation, but it is only one day keep that in mind. We are going to be offering a 2 and 3 day program which includes a 1-day rigging program and the balance being crane control, over the next few months that program will be released, it is of course dependant on the outcome of what is going on in the world today.

Tagged on: laws for operating pickers in Alberta