Crane operator rules in British Columbia

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The sources are Part 14 (Cranes and Hoists) of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation as published by WorkSafeBC, and two pages from BC Crane Safety, the body that certifies mobile crane, boom truck and tower crane operators in the province. The national picture is on the parent page, cranes in tree work.

At a glance

What Part 14 covers

Section 14.1.1(1) says Part 14 reaches any crane or hoist of a type that must meet a standard listed in section 14.2, and also other equipment built mainly for some other job when it is put to hoisting or lifting use. Subsection (2) says that, except as otherwise specifically provided, the Part applies to logging equipment that uses a load line for lifting. Subsection (3) says it does not apply to a front end loader, excavator or other earth moving equipment used in applications consistent with its primary design purpose, or during a lifting task incidental to that purpose if the manufacturer's manuals give criteria for the task. Section 14.9 exempts specialized equipment designed and used only for logging operations from the rated capacity indication sections, 14.5 to 14.8. Part 14 does not name tree work or arboriculture.

Operator qualification and certificate

• Section 14.34. Only a qualified person who has received instruction on the equipment may run a crane or hoist. Before running it, that person has to show competence, which includes knowing the operating instructions and the Board-authorized hoisting signal code.
• Section 14.34.1. From July 1, 2007, a mobile crane, tower crane or boom truck may be run only by someone holding a valid operator's certificate from an issuer the Board accepts, and any conditions written on the certificate apply.
• Section 14.37.1. The person at a crane, hoist or boom truck has to keep full command of its controls during any use and take on no other tasks while operating.

BC Crane Safety's page on verifying operators' qualifications quotes section 14.34 and says employers can use its Credential Check system to verify credentials. It says that for an operator with a Provisional certificate, the employer needs a written supervision plan matching the signed application or renewal. It also points to a WorkSafeBC bulletin about a load-failure incident and the qualifications and competence operators need.

Other duties the Part sets on employers and equipment

Section 14.35 puts a duty on the operator, before use, to ensure that the crane or hoist was inspected and its control and safety devices tested for that work shift. Section 14.36 says the weight of each load must be determined and communicated to the operator and any person rigging the load, with a load weight indicator or overload prevention system when the weight cannot be accurately determined, and the logging equipment lifting logs is excepted. Section 14.51 bars a worker from riding on a load, a sling, a hook or other rigging gear. Section 14.71 requires a mobile crane or boom truck to be inspected at least once every 12 months, and says it must not be used after the inspection unless a professional engineer certifies it is safe on the basis of that inspection. Section 14.16.1 requires a crane or hoist that has had a misadventure, such as a shock load, a loss of a load, a brake failure or an upset, to be removed from service until a professional engineer has supervised inspection and repairs and certified it safe.

Crane classifications

BC Crane Safety says it oversees assessment and certification of mobile crane, boom truck and tower crane operators, and sorts them into classifications by design and lifting capacity:

The page describes boom trucks as truck-mounted folding or stiff boom telescoping cranes, used for erecting steel, delivering building supplies, installing signs and servicing electrical utilities.

Sources

• WorkSafeBC, OHS Regulation Part 14 Cranes and hoists, read October 9, 2026
• BC Crane Safety, verifying crane operators' qualifications and competencies, March 28, 2024
• BC Crane Safety, crane types and classifications, read October 9, 2026