Crane operator rules in Ontario

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The sources are Ontario Regulation 213/91, Construction Projects, as shown on e-Laws with a currency date of October 7, 2026, the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021, and the trade pages of Skilled Trades Ontario. The national picture is on the parent page, cranes in tree work.

At a glance

Item	What the sources say
Rule	O. Reg. 213/91, section 150, crane operators
Applies to	Construction projects under the regulation
Trade body	Skilled Trades Ontario
Mobile crane over 30,000 pounds	Hoisting engineer, mobile crane operator 1
Mobile crane 16,000 to 30,000 pounds	Mobile crane operator 1 or mobile crane operator 2
Tower crane	Hoisting engineer, tower crane operator
Any other crane or hoisting device	Worker trained in its safe operation, carrying written proof of training

What section 150 says

Section 150(1) says no worker shall operate a crane or similar hoisting device unless the worker holds a certificate of qualification or a provisional certificate of qualification under the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021 that is not suspended, or is an apprentice working under a registered training agreement that is not suspended. The trade depends on the machine. Clause (a) names mobile crane operator 1 for a mobile crane or similar device capable of raising, lowering or moving any material that weighs more than 30,000 pounds. Clause (b) names mobile crane operator 1 or mobile crane operator 2 where the machine can move only material that weighs more than 16,000 pounds but no more than 30,000 pounds. Clause (c) names tower crane operator for a tower crane.

Section 150(2) covers every other crane or hoisting device. A worker must be trained in its safe operation, or be under instruction and accompanied by a person who is. Section 150(3) says the worker must carry written proof of training while operating. The regulation does not say what the training must contain.

What the skilled trades Act adds

Under the Act, a compulsory trade is one classified by regulation. Section 6 says no individual shall practise a compulsory trade unless the individual holds a certificate of qualification or provisional certificate of qualification that is not suspended, or is registered as an apprentice. Section 7 says no person shall employ or engage an individual to perform that work unless the same applies. Section 9 says the holder of a certificate must carry proof of certification and produce it to an inspector on request.

What Skilled Trades Ontario says about the trades

Trade	Apprenticeship hours	Machines described
Mobile crane operator 1	6,000: 5,520 on the job and 480 in school	Conventional lattice and telescopic boom mobile cranes lifting more than 16,000 pounds
Mobile crane operator 2	1,000: 760 on the job and 240 in school	Hydraulically controlled mobile cranes lifting more than 16,000 pounds but no more than 30,000 pounds
Tower crane operator	3,000: 2,640 on the job and 360 in school	Tower cranes

Skilled Trades Ontario says each of the three trades is compulsory, so a person practising it legally in Ontario must hold a registered training agreement, a provisional certificate of qualification or a certificate of qualification, and must appear on its Public Register. It says a certificate must be renewed to stay valid and that a certifying exam is the route to the certificate. It lists mobile crane operator 1 and tower crane operator as Red Seal trades. The mobile crane operator 2 page does not carry that label.

Other crane rules in the same part

Section 151 says a crane may not carry more than its rated load-carrying capacity, other than in load tests the manufacturer requires. The capacity is set by the manufacturer or an engineer under CSA Z150-16 or CSA Z150.3-17 for mobile cranes and CSA Z248-17 for tower cranes. Each crane carries a load chart, or a plate that links to crane-specific charts.
Section 152 says the owner keeps an owner's crane log of inspections, tests, repairs, modifications and maintenance, and the operator keeps an operator's crane log while the crane is on a project.
Section 153 sets conditions for any platform or bucket hung from a crane boom or cable that carries a worker. They include a platform designed by an engineer and a secondary means of suspension.
Section 154 says a crane is set up, assembled, erected and dismantled only by a competent worker following the manufacturer's written instructions.

The crane sections read for this guide do not mention tree work or say how the weight tiers apply to a particular truck-mounted machine.