Crane operator rules in Quebec

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The sources are four Quebec texts: the Commission de la construction du Québec page on entering the crane operator trade, the Act respecting labour relations, vocational training and workforce management in the construction industry (chapter R-20, updated to August 12, 2026), its Regulation respecting the application of the Act (chapter R-20, r. 1, updated to June 1, 2026) and the Safety Code for the construction industry (chapter S-2.1, r. 4, updated to June 1, 2026). The national picture is on the parent page, cranes in tree work.

At a glance

Item	What the sources say
Body that issues the certificate	Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ)
Trade name	Crane operator
Certificate rule	Act R-20, sections 85.5 and 85.6
Usual route	Diploma of vocational studies (DEP) in crane operation
Route without the diploma	On-the-job training plan and an integration exam
Minimum age for motorized hoisting work	18, Safety Code section 2.15.10
Mobile crane standard	CSA Z150-1974, with a log book (Schedule 9)

When the construction act reaches tree work

The competency certificate rule belongs to the construction industry act, so its reach depends on what counts as construction. Section 1 of chapter R-20 defines construction as foundation, erection, maintenance, renewal, repair, alteration and demolition work on buildings and civil engineering works on the job site. It adds that the word also includes the cutting and pruning of trees and shrubs, but "solely in the cases determined by regulation".

The regulation names one case. Its section 2 says the cutting and trimming of trees and bushes to clear distribution lines, and spraying done for the same purpose, fall within the act only when the operations are carried out on the occasion of construction or maintenance of the circuits and supports of distribution lines, by the employees of a professional employer. The sources read do not say how the act applies to a tree service lifting a stem with a crane on a private lot. That question goes to the CCQ.

The certificate rule

Section 85.5 of the act says that to perform personally any construction work, every employer or employee must hold a competency certificate at the fully qualified level, an occupation competency certificate, or an apprentice competency certificate with an apprenticeship booklet issued by the Commission, or have an exemption and carry the certificate or proof of exemption. Section 85.6 says the same for work relating to a trade, and adds that where a regulation of the Commission so provides, an occupation competency certificate is needed for that trade. Section 85.7 lists what the certificate shows: name, address and region, date of birth, identification number, and the trade or occupation, with its valid and expiry dates. The section also calls for a photo, and says that part comes into force on a date the Government sets.

Becoming a crane operator

The CCQ says the favoured route is the diploma of vocational studies in crane operation. A person without that diploma can enter the trade through an on-the-job training plan combined with an integration exam. The CCQ names four ways in: according to the state of the labour pools, as a fully qualified candidate from another trade, as an employer, or as the child of an employer.

Letter of commitment. The CCQ lists a letter of commitment from an employer to follow the training plan, available in French only.
First certificate. A candidate without the diploma first receives an apprentice competency certificate valid for four months.
The 120-hour course. The plan includes a 120-hour course on safe lifting with a mobile crane, given at a professional training centre. The CCQ says this course is not covered by the training fund for construction employees and that its cost is paid by the applicant or the company. The 150 hours of work cannot start before the course is passed.
150 hours of work. The practical part is 150 hours under a fully qualified crane operator, over at most three consecutive months.
Integration exam. The pass mark is 80 per cent, the exam cannot be taken again, and the registration fee is CA$100.
After the exam. A new apprentice certificate valid for 12 months is issued, with an annual training obligation of at least 30 hours of training recognized by the CCQ until the on-site apprenticeship is complete.

The CCQ says a candidate who does not finish the 150 hours within three consecutive months, or does not complete the plan in the prescribed time, cannot retake it or register for the exam, and would have to complete the diploma and show proof of passing. Children of employers are not exempt from the apprentice certificate and must pass the plan, but they do not wait for a favourable labour pool.

What the Safety Code says about hoisting apparatus

The Safety Code applies to any work on a construction site within the meaning of the Act respecting occupational health and safety. Subdivision 2.15 covers hoisting apparatus. These are the points it makes about cranes.

Age. Section 2.15.10 says no work done with a motorized hoisting apparatus may be done by a worker under 18.
Inspection. Section 2.15.1 says the apparatus must be inspected by a competent person before first use after purchase, rental or loan, inspected periodically to the maker's instructions, and given a visual inspection and operational test by the operator on each day of use.
Weather and wind. The same section bars use where a storm could make it dangerous or where wind exceeds the maker's limit, and says an anemometer must measure wind at the working height of the apparatus.
Rated load. Section 2.15.2 says the rated load must be posted in a conspicuous place, and section 2.15.5 says a load-rating plate on a tower crane or mobile crane must be placed and lit so the operator can read it.
Mobile cranes. Section 2.15.7.2 says a mobile crane shall conform to CSA Standard Z150-1974 with the exception of section 4.3.2.5, with a log book kept to that standard and Schedule 9. A telescopic-boom mobile crane needs a device that warns of a two-blocking situation (section 2.15.7.2.1). A mobile crane that hoists loads needs a rated capacity limiter, a load moment system or a load indicating device, and one made on or after January 1, 2005 needs a load indicating device or a load moment system (section 2.15.7.2.2).
Operator and load. Section 2.15.6 says the crane operator shall not allow a worker to stand on a load, a hook or a sling suspended from the apparatus, and that hooks carry safety catches.
Tower cranes. Section 2.4.1(3), outside that subdivision, says that before installing or putting up a tower crane the employer must send the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail installation plans signed and sealed by an engineer.

The Safety Code text read for this guide sets the equipment rules and the age rule. The competency certificate comes from the construction industry act and the CCQ, not from the Safety Code. The sources do not mention tree work in connection with cranes.