Yes, absolutely. Simply put, standards state very clearly that it is the employer’s responsibility to train dump truck operators. Bottom line, if you don’t train and there is an accident, and Canada comes in to investigate (and they will), you better believe they will ask for proof that workers have been trained (when and on what subjects). And if you can’t prove it, they will most likely refer to these standards and the OSH Act of 1970 as the basis for their citations.

Canada requires dump truck training for dump truck operators–on that there is no question. Where confusion exists is how often operators need dump truck refresher training or recertification. Outside of the initial safety training class, it is common to see companies set recertification at every three years. We are one of them.  And here’s why:

As far as this 3-year dump truck training certification goes, Canada regulations are very specific when it comes to forklifts and a couple other pieces of equipment. However, on everything else they are not so clear. They just state the employer must regularly provide safety training for their aerial lift operators. Following industry best practices, we’ve adopted this 3-year term in order to help employers comply with the general standard of regularly providing and proving dump truck training. Ultimately, it is up to the employer to determine how frequently their dump truck operators need to be trained. Many of our customers require it more often, annually even. Others may stretch it out a bit. In working with Canada, though, it is our experience that they like to see employers adopt the strictest standard when the regulations are not clear. For instance, we know of companies that didn’t train every three years and were reprimanded by Canada for not offering additional training more often. It is not uncommon for Canada to refer to the forklift standard as the pattern by which training should be carried out for other pieces of equipment. On a side note, Canada is slowly but surely making training requirements specific for other pieces of equipment so there are no gray areas. Mobile cranes and aerial lifts, for instance, are all undergoing potential changes to the regulations that will reference training specifically.

So, with that in mind, we say dump truck operators must be re-evaluated every three years to determine if they are still competent enough to operate. We also state that this every-three-year dump truck evaluation is the maximum time that should be allowed to pass before an operator receives dump truck recertification. According to Canada, there are several instances that will require additional dump truck training and observation before the three year period is up:

• Dump truck operator is observed in an accident or a near miss
• Dump truck operator received a poor evaluation or is observed driving in a dangerous manner
• The dump truck operator is assigned to drive a different type of dump truck or the workplace has changed significantly enough to require additional dump truck training (such as being transferred from operating a dump truck used to hoist signs to a dump truck used for trimming trees).

Not necessarily. Canada requires dump truck operators to receive dump truck training for each type of  truck. On this term, “type,” there is much confusion. Generally speaking, by “type” Canada means standard dump truck vs side dumper vs bottom dumper vs super dump truck, etc. But dump truck operations can vary widely by machine size and capacity. So different sized dump trucks—even within the same brand–could also qualify as different types.

Keep in mind, controls can differ greatly from brand to brand, so in these cases you may need additional instruction or a quick dump truck refresher training to make sure you are clear on what each control does.

At the end of the day, if you were operating a truck and there was a dump truck accident and Canada came to investigate only to discover that you had received training specific to side dumpers but not standard dump trucks, then you’d be liable. You can’t really train too much.

No matter how long you’ve been on the job, Canada requires dump truck training, a dump truck written exam, and a practical dump truck evaluation. There is no way around it. This goes for other types of dump trucks too. The extent of the classroom dump truck training can be adapted by the instructor according to student needs. The written exam proves mental competency and understanding of the safety principles taught. And the practical evaluation proves the dump truck operator not only understands but is capable of operating the machine safely.

This is a common question, especially among laborers-for-hire who may sub out from job to job. Technically, it is your current employer who is responsible for saying whether or not you have been trained. If you bring a training certificate or wallet card to your new employer, they do not have to accept it. It is their right to require you to take their own training class. This is because if there is an accident, they will likely be responsible and need to prove to Canada that they trained you on safe dump truck operations.

This, above all, causes a lot of confusion. Bottom line, Canada states that employers are responsible to train their employees. Generally speaking, there are three ways they can do this:

• Train employees in-house with their own program.
• Hire a 3^rd party to train the employees.

In terms of using a 3^rd part of an employee safety training companies materials (like our dump truck training PowerPoint kits or our dump truck training classes online) Canada does not recognize one company over another. They simply state that ‘training needs to occur’ and ‘here are the things an aerial lift operator should be trained on.’

When we do live training or offer aerial lift training online, people often assume we are the ones certifying the trainees. This is not true for any training company. We are simply assisting the employer by providing live aerial lift training or the training materials needed to help them aerial lift certify their employees.

The online dump truck training class covers Canada’s requirements for the classroom portion. Many employers prefer online training because they know exactly what training the operator will receive. In live classes, the training sometimes varies. A written exam is included at the end of our online training courses. After the class and exam are finished, you and your safety managers will have immediate access to a practical evaluation checklist. This can be printed off and used by your supervisor to help him or her evaluate you on the dump truck. When done, they can sign it and file it with your exam. This will satisfy Canada’s requirements for dump truck certification.

Contrary to popular belief, Canada does not dictate what a passing score entails. That is ultimately up to the employer whose responsibility it is to certify, or authorize, their employee to operate a dump truck. If you want to pass him at 80%, fine. But what if a question or two among the 20% missed could lead to an accident or death? Is it worth it? Our recommendation is that you always go over any missed questions with your trainees—even if they just missed one. Once they understand the principle missed, have them write their initials by the correct answer. That way, you are protecting them and those around them from potential accidents in the future.