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Rigging certification in Canada: what each province needs

"Do I need a rigging ticket?" The answer depends on your province and your job. Here is what the rules in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta say, with links to the regulations themselves.

This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Facts were checked against each regulator's own pages as of November 2026. Read the linked regulation and ask your employer or regulator for your site.

Three different jobs

Role	What they do	Typical rule
Crane operator	Runs the crane or hoist.	Often a licensed or compulsory trade, depending on the crane and province.
Rigger	Works out the load, picks and inspects the rigging, and attaches the load.	Usually must be qualified or competent. A provincial rigger certificate is rare.
Signaller	Directs the operator by hand signals or radio.	Must be competent and, in some provinces, designated by the employer.

Millwrights rig every week, so rigging is part of the trade. It is not a separate licence in most of Canada.

Ontario

Crane operators: Hoisting Engineer – Mobile Crane Operator 1 is a compulsory trade. You need a training agreement or certificate to work in it (Skilled Trades Ontario).
Riggers: we found no provincial rigger certificate. On construction projects, the Construction Projects regulation (O. Reg. 213/91) sets rules for slings and rigging. Section 172 says a sling must hold at least five times the maximum load on it. The IHSA OHS guide lists the rigging sections.
Signallers: section 106 says a signaller must be a competent worker, trained by the employer, and do no other work while signalling.
In a plant: industrial workplaces fall under the Industrial Establishments regulation (Reg. 851). Check it for your site.

Rigging courses in Ontario are voluntary, but many employers ask for one.

British Columbia

Riggers: OHS Regulation Part 15, section 15.2, says rigging must be done by or under the direct supervision of qualified workers.
Design factors: Table 15-1 sets a minimum design factor of 5 for wire rope and synthetic web slings, and 4 for alloy steel chain slings.
Signals: section 15.20 says the hand signals in Figure 15-1 must be used when hand signals are used.
No formal certificate yet: an August 2025 Journal of Commerce article quotes WorkSafeBC: there is currently no requirement for formal rigging training or certification.

Watch this: rules are changing

On October 28, 2026, WorkSafeBC announced that CSA Group will develop a national standard for rigging and hoisting competencies. Consultation is expected in spring 2027 and implementation in late 2027. WorkSafeBC also plans to review Part 15, with expected changes to rigger training, assessment and qualification. Check back before you plan your training.

Alberta

Lifting devices: OHS Code Part 6, section 64, says a lifting device may only be run by a competent worker authorized by the employer.
Signallers: section 71 says hand signals must be given by a competent signaller designated by the employer.
Rigging: Part 21 covers rigging, including safety factors (s. 292.1), load ratings (s. 293) and slings (s. 298). We found no rigger certificate in it.
Crane operator trades: check Alberta's apprenticeship trade list for the crane you run.

Quebec

Not confirmed. On construction sites, crane operator (grutier) is a trade regulated by the Commission de la construction du Québec. We could not confirm whether Quebec has a separate rigger certificate. Check with the CCQ and CNESST.

Voluntary rigging certificates

Many training providers issue their own rigging course certificates. The US-based NCCCO also offers Rigger Level I and II, which some Canadian sites ask for. See our NCCCO Rigger Level I guide.

How it connects to the Red Seal exam

Rigging, hoisting/lifting and moving is major work activity B: 14 % of the 135-question Red Seal exam, or about 19 questions (our estimate). Planning the lift (B-9) is 51 % of that and doing the lift (B-10) is 49 %.

How CrewForge helps

Try the free sling angles simulator and the block and tackle simulator, then read the free sling angles lesson. They teach the maths behind a safe lift. They don't qualify you to rig, and they don't replace your employer's training or a rigging course.

Practice questions

Written by CrewForge for practice. Not taken from any certification exam.

1. A 4,000 lb load hangs from a two-leg bridle. Each leg is at 60° from horizontal. What is the tension in each leg?

About 2,309 lb. Each leg carries half the weight up: 2,000 lb. Divide by sin 60° (0.866): 2,000 ÷ 0.866 = 2,309 lb.

2. Same load, but the legs drop to 30° from horizontal. Now what?

4,000 lb per leg. 2,000 ÷ sin 30° (0.5) = 4,000 lb. Each leg now carries the full weight of the load. Low sling angles are where slings get overloaded.

3. A wire rope sling has a breaking strength of 25,000 lb. With a design factor of 5, what is the most it can be rated for?

5,000 lb. Rated load = breaking strength ÷ design factor = 25,000 ÷ 5. Always use the tag, not your own maths, on the job.

4. You lift 2,000 kg with a block reeved with four parts of line. Ignore friction. What pull do you need?

About 4.9 kN (500 kg of pull). Weight = 2,000 × 9.81 = 19,620 N. Four parts share it: 19,620 ÷ 4 = 4,905 N. Friction in real sheaves adds to this.

5. A 3,000 lb beam is 10 ft long. Its centre of gravity is 4 ft from the left end. Two vertical slings hold it at the ends. What does each carry?

Left 1,800 lb, right 1,200 lb. The sling closer to the centre of gravity carries more. Left = 3,000 × 6 ÷ 10 = 1,800 lb. Right = 3,000 × 4 ÷ 10 = 1,200 lb.

Rigging is 14 % of your Red Seal exam

CrewForge lessons walk through sling angles, centre of gravity, hardware and hitches with simulators and worked exam questions.

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CrewForge is not affiliated with or endorsed by WorkSafeBC, Alberta OHS, Skilled Trades Ontario, IHSA, the CCQ, CSA Group or NCCCO. This page is not legal advice.