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Province · Sheet L-611

Boom trucks in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut

Yukon sets operator training by crane rating; the Northwest Territories and Nunavut set a qualified-operator line at 5 tonnes. Here are the rules, the inspection intervals and the power-line distances in all three.

Sheet L-611Checked 2026-10-068 min read11 sources

5 tLoad rating above which a mobile crane needs a qualified operator in the Northwest Territories and in Nunavut23
35 or 70 hYukon operator course: 35 hours for cranes rated 900 kg to 7,300 kg, 70 hours above 7,300 kg up to 13,600 kg1
12 monthsLongest gap between inspections of mobile cranes and boom trucks in Yukon; the NWT and Nunavut require one at least every two years or 1,800 operating hours, whichever comes first123

Summary, not legal advice

This page summarizes the Northwest Territories Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (R-039-2015, amended to R-090-2024), Nunavut's Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (R-003-2016, consolidation current to September 28, 2021) and Parts 5 and 9 of Yukon's Workplace Health and Safety Regulations, as we read them on October 5 and 6, 2026. Yukon's Board says its online copy is not the official version. The regulations, the utility and your employer's procedures govern the work. Read the regulation, and call the utility before working near a line.

Three territories have three rule books, none borrowed from another or from a province. No public rate table was found for any of them.

R 03 mWho may operate a boom truck here

Yukon

Part 5, s.5.25 sets training by rated capacity. Since December 31, 2008, operators of mobile or articulating boom cranes rated 900 kg to 7,300 kg must complete a 35-hour course, and those over 7,300 kg up to 13,600 kg a 70-hour course acceptable to the board1. Over 13,600 kg the operator needs 500 hours of documented experience accepted by a certifying agency plus a 70-hour course, a provincial or territorial crane trade certificate, or, as a trainee, the course plus direct supervision1. Below 900 kg our rows are silent, and we do not say a small unit is exempt. Yukon's inspection rules name boom trucks outright, so plan on the training applying; ask the Workers' Safety and Compensation Board which courses it accepts.

Northwest Territories

Section 210(3)-(4) says a mobile crane with a load rating over 5 tonnes needs a qualified operator: the holder of a crane and hoist operator certificate of qualification, an apprentice, or an accepted equivalent. Other cranes over 5 tonnes need a competent operator2. The row speaks of mobile cranes, and we did not separately confirm that a given boom truck counts as one.

Nunavut

For a mobile crane with a load rating exceeding 5 t, s.210 requires a qualified operator: a holder of a certificate of qualification in the crane and hoist operator trade, a worker the Chief Safety Officer considers equivalent or superior in training and experience, or an apprentice working under such a person3. Nunavut defines a mobile crane as a crane on a truck, wheel or crawler base that moves under its own power, and does not use the term boom truck. For a mobile crane of 5 t or under a competent worker may operate it, and every operator must hold written proof of training on the crane3.

Example. A knuckle boom rated 6,000 kg: in Yukon it falls in the 900 to 7,300 kg tier, a 35-hour course. In the NWT and Nunavut it is over 5 tonnes, so if it counts as a mobile crane the operator must be qualified. Yukon speaks of rated capacity in kilograms and the others of load rating in tonnes, so ask the supplier for the manufacturer's figure, and ask the territory's safety authority before a bare hire over 5 tonnes. Not researched: whether a province's certificate is accepted in any of the three. See operator certification by province.

R 06 mStandards and inspection

Inspection rules in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut
TerritoryIntervalWho certifies
Yukon (s.5.61(2))Not over 12 months; up to 3 months' delay if at a remote site1A professional engineer, the manufacturer or its authorized representative
Northwest Territories (s.222(3))At least every two years or 1,800 operating hours, whichever comes first2A thorough inspection including non-destructive testing, under a professional engineer
Nunavut (s.222(3))At least every two years or 1,800 hours of operation, whichever occurs first3The same kind of inspection, under a professional engineer's supervision

Nunavut also requires a competent individual's inspection at the start of each shift, the engineer's results at the work site, and a log book for a crane over 5 t33. Ask for the last inspection date, the hours since, and the certificate.

Yukon also names the standards: a mobile crane, telescoping or articulating boom truck must meet CSA Z150-98, ASME B30.5, or ASME B30.22-2000 for articulating boom cranes (s.5.03(3))1. CSA's current code is the 2026 Z150:264, which is not Yukon law. The NWT row names no standard, and we did not confirm how s.222(3) applies to a boom truck. See boom truck inspection and load charts.

R 09 mPower lines

Yukon

Distances are in Part 9, Table 9-1, and Part 5 requires a crane or hoist to be positioned and operated so that no part of it, the load line or the load comes inside them1. Where the voltage cannot be determined, keep 7.0 m5.

Yukon limits of approach (Part 9, Table 9-1), phase to phase
Line voltageDistance
Up to 750 V1.0 m5
750 V to 40 kV3.0 m5
69 kV and 72 kV3.5 m5
138 kV and 144 kV4.0 m5
230 kV and 260 kV5.0 m5
500 kV7.0 m5

If the distance cannot be kept, an assurance in writing signed for the public utility is required; where lines cannot be isolated, rerouted or guarded, the utility's direction comes first, with the area barricaded and a safety watcher holding a stop signal5. Yukon Energy's own sheet for unqualified workers gives 3 m from 0 to 40,000 V, 3.5 m at 72,000 V, 4 m at 138,000 V and a 7 m danger zone where the voltage is unknown6; below 750 V that is wider than the regulation's 1.0 m, so call the utility.

Northwest Territories and Nunavut

Section 460 and Schedule Y, column 3, keep equipment 3 m from conductors up to 25 kV, 4.6 m from 72 and 138 kV, and 6.1 m from 230 kV in the NWT2. Nunavut's Schedule Y has the same values, listed for 0.75, 4.16, 15 and 25 kV, for 72 and 138 kV, and for 230 kV333. It lists no voltage above 230 kV, and a voltage between listed ones, such as 12.47 kV, has no tabled distance. For 31 to 750 V the employer must prevent accidental contact, and no distance is tabled3. A vehicle on a public road, and its load, keeps 0.6 m from conductors up to 25 kV, 0.8 m at 72 kV, 1.22 m at 138 kV and 1.83 m at 230 kV3.

Get anything not in these tables from the utility, in writing. If nobody can tell you the voltage, do not start the lift. See the power-line lookup and power lines and boom trucks.

R 12 mDriving and carrier rules

None of the driver-side rules were researched for the territories, and we do not borrow them from the provinces: no licence class, air brake rule, National Safety Code threshold, inspection interval, permit or seasonal weight restriction appears here.

Ask the supplier before a truck moves: how many axles and what brakes, what licence class the driver needs and who supplies the driver, whether a permit is needed, and how the truck will reach a remote site. Researched provinces are in licences and the NSC.

R 15 mNo public rate table: what exists

We found no public rate table for boom trucks in any territory, so no territorial hourly rate appears here, and a provincial schedule is not a territorial price. A supplier quotes the job; this page explains what goes into the quote. Ask every supplier:

  • Operated (operator included) or bare (operator not included)?
  • Hourly, daily or monthly, and what minimum charge?
  • Is travel to your site billed, from where, and in what units?
  • Are rigging, a signal person, permits, fuel and crew accommodation extra?
  • What is the chart capacity at your radius for the truck they will send?

Published rates are benchmarks for public works, not quotes. See boom truck rental rates and the rental rate converter.

R 18 mThe market here, and what was not researched

No territorial market rows were researched. For scale only, Statistics Canada counted 1,748 locations with employees in NAICS 532410 across Canada in June 20267, including excavators and loaders; Job Bank's national median for boom truck crane operators is $42.77 an hour8, a wage and not a billed rate. Also not researched: driver licences and carrier rules, how a province's certificate is treated, and how an operated hire is taxed.

R 21 mGST on rentals and leases

GST is charged at 5% in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut9; on an example $1,000.00 rental invoice, that is $50.00. For a rental of three months or less, the place of supply is where the supplier delivers the truck10. The rows we hold speak of provinces, so ask the supplier how the invoice will be taxed. Registrants recover GST through input tax credits11. If you own the truck, see CCA and tax.

R 24 mPlanning a lift and requesting a quote here

A northern lift is easier to price with the plan on paper first:

  • The load's weight plus rigging, and the radius and height of the heaviest pick. Ask the supplier for the chart capacity at your radius.
  • The territory, since the rules differ, and whether the hire is operated (operator included) or bare (operator not included); with a bare hire, check your operator against that rule.
  • Any overhead line and its voltage from the utility; the community, ground, access and dates.

Request a quote; it only goes to a company with your consent. With your consent, your request goes to one company that rents, sells or finances boom trucks in your area. That company may pay BoomTrucks.ca for the referral. We do not rent, sell or lease equipment.

Size the job with the boom truck size estimator, then request a quote. Buying or leasing? See buying a boom truck and leasing one.

At a glance: every row behind this page

The research rows this page draws on, as recorded on 2026-10-06. Each links to its source.

Who may operate

  • Northwest Territories OHS Regulations s.210(3)-(4): a mobile crane with a load rating over 5 tonnes needs a qualified operator (crane and hoist operator certificate of qualification, apprentice, or approved equivalent); other cranes over 5 t need a competent operator.2
  • Yukon Part 5 s.5.25: since December 31, 2008, operators of mobile or articulating boom cranes rated 900 kg to 7,300 kg must complete a 35-hour course, and those over 7,300 kg up to 13,600 kg a 70-hour course acceptable to the board.1
  • Yukon Part 5 s.5.25(3): for cranes over 13,600 kg the operator needs 500 hours documented experience accepted by a certifying agency plus a 70-hour course, or a provincial/territorial crane trade certificate, or (trainees) the course plus direct supervision.1
  • Nunavut Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (R-003-2016) s.205 and s.210(1), (3)(d): a 'mobile crane' is a crane mounted on a truck, wheel or crawler base that can move freely under its own power without a predetermined path; the employer must ensure the designated operator of a mobile crane with a load rating exceeding 5 t is a 'qualified operator', meaning a holder of a certificate of qualification in the crane and hoist operator trade under the Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification Act, a worker the Chief Safety Officer considers equivalent or superior in training and experience, or an apprentice in that trade working under the direction of such a person.3
  • Nunavut Occupational Health and Safety Regulations s.210(4)-(6) and Schedule M: a crane with a load rating exceeding 5 t that is not in the s.210(3) list needs a 'competent operator' (a worker who completed a training program with the Schedule M elements for that crane, or who is completing the practical training under direct supervision); a mobile or overhead travelling crane with a load rating not exceeding 5 t needs a competent worker; every operator must hold and keep accessible written proof of training on the crane; Schedule M sets the course for a tower or mobile crane at 100 hours, classroom and practical.3

Standards and inspection

  • Northwest Territories s.222(3): a mobile crane needs a thorough inspection including non-destructive testing under a professional engineer at least every two years or 1,800 operating hours, whichever first.2
  • Yukon Part 5 s.5.03(3): a mobile crane, telescoping or articulating boom truck must meet CSA Z150-98, ASME B30.5, or ASME B30.22-2000 (articulating boom cranes).1
  • Yukon Part 5 s.5.61(2): mobile cranes and boom trucks must be inspected at intervals not exceeding 12 months and certified safe by a professional engineer, the manufacturer or its authorized representative (up to 3 months' delay if at a remote site).1
  • Nunavut Occupational Health and Safety Regulations s.222(1), (3), (5): a hoist, crane or lifting device must be inspected by a competent individual at the start of each work shift and at the manufacturer's recommended intervals; a mobile crane must have a thorough inspection, including non-destructive testing, under the supervision of a professional engineer at least once every two years or at 1,800 hours of operation, whichever occurs first; a worker may not operate a crane unless the results are readily available at the work site.3
  • Nunavut Occupational Health and Safety Regulations s.221(1)(a) and s.214(2): the employer must provide a log book for each hoist and crane with a rated load exceeding 5 t, kept readily available and reviewed and signed at regular intervals; a permanent load gauge is required for a mobile crane that could be used for load ratings exceeding 9 t at the minimum operating radius.3

Power lines

  • Northwest Territories s.460 / Schedule Y column 3: equipment must stay 3 m from conductors up to 25 kV, 4.6 m from 72 and 138 kV, and 6.1 m from 230 kV (same values as Saskatchewan Table 19).2
  • Yukon Part 9 s.9.18(1) and Table 9-1 (general limits of approach, voltage phase to phase): workers and equipment must keep 1.0 m (3 ft.) from energized electrical equipment or conductors up to 750 V.5
  • Yukon Part 9 Table 9-1: the general limit of approach is 3.0 m (10 ft.) for 750 V to 40 kV.5
  • Yukon Part 9 Table 9-1: the general limit of approach is 3.5 m (12 ft.) for 69 kV and 72 kV.5
  • Yukon Part 9 Table 9-1: the general limit of approach is 4.0 m (13 ft.) for 138 kV and 144 kV.5
  • Yukon Part 9 Table 9-1: the general limit of approach is 5.0 m (16 ft.) for 230 kV and 260 kV.5
  • Yukon Part 9 Table 9-1: the general limit of approach is 7.0 m (23 ft.) for 500 kV.5
  • Yukon Part 9 s.9.18(2): where the voltage of any energized equipment or conductor cannot or has not been determined, the limit of approach of 7.0 m (23 ft.) must be maintained.5
  • Yukon Part 9 s.9.19: where the Table 9-1 distance cannot be kept, an assurance in writing, on a form signed by a representative of the public utility company, is required stating that the equipment and conductors will be displaced or rerouted, isolated and grounded, or visually identified and guarded; where exposed high-voltage equipment cannot be isolated, rerouted or guarded, no work may be done inside the Table 9-1 distance until the utility gives approval and direction, the area is barricaded and supervised, a safety watcher is designated and a positive stop signal is provided; no person may move a load or rigging line from its position of natural suspension in proximity to an energized conductor (s.9.19(6)).5
  • Yukon Part 5 s.5.36: a crane or hoist must be positioned and operated to prevent any part of the equipment, load line or load from coming within the minimum distance of energized high-voltage conductors or exposed energized equipment required in Table 9-1 of Part 9; s.5.09(e): the rated capacity of a crane or hoist must be certified by a professional engineer if it has been in contact with an electric arc or current.1
  • Yukon Energy's February 2025 sheet on unqualified workers and equipment near overhead power lines: a 7 m (23 ft) danger zone applies where the voltage is unknown and the utility must be notified before working in it; for confirmed voltages no unqualified worker or equipment may enter the prohibited zone, 3 m for 0 to 40,000 V, 3.5 m for 72,000 V and 4 m for 138,000 V; work inside the 7 m zone but outside the prohibited zone needs a designated observer able to warn by radio or air horn; the sheet says to contact the utility before work to establish the limits and that work near power lines is to be done in daylight hours only.6
  • Nunavut Occupational Health and Safety Regulations s.460(4) and Schedule Y, column 3: equipment and powered mobile equipment must not be used or operated, and workers, material and scaffolds must not be, closer than 3 m to an exposed energized conductor at 0.75 kV, 4.16 kV, 15 kV or 25 kV phase to phase.3
  • Nunavut Occupational Health and Safety Regulations s.460(4) and Schedule Y, column 3: the minimum distance is 4.6 m from an exposed energized conductor at 72 kV and at 138 kV phase to phase.3
  • Nunavut Occupational Health and Safety Regulations s.460(4) and Schedule Y, column 3: the minimum distance is 6.1 m from an exposed energized conductor at 230 kV phase to phase; the schedule lists no voltage above 230 kV.3
  • Nunavut Occupational Health and Safety Regulations s.460(9) and Schedule Y, column 5: no part of a vehicle operated on a public road, highway, street, lane or alley, and no part of its load, may come within 0.6 m of an exposed energized conductor at 0.75, 4.16, 15 or 25 kV, 0.8 m at 72 kV, 1.22 m at 138 kV or 1.83 m at 230 kV.3
  • Nunavut Occupational Health and Safety Regulations s.460(5) and s.461: the s.460(4) distances do not apply to a worker doing a specific one-time activity under the direct supervision of a qualified electrical worker; for work near exposed energized conductors operating at 31 to 750 V the employer must ensure the work is done so that accidental contact is prevented, and no distance is tabled.3

No passing-under distance was found for Yukon. Nunavut and the Northwest Territories list single voltages, so a voltage between them, or above 230 kV, has no tabled distance.

Driving and carrier rules

Licence classes and carrier rules were not researched for the territories.

Published rental rates

No public rate table was found.

The market

No territorial market rows were researched.

GST/HST

  • GST is charged at 5% in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.9

Nunavut

Nunavut rows come from its Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (R-003-2016), official consolidation current to September 28, 2021; the two later amendments listed (R-007-2025 and R-041-2025) do not touch them. Nunavut driver licences, rates and market were not researched.

Questions people ask

Do you need a ticket to operate a boom truck in Yukon?

You need training: a 35-hour course for cranes rated 900 kg to 7,300 kg and a 70-hour course up to 13,600 kg1; above that, experience plus the course, or a crane trade certificate1.

Do you need a ticket in the Northwest Territories or Nunavut?

For a mobile crane with a load rating over 5 tonnes, yes: a qualified operator, meaning a crane and hoist operator certificate of qualification, an apprentice, or an accepted equivalent2. Nunavut's rule is the same at 5 t3. Whether a boom truck counts as a mobile crane was not separately confirmed; ask the territory.

How often does a boom truck need an inspection in the territories?

In Yukon, at intervals not over 12 months, certified by a professional engineer, the manufacturer or its authorized representative1. In the NWT and Nunavut, a thorough inspection with non-destructive testing under a professional engineer at least every two years or 1,800 operating hours, whichever comes first23.

How close can a boom truck work to a power line in Yukon, the NWT or Nunavut?

Yukon: 3.0 m from 750 V to 40 kV, 4.0 m at 138 kV and 7.0 m at 500 kV555. NWT and Nunavut: 3 m up to 25 kV, 4.6 m at 72 and 138 kV and 6.1 m at 230 kV23.

Is Nunavut covered on this page?

Yes, for operator rules (a qualified operator above 5 t3), inspection and power-line distances, from its Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (R-003-2016). Driver licences, rates and the market were not researched for any territory.

Sources

  1. Workplace Health and Safety Regulations - Part 5: Cranes, Hoisting and LiftingYukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board · Online regulation text (currency date not captured); verified 2026-10-05
  2. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, R-039-2015 (Safety Act)Government of the Northwest Territories (Department of Justice) · Consolidation amended to R-090-2024; verified 2026-10-05
  3. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, C.R.Nu. R-003-2016 (Safety Act), official consolidationGovernment of Nunavut (Department of Justice, Territorial Printer) · Official consolidation current to 2021-09-28; later amendments R-007-2025 and R-041-2025 were opened and do not touch the cited provisions; verified 2026-10-06
  4. CSA Z150:26 Safety code on mobile cranes (product page: preface and scope)CSA Group · 2026 edition (sixth edition); verified 2026-10-05
  5. Workplace Health and Safety Regulations - Part 9: Electrical SafetyYukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board · Online regulation text headed 'Effective May 11, 2006'; the Board states its copy is not the official version; verified 2026-10-06
  6. Minimum requirements for unqualified workers and/or equipment operating near overhead power linesYukon Energy (public electric utility) · Information sheet dated February 2025; verified 2026-10-06
  7. Table 33-10-1174-01 Canadian Business Counts, with employees, June 2026Statistics Canada · June 2026 (released 2026-08-14)
  8. Boom Truck Crane Operator in Canada: Wages (NOC 72500)Government of Canada, Job Bank (ESDC) · reference period 2023-2024; wages updated 2025-11-19
  9. GST/HST calculator (and rates)Canada Revenue Agency · rates effective 2025-04-01; page modified 2025-04-01; verified 2026-10-05
  10. GST/HST Memorandum 3-3-3, Place of Supply in a Province - Tangible Personal PropertyCanada Revenue Agency · April 2026; verified 2026-10-05
  11. Input tax credits - GST/HSTCanada Revenue Agency · page modified 2024-11-19; verified 2026-10-05
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