About the course
What this course covers.
An excavator is one of the heaviest, most powerful machines on a site, and the consequences of a mistake are measured in tonnes. A tip-over on a slope, a swing into a worker, a strike on a buried line - each of these comes from an operator who did not understand the machine or the ground it was sitting on. This course trains an operator to read both.
The course covers an introduction to the equipment and its anatomy, machine stability, maintenance and pre-use inspections, the hazards an excavator operator faces, and safe operation including attachments. It is built for trackhoes and 360-excavators and is written to be Canada-compliant, satisfying the classroom portion of operator safety training.
The course is the theory portion of excavator operator training. Some jurisdictions require a practical evaluation on the machine to complete certification. Companies use it to qualify excavator operators and to give a documented training record an auditor or contractor pre-qualification platform looks for.
Pass mark 80%
Score the pass mark to earn the certificate.
Course outline
4 modules, start to finish
Each module ends with a short knowledge check before you move on.
The equipment and its anatomy
An introduction to the excavator, the trackhoe and 360-excavator types, and the anatomy and components of the machine.
Stability and inspections
What keeps an excavator stable, and the maintenance and pre-use inspections that catch problems before the machine moves.
Hazards
The worksite hazards an excavator operator faces, from ground conditions and slopes to buried lines and people working nearby.
Safe operation
Operating the excavator safely, working with attachments, and finishing the shift with a safe shutdown.
Developed to meet Canadian and provincial standards
What every course includes
Printable and mailed certificates
Digital wallet and wall-sized certificates print the moment the course is passed.
Standards compliant
Built on Canadian federal and provincial legislation, safety standards, and industry best practice.
Self-paced
Unlimited access to the training material. Pause and resume the course any time.
Live student support
Real support is available seven days a week if a learner gets stuck.
Unlimited exam attempts
The exam can be retaken until the learner reaches a passing grade.
Record of training
Training records are stored securely for three years and pulled on demand from the account.
What learners say
Trusted by Canadian crews
The stability and inspection sections are the parts that matter for our crews. A new operator finishes this knowing what tips a machine over before they ever climb in.
Brett H.
Excavation Foreman
Clean classroom training that our auditor accepts. We pair it with our own machine evaluation and the record is complete.
Lana W.
Safety Coordinator
Quick and to the point. Good refresher on the hazards even after years in the seat.
Derek P.
Equipment Operator
Who it is for
Built for the people running the work
- Excavator and trackhoe operators
- Construction, excavation, and earthworks crews
- New operators learning an excavator
- Supervisors who carry out the practical operator evaluation
- Any company that needs a documented excavator training record
What you walk away with
Able to do the job, not just describe it
- Describe the anatomy and components of an excavator
- Explain what keeps the machine stable and what tips it over
- Carry out the maintenance and pre-use inspections an excavator needs
- Identify the worksite hazards an excavator operator faces
- Operate the machine and its attachments safely
Pricing
One seat or the whole crew, priced fairly.
A single seat is $99.99 CAD. Buying one at a time, code ONTRACK10 takes 10 percent off at checkout. Training more than two or three people is cheaper through a free On-Track Safety corporate account, which also tracks every certificate and renewal date for you. Move the slider to see the difference.
- Free corporate account, no setup fee
- 20 percent off every course for the first three months
- Automatic certificate and expiry tracking for your whole team
Team pricing
What it costs to train your crew
Individual purchases
One seat at a time, list price
$499.95
Individually with code ONTRACK10
10% off, applied at checkout
$449.96
Through a free corporate account
20% off every course, first three months
$399.96
A corporate account saves you
$99.99
on 5 seats of Excavator - Operator Safety (CAN)
No setup fee. The account also tracks every certificate and expiry date for you.
Certificate and format
How the course runs
Your certificate
A mark of 80 percent earns the certificate, and the course can be repeated twice if the pass mark is not met. On completion the operator downloads and prints a certificate of completion valid for three years from the completion date. Some jurisdictions require an additional practical evaluation on the machine for full regulatory compliance.
- Fully online and self-paced - about 60 minutes of content
- Mobile-friendly - start on a laptop, finish on a phone
- Instant access as soon as the course is purchased
- Satisfies the classroom portion of Canadian operator safety training
- Pass mark is 80 percent, with up to three attempts
Why it matters for compliance
Occupational health and safety legislation requires that heavy equipment operators are trained and competent before they run a machine. This course is the classroom portion of excavator operator training and provides the documented record a COR auditor or a contractor pre-qualification platform looks for; a practical evaluation on the machine completes the certification.
Common questions
Questions buyers ask
How much does the Excavator Operator Safety course cost?
- The course is 99.99 CAD per seat. Use code ONTRACK10 at checkout for 10 percent off an individual purchase, or set up a free On-Track Safety corporate account for 20 percent off every course for the first three months when training a crew.
How long does the course take?
- The course is about 60 minutes of content and is fully self-paced, so an operator can complete it in one sitting without losing their place.
Does the Excavator certificate expire?
- Yes. The certificate of completion is valid for three years from the completion date shown on it, after which the operator retakes the course to stay current.
Does this course cover trackhoes and 360-excavators?
- Yes. The course is built for trackhoes and 360-excavators and covers the anatomy, stability, inspections, hazards, and safe operation common to both.
Do I need a practical evaluation as well as this course?
- This course is the classroom portion of excavator operator training. Some jurisdictions require an additional practical evaluation on the actual machine, carried out by the employer, to complete the certification.
Get your team trained, on the record.
Enrol one person now, or set up a free corporate account and train the whole crew at 20 percent off with every certificate tracked for you.