FWS Heavy Equipment Agricultural Tractor Safety Training Course

Target Audience: 

FWS EMPLOYEES / AFFILIATED PERSONNEL ONLY who operate Service-owned, leased, or rented agricultural tractors. Contact your appropriate Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator to register for the course. 

Summary and Objectives: 

This course provides the training required in FWS Policy, 321 FW 1, to permit operation of Service-owned, operated, rented, or leased agricultural tractors with applicable attachments (20 HP and over, tracked or wheeled) and is designed to familiarize employees, volunteers, and partner operators with the safe operation and preventative maintenance of agricultural tractors and attachments. The course includes classroom and field operation instruction. Provides operators with the skills and knowledge necessary that will allow them to make informed decisions about their own safety, the safety of those around them, and the agricultural tractors. Also, allows attendees to demonstrate, through written examinations and actual demonstration, that they have the skills and knowledge to safely operate agricultural tractors with attachments in accordance with Service policy, manufacturer specifications and industry standards. 

Prerequisite: 

Completion of the Web-based Heavy Equipment Pre-Class Online Training course FWS-SAF-HE-PRECLASS is required prior to attending Heavy Equipment Safety Training. 

Length of Course: 

Determined by class size but typically takes 1 day / 8 hrs. Training consists of at least 4 hours classroom study and no less than 1 hour of field operation (seat time) per student.

NOTE: Heavy Equipment Operator refresher course is required 3-years after completion of this course in order to maintain authorization to operate. Refer to FWS-SAF-HE-REFRESH, Heavy Equipment Safety Refresher Course for details. 

Registration: 

For questions, click here for a list of the Regional Training Coordinators. To locate a field course, visit the Heavy Equipment and Off-Road Vehicle Training Sharepoint Page.

Competencies Addressed: 

Health and Safety Awareness - Intermediate, Safety - Intermediate, Vehicle Operation - Intermediate, Oral Communication - Basic, Risk Management - Basic, Industrial Equipment Operation - Intermediate