9436 – Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders

Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders inspect and grade lumber, shingles, veneer, waferboard and similar wood products to identify defects, ensure conformance to company specifications and classify products according to industry standards. They are employed by sawmills, planing mills, wood treatment plants, waferboard plants and other wood processing companies.

Profile

Index of titles

Example titles

Board grader – wood processing

Flooring grader – wood processing

Grader – wood processing

Grader tallyman/woman – wood processing

Green lumber grader

Inspector – wood processing

Lumber grader

Lumber inspector

Lumber marker

Panel inspector – wood processing

Particleboard grader – wood processing

Planer grader – wood processing

Planer mill grader – wood processing

Plywood and veneer matcher – wood processing

Plywood grader

Plywood grader – wood processing

Plywood inspector

Plywood inspector – wood processing

Pole inspector – wood processing

Shake inspector – wood processing

Shingle inspector – wood processing

Stake grader – wood processing

Tie and timber inspector

Treated pole tester – wood processing

Veneer and plywood grader – wood processing

Veneer grader

Veneer grader – wood processing

Wood marker – wood processing

Wood measurer

Wood measurer – wood processing

Wood processing grader

Wood processing inspector

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Lumber graders

Examine lumber visually for knots, holes, splits and other defects and sort for further drying, trimming or remanufacturing

Measure lumber using callipers, gauges and tape measures to ensure specified thickness, length and width

Classify and sort lumber according to industry standards and stamp lumber to indicate grade, wood type, moisture level and other characteristics

Tally lumber

Complete and maintain reports.

Other wood processing inspectors and graders

Inspect plywood panels, veneer sheets, panelboards, shingles and similar wood products visually for knots, holes, splits, straightness and other defects

Mark defects and sort for repair or reprocessing

Measure wood products to ensure conformance to specifications using standard measuring instruments

Grade and label wood products according to quality standards

Complete and maintain inspection and grading reports.

Employment requirements

Completion of secondary school is usually required.

On-the-job training and up to two weeks of classroom training are provided for lumber graders.

Previous experience as a sawmill machine operator, other wood processing operator or as a labourer in wood processing is usually required for graders and inspectors in this unit group.

Lumber graders require a lumber grader’s licence issued by a provincial lumber association.

Additional information

There is some mobility between employers processing similar wood products.

Exclusions

Forest products technologists (in 2211 Chemical technologists and technicians)

Log scalers (in 2223 Forestry technologists and technicians)

Production technologists in sawmills (in 2233 Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians)

Supervisors, forest products processing (9215)