Lumber Graders
Job description
These individuals inspect lumber (sawed timber) to determine their characteristics and grade them according to industry standards. They work for:
- Forest product processing plants
- Planing mills
- Lumber wholesalers and distributors
- Building materials dealers
- Manufacturers of furniture and other wood products
- Sawmills
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Equipment, machinery, tools
- Nontoxic dust
- Uncontrolled ambient temperature
- Noise
Main tasks
- Examine lumber for defects (knots, holes, cracks, etc.).
- Sort lumber for drying, delimbing, or further processing.
- Measure, grade, and sort wood according to industry standards and mark it to indicate its quality.
- Keep records of the quantity of lumber.
- Prepare reports.
Advancement and mobility
- There is some mobility between companies that hire people in this group.
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
Secondary
Also required
- Certificate of Lumber Grader recognized by the lumber industry.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Information processing
- Active listening
- Critical thought
- Oral expression
- Active learning
- Coordination
- Result evaluation
- Written expression
- Judgment and decision-making
Abilities
- Near vision
- Awareness of issues
- Oral comprehension
- Verbal skills
- Classification
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Written expression
- Perception speed
- Processing flexibility
- Distance vision
- Selective attention
- Speech clarity
- Written comprehension
- Digital dexterity
- Manual dexterity
- Basic numeracy
- Information organization
- Colour perception and distinction
- Control accuracy
- Mathematical reasoning
- Speech recognition
- Hand-arm stability
Knowledge and attributes
- Critical thinking
- Focussed on results
- Autonomy
- Knowledge of production and treatment
- Rigour
- Attention to detail
- Respect standards and regulations
- Sense of observation
- Tolerance to routine work
- Timeliness
Interests
- Collect, verify, sort, and classify data or information
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Appellation d’emploi liée (à traduire)
Lumber graders and other wood processing inspectors and graders (CNP 94123)
Skill type
Manufacturing and utilities
Last update: January 29, 2026
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