Working at Heights Training in Ontario
MidSouthWest Training and Consulting provides Working at Heights training in association with Langlois Safety Training and Consulting Services, an approved CPO Provider. This training class is suitable for individuals, contractors and companies in southern Ontario.
Our classroom training can be completed in 1 day and we provide all of the training material, harnesses and MOL registrations. After completing our training program, participants will receive a Working at Heights certificate valid for three years.
Course Format
- On-site training at your location – Contact MidSouthWest Training and Consulting to request a quote.
- Open classroom training – Held at locations throughout southwest Ontario, including Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Kitchener, and London. Find a training class location near you.
- New working at heights training requirements for workers on construction projects that make use of any of the following fall protection methods: travel restraint systems, fall restricting systems, fall arrest systems, safety nets and work belts or safety belts.
- Workers who have previously completed Fall Arrest training must be registered in a CPO-approved Working at Heights course that is scheduled to be completed by October 1, 2017 to complete a CPO-approved working at heights training program.
- The new working at heights training certification is valid for three years from the date of completion.
- All workers who use fall protection systems are required to complete a working at heights training course, even if they have previously completed fall protection training, as outlined in the Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91).
- The working at heights training program must be approved by the Chief Prevention Officer and delivered by a training provider that has met theTraining Provider Standard.
- Workers who have not previously completed a Fall Arrest training program are required to complete a CPO-approved Working at Heights training course prior to working at heights.
There are two training modules in the working at heights training course. Module 1 covers basic theory and is a minimum of three hours long. Module 2 is practice and contains more advanced information on fall protection systems, including hands-on demonstrations of equipment and procedures. Module 2 is a minimum of 3.5 hours long. Workers must complete a written test and demonstrate satisfactory completion of a hands-on test to complete the working at heights training course. MidSouthWest Training and Consulting provides Working at Heights training in association with Langlois Safety Training and Consulting Services, an approved CPO Provider.
After completing Module 1, workers will understand:
- The rights and responsibilities of the worker, employer, constructor, supplier, and supervisor as they apply to working at heights
- The role of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development (MLITSD) and inspectors in enforcing the Occupation Health and Safety Act and its regulation
- How to recognize hazards of working at heights, and identify typical accidents and injuries related to working at heights
- The role of safe work plans and procedures in identifying hazards of falling from heights
- The types of warning methods and physical barriers associated with working at heights and their appropriate use
- Regulations concerning the types and use of ladders and personal fall projection equipment
After completing Module 2, workers will understand:
- How to identify the appropriate barriers and safety equipment for different situations (bump lines, barriers, guardrails, safety nets)
- Regulations and requirements for barriers and safety equipment
- Limitations and appropriate application of travel restraints, fall restricting and fall prevention systems
- Appropriate location, use and types of anchor points for different situations
- Types of work access equipment and platforms (Powered Evaluating Work Platforms (PEWPs), scaffolds, ladders, suspended access equipment, boatswain's chairs)
- The purpose of a working at heights fall rescue plan and the key components of a rescue plan
- 8 hours
- 4 hours
Our Working at Heights course contains 6.5 technical hours and may be eligible for HRPA and/or BCRSP CPD points. Our Working at Heights Refresher course contains 4 technical hours and may be eligible for HRPA and/or BCRSP CPD points.
Click here to learn more about HRPA CPD point criteria.
Click here to learn more about BCRSP CPD point criteria.
Our training program is designed to:
- Strengthen workplace safety culture by elevating the profile and importance of preventing falls from heights
- Provide workers who may be exposed to the hazard of falling from heights with adequate knowledge about fall hazards and general safety practices to work safely at heights
- Provide workers who use personal fall protection equipment with sufficient knowledge about its purpose and use
- Reduce the number of fall-from-heights incidents, injuries and fatalities
Frequently Asked Questions about Working at Heights Training
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development has extended the transition period for the workers to complete a Working At Heights training program by 6 months to October 1, 2017. Employers will now have until October 1, 2017 to ensure that workers successfully complete a Working at Heights course approved by the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO). To be eligible for the extension, workers must have completed fall protection training prior to April 1, 2015 AND be enrolled in a CPO-approved Working at Heights training program scheduled to be completed before October 1, 2017. Workers who have not completed fall protection training are required to have Working at Heights certification.
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development will be conducting site inspections throughout the summer to ensure that workers and employers are in compliance with the new regulations. All employers/workers must be able to prove:
- the worker has completed Working at Heights training
OR
- the worker has completed fall protection training AND is enrolled in a CPO-approved Working at Heights training program scheduled to be completed before October 1, 2017
If you or your employees have not yet completed Working at Heights training, MidSouthWest Training and Consulting advises that you enroll in one of our Working at Heights training classes or schedule an on-site Working at Heights training class today to ensure that all workers comply with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development requirements.
Before working at heights, all workers must ensure that they are in compliance with the new regulations. The MOL will be conducting site inspections throughout the summer to ensure that:
- the worker has completed Working at Heights training
OR
- the worker has completed fall protection training AND is enrolled in a CPO-approved Working at Heights training program scheduled to be completed before October 1, 2017
If you have not yet completed Working at Heights training, MidSouthWest Training and Consulting advises that you enroll in our Working at Heights training class. If you have previously completed a Fall Arrest training program, you must register in an approved Working at Heights training program scheduled to be completed before October 1, 2017 to ensure that you comply with the Ministry of Labour requirements. We issue a written Confirmation of Enrolment Letter for all workers who are registered for scheduled Working at Heights classes.
Workers who have previously completed Fall Arrest training and are registered for a training class scheduled before October 1, 2017 are in compliance with the regulations even if they have not yet completed the class.
To ensure that workers and employers are in compliance with the new regulations. All employers must be able to prove:
- the worker has completed Working at Heights training
OR
- the worker has completed fall protection training AND is enrolled in a CPO-approved Working at Heights training program scheduled to be completed before October 1, 2017
If your employees have not yet completed Working at Heights training, MidSouthWest Training and Consulting advises that you enroll your employees in our Working at Heights training class or schedule an on-site Working at Heights training class today to ensure that all workers comply with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development requirements. We issue a written Confirmation of Enrolment Letter for all workers who are registered for scheduled Working at Heights classes or on-site Working at Heights training.
The Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development updated working at heights Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training regular (O. Reg. 297/13) on April 1, 2015. There is a transistion period between April 1, 2015 and October 1, 2017. The regulation requires that employers ensure that all workers on construction projects successfully complete a working at heights training program that is approved by the Chief Prevention Office (CPO) and delivered by a provider that is approved by the CPO before the end of the transistion period.
There is a transition period for all workers who have previously received training in the use of fall protection systems prior to April 1, 2015. As of April 1, 2017, workers who have completed fall protection training must be enrolled in a CPO-approved Working at Heights training program scheduled to be completed before October 1, 2017 in order to comply with the new requirements.
Workers who were not trained in the use for fall protection systems prior to April 1, 2015 are required to complete the required working at heights training in addition to the existing training requirements for workers who use fall protection systems, as outlined in the Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91).
The new requirements apply to all employers of workers on construction projects who use any of the following methods of fall prevention: travel restraint system; fall restricting system; fall arrest system; safety net; work belt; safety belt. This training is in addition to the existing training requirement for workers who use fall protection systems, as outlined in the Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91).
All employers on construction projects must ensure that workers are trained in the use fall protection systems, as outlined in the Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91) section 26.2. Workers must be provided with adequate oral and written instructions by a qualified instructor.
Workers should also be provided with training on specific aspects of each work site or construction project must also be provided, as outlined subsection 26.2(1) of the Construction Projects Regulation must be completed, in addition to an approved working at heights training course.
Please see the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s website for more information.
Fall protection training courses completed prior to April 1, 2015 meet the requirements of section 26.2 of O. Reg 213/91 but do not meet the requirements of O. Reg. 297/13.
As of May 2016, workers do not have to complete the CPO-approved working at heights training if they work at workplaces not covered by the Construction Projects Regulations. Please consult with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s website for the most up-to-date information.
The training is valid of three years from the date of successful completion. After the three year period, refresher training must be taken.
No, the worker does not need to complete another CPO-approved working at heights training program as long as their previous training is still within the three-year validity range. It is the employers responsibility to ensure that new workers meet the requirements outlined in the Construction Projects Regulation and has valid working at heights training.
Trainees will be provided with proof of completion after completing the courss. Workers will receive a CPO-issued proof of completion card after completed a CPO-approved working at heights training program in the form of a standardized wallet-sized proof of training card. Workers are not required to carry this card at work. The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development keeps a centralized record of all workers who have completed the approved working at heights training course.
The Working at Heights Training Program Standard outlines the minimum content required for a program to be approved by the CPO, including leaning outcomes. The Working at Heights Training Provider Standard outlines the minimum criteria for training providers to meet to be approved by the CPO, including instructor qualifications and quality of training delivery. CPO-approved working at heights training instructors must have a professional occupational health and safety description and at least five years of recent occupational health and safety experience. They must be experienced in delivery of adult education, for example, by having more than 100 hours of adult-education deliver experience. In addition, CPO-approved instructors must have general knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations related to working at heights.