Training for working at heights

Overview

Workers on construction projects who use fall protection devices must take a working at heights training program. The program must be:

• approved by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development's Chief Prevention Officer
• delivered by a training provider who has been approved by the Chief Prevention Officer
• taken before a worker can use fall protection

Training requirements for working at heights are set out in O. Reg. 297/13: Occupational Health and Safety Awareness Training.

Who needs working at heights training

Under O. Reg. 213/91: Construction Projects, you need to take this training if you work on a construction project and are required to use any of the following methods of fall protection:

• travel restraint system
• fall restricting system
• fall arrest system
• safety net
• work belt
• safety belt

This training requirement is in addition to the equipment-specific training required by section 26.2 of O. Reg. 213/91.

Workers do not have to complete approved working at heights training if their workplaces are not covered by O. Reg. 213/91. There is a limited exemption for workers who are directly employed by an automobile manufacturer or assembler.

Find an approved training provider

Working at heights training is available across the province. The Marketplace lists approved working at heights training providers and available classes. You can browse and register for a course in your area.

You can also search the following list of current training providers, or find a provider that was previously approved or offers in-house training only.

Proof of training

There are three ways employers can check that a worker's training is valid, if it was completed in Ontario.

1. Accept a proof of completion record that was issued by either:
   • the Chief Prevention Officer
   • a training provider who has been approved by the Chief Prevention Officer
2. Access a worker's training information, with the worker's consent, by creating a free and secure account through SkillsPass™.
3. With the worker's consent, contact the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development to confirm that the worker's training is valid.

Workers can also get a digital copy of their training records online by setting up a free and secure account through SkillsPass™.  You will need your:

• address provided when you registered for training
• year of birth
• email address and phone number (mobile, if possible)

Workers who complete Newfoundland and Labrador fall protection training need to present a valid certificate of “Fall Protection Training” issued by WorkplaceNL to their employers as proof of successful completion.

To replace a lost or damaged record

If your training record for Ontario working at heights training was lost or damaged, you can either:

• get your digital record online from SkillsPass™ – it  can be shared and printed
• contact your training provider to obtain a copy of your training records or proof of successful completion document

Validity period

Ontario working at heights training is valid for 3 years after the successful completion of an approved program. For workers who successfully completed their working at heights training between February 28 and August 31, 2017, training has been extended until 2021.

Working at heights training is valid for 3 years after the successful completion of an approved program. After 3 years, workers need to successfully complete a refresher program to keep their training valid for another 3 years.

To be eligible for refresher training, workers must have previously successfully completed both modules of an approved working at heights training program. You can check eligibility status using our eligibility checker tool.

A training provider who has been approved by the Chief Prevention Officer can deliver refresher training.

For workers who have completed Newfoundland and Labrador fall protection training, the certificate of completion issued by WorkplaceNL will show the expiry date.

Employer duties

Make sure workers have valid training

As an employer, it is your responsibility to make sure that workers:

• have valid working at heights training from Ontario or fall protection training from Newfoundland and Labrador
• are trained on any fall protection equipment they use at the construction project

When checking that a worker's training is valid, you should also make sure that the training provider was approved by the Chief Prevention Officer at the time the worker completed the training.

Workers do not need to complete another program when changing employers, if their training is still valid.

Keep training records

Employers must keep records of training for each worker.

For Ontario’s working at heights training, you may keep either:

• a copy of the worker's proof of completion document
• a record that includes the:
  • worker's name
  • approved training provider's name
  • name of the approved training program
  • date on which the training was successfully completed

For workers who completed fall protection training in Newfoundland and Labrador you must keep a copy of the worker’s certificate of completion issued by WorkplaceNL.

As an employer, you must make a training record available to a Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development inspector on request. Learn more about health and safety inspections.

Workers trained in Newfoundland and Labrador

Ontario now recognizes fall protection training approved by WorkplaceNL (Newfoundland and Labrador) as an alternative to Ontario's working at heights training.

Workers from Newfoundland and Labrador are required to provide proof of successful completion of the fall protection training and complete additional training in order to work in Ontario.

Proof of training

Workers who have completed fall protection training in Newfoundland and Labrador will need to present a Workplace NL Fall Protection certificate to their employer. A copy of this record of training will be kept by the employer, who is required to present proof of training to an occupational health and safety inspector upon request.

No other documentation or cards will be accepted.

Additional training

Workers with Newfoundland and Labrador fall protection training must ensure they meet the following additional training requirements before working at heights on a construction project in Ontario:

• basic occupational health and safety awareness training (for workers or supervisors, as appropriate)
• site-specific fall protection system training

Employers are responsible for ensuring site-specific fall protection system training is provided to their employees.

Apply to be an approved training provider

Before you can offer working at heights training, the provider and proposed training program must be approved by the Chief Prevention Officer.

To apply for approval:

• make sure that your program content and delivery meet both training standards for working at heights:
  • program standard
  • provider standard
• if your program includes an eLearning component, make sure it follows the eLearning instructional design guidelines
• complete the working at heights training provider application

There is no fee to apply.

Applications are assessed on a first-come, first-served basis. The length of time it takes to complete a full assessment of a training program depends on the quality of the application and associated training materials, and the number of existing applications in the review process.

For more information about the application process and tips on how to complete the application package, read the application guidelines.

Previously approved and in-house only training providers

Find a provider that was previously approved or offers in-house training only.

Contact us

For more information about Chief Prevention Officer training programs and requirements (for example, lost card or learner ID, training provider applications, etc.) please contact the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development at 1-877-202-0008 or by email at WAH.Inquiryline@Ontario.ca.

If you have technical questions or concerns about accessing your digital training record, please email support@myskillspass.com.