Working at Heights Training and Fall Arrest Training

Working at Heights Training and Fall Arrest Training

Working at heights is a high-risk activity in which a worker can fall and be injured or killed. The fall could be from a ladder, the edge of a roof, through an opening on the floor or a variety of other situations. Unfortunately, at worksites in Canada, particularly construction sites, workers fall from heights far too often. According to Canada’s Occupational Health & Safety Magazine, over 40,000 Canadian workers are injured each year due to fall accidents. And according to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board statistics, about 1 out of every 6 lost-time workplace injuries in Canada are the result of a fall from heights. Working at heights training (WAH) and fall arrest training—and adherence to and enforcement of the protocols taught therein—are key to mitigating this serious problem.

WAH training and fall protection training are often erroneously considered to be the same thing. Although there are similarities between the two, they are separate entities. Today, we are going to make the distinction between the two and delve into how Heartzap can get you started in courses that can help prevent catastrophic injury and save lives.

What is working at heights training?

The Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) requires that all workers on construction projects who use fall protection equipment take working at heights training. (This training requirement is part of the O. Reg. 297/13: Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training requirements.) A list of fall protection equipment necessitating training includes:

• Travel restraint systems
• Fall restricting systems
• Fall arrest systems
• Safety nets
• Work belts
• Safety belts

A CPO-approved working at heights course is only a requirement for those working on construction projects. That said, it is highly recommended that workers on other types of projects who feel (or whose employer feels) that it would be beneficial to their performance and/or safety take a course as well.

Employers with workers who are required to use any of the fall protection methods listed above must:

• Ensure the worker completes a working at heights training program that has been approved by the CPO
• Ensure the worker’s training has not expired
• Maintain a training record for the worker that includes the worker’s name, the approved training provider’s name, the date the training was completed, the name of the approved training program; and
• Make the training record available to a Ministry of Labour inspector on request

Working at heights training is valid for three years from the date the worker completes an approved training program delivered by an approved training provider.

Content of WAH training is both theoretical and practical and includes:

• An overview of WAH legislation
• How to recognize and assess WAH hazards
• Fall prevention strategies and systems
• Fall prevention/protection system requirements and limitations
• Harness inspection and fitting exercise and evaluation
• Ladders, scaffolds, and elevating work platforms

What is fall arrest training?

Fall arrest training, also referred to as fall prevention or protection training, is not a replacement for CPO-approved WAH training. It tends to be much more general than WAH training and it can be modified to fit specific industries. Fall arrest training is often geared to those in industrial establishments, mining operations, health care, and residential facilities—workplaces that are not construction projects.

The content of fall arrest training includes:

• Fall prevention strategies and systems
• An explanation of when working at heights training is required
• Fall protection systems
• Rescue plans
• Controlling fall hazards

Where can I get working at heights training?

Heartzap Safety offers two approaches to working at heights training:

• Working at Heights Blended Learning Program
• Working at Heights In-Class

For more information on either of these two programs, please click here to contact us.