As of April 1, 2015, there will be a new health and safety training requirement for workers on construction projects who use any of the following methods of fall protection: travel restraint systems, fall restricting systems, fall arrest systems, safety nets, and work belts or safety belts. This regulation is expected to have a large impact on the construction industry in Ontario and is implemented to significantly reduce the number of accidents resulting from falls.
Every IUPAT member that requires fall protection will need to take the new “Working at Heights” course, or he or she will not be able to continue to work legally. The Ontario Industrial & Finishing Skills Centre (OIFSC), through its partnership with the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA), will deliver this new training so that IUPAT members will comply with this new standard.
The new “Working at Heights” training will take place over eight hours. The first four hours of training will be theory with a written test; the second four hours will be the practical component with a “hands-on” test where the tradesperson will need to demonstrate that they know how to inspect and identify deficiencies in industry-standard personal fall arrest equipment, and how to appropriately “don” and “doff” (i.e. put on and take off) industry-standard personal fall arrest equipment. After passing the course and receiving the ticket, tradespersons will be covered for three years; after that time, they’ll need to renew their training again with the OIFSC.
Those individuals who are involved in trades and have had fall protection training recently will have until April 1, 2017 to take the “Working at Heights” course. New apprentices and workers involved in construction trades will have to take the course immediately. It’s anticipated that this new regulation will be vigorously enforced, as the Ministry of Labour is actively trying to eliminate deaths due to falls, especially after the scaffolding incident that took place on Christmas Eve 2009.
Members of IUPAT can take the “Working at Heights” course at one of three training centres: Toronto, Ancaster or Ottawa.
