Overview

If a construction worker is required to complete working at heights training under the Construction Regulation (O.Reg. 213/91), their employer must ensure they have completed an approved training program from an approved training provider.

Employers and workers should be careful of fraudulent training providers who may accept fees and issue cards despite not providing valid training.

Working at heights training

Working at heights training has been mandatory for construction workers in Ontario since April 1, 2015. Working at heights training providers must complete a thorough process to become approved to provide working at heights training programs.

If workers may need to use fall protection equipment while on the job, employers must ensure their workers complete an approved working at heights training program from an approved training provider. Valid working at heights training must be approved by the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO).

Learn more about the requirement for working at heights training.

Fraudulent training providers

Fraudulent training providers who have not been approved by the CPO to deliver a training program have been providing workers with training cards. In many cases, workers or employers are paying fees to these unapproved trainers for what they believe to be compliant working at heights training.

These programs may offer little-to-no actual instruction on:

  • an approved working at heights training program
  • the use of fall protection equipment

These training cards are not valid and will not be accepted by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Some of these fraudulent training cards may appear to be issued from an approved training provider but are fraudulent.

How to find an approved training provider

Before you contact a training provider to provide working at heights training, employers should ensure that the training provider is approved by the Chief Prevention Officer.

You can find approved training providers in either:

How to check that a worker has completed approved training

Employers can verify that their workers have completed an approved working at heights training program from an approved training provider by accessing the Certification Management System.

Working at heights without valid training

It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that workers who may be working at heights on a project have successfully completed an approved working at heights training program delivered by an approved training provider. If an inspector finds workers who work at heights without the required training, they may take enforcement action ranging from issuing orders to commencing a prosecution.

This resource does not replace the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations and should not be used as or considered legal advice. Health and safety inspectors apply the law based on the facts in the workplace