On the same cold winter day, two workers recently fell to their death in Ontario, tragedies the province’s mandatory working at heights training standard is intended to prevent.

Working at heights (WAH) can be dangerous and deadly. When equipment is inadequate or uninspected and workers are not trained, tragedies can occur. On February 3, 2025, a worker died after falling from a ladder while working on a billboard in Toronto. The same day, another work fell to his death at a construction site in an Ottawa suburb. The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) is investigating the deaths.

Following a mandatory five-year review of Ontario’s WAH training standards, changes took effect April 1, 2024, including additional learning outcomes on the safe use of ladders.

Is your WAH training adequate and unexpired? Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) offers WAH programs across the province including at our regional training centres. Our WAH programs comply with training standards and are approved by MLITSD’s Chief Prevention Officer (CPO).

DON'T DELAY! REGISTER FOR WORKING AT HEIGHTS TRAINING

WAH training - necessary and effective

As a MLITSD approved training provider, we help workplaces meet all legal training requirements. Along with our commitment, research also supports the role of mandatory training standards in securing healthier, safer work.

Research by the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) evaluating the impact of mandated WAH training requirements confirms standardized training results in safer work. In fact, 90 per cent of training participants surveyed after two years of initial training believe mandatory training made working at heights on construction projects safer. And indeed, it has. IWH research found lost time injury claim incident rates from 2017 through 2019 declined by 19 per cent compared to rates in 2012 through 2014 prior to the introduction of standardized training. 

Still, falls from heights, whether from a ladder, a roof, scaffolding or other work surface, remain the leading cause of serious and fatal injuries for workers in the construction sector. A 2023 report from Ontario’s chief coroner concluded that 40 per cent of worker deaths on construction sites in the previous five years were the result of falls from heights.

Working at Heights training obligations 

From these recent tragedies, it’s clear much work remains if employers, supervisors and workers are to fully understand and address fall hazards, wherever they occur, and to competently and safely use all fall protection equipment and systems. 

Ontario employers must comply with a range of fall protection obligations and ensure workers who work on construction projects complete a WAH training program approved by the MLITSD’s CPO before working at heights. For continued compliance, employers must also ensure workers they employ complete an approved WAH refresher program every three years.

Keep in mind too, construction projects can include projects in manufacturing facilities, schools, shopping malls, offices, film sets and residential homes.

REGISTER FOR WAH TRAINING NEAR YOU

WHSC virtual classrooms are highly effective, but in-person training remains the gold standard and is especially critical for potentially lifesaving programs such as WAH. That’s why WAH training programs are regularly scheduled in-person at WHSC regional training facilities in Hamilton, Markham, and Sudbury and other communities such as Windsor, Chatham and Ottawa.

Need other essential and legally mandated training such as joint health & safety committee certification, GHS-WHMIS, workplace violence and harassment, supervisor awareness and competency, and First Aid and CPR?

Check out our complete in-person and virtual training schedule, including our largest ever schedule of Ergonomics Training during February in recognition of Repetitive Strain Injury Awareness Day.

Want to know more about WAH?
WHSC working at heights resources
Standardized working at heights training improves safety, study
Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation (O. Reg. 297/13)

Need more information? 
Contact a WHSC training services representative in your area.
Email: contactus@whsc.on.ca
Visit: whsc.on.ca
Connect with and follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube