Working at Heights in Ontario: Who Needs It and How Often to Refresh
Falls are among the leading causes of serious injury and death on Ontario construction projects, which is why Working at Heights (WAH) training is one of the most closely regulated safety requirements in the province. If you employ crews who work off the ground, or you're a worker trying to understand your own obligations, this guide explains who the law covers, how long certification lasts, and what changed with the April 2024 standard.
Who needs Working at Heights training?
Working at Heights training is mandatory under O. Reg. 297/13 and O. Reg. 213/91 (Section 26). Any worker on a construction project who may use a fall-protection system must complete a WAH program approved by Ontario's Chief Prevention Officer (CPO), and they must complete it before that work starts. The training is not optional and it is not something a worker can pick up on the job.
In practice, the requirement is triggered by a wide range of common tasks, including:
- Work above 3 metres (10 feet)
- Swing stages and boatswains' chairs
- Scaffolding
- Roofing rope systems
- Mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs)
If a worker may use fall protection to do any of these jobs, they need a CPO-approved WAH certification in hand before the first shift.
How long is it valid?
A CPO-approved Working at Heights certification is valid for three years. After that, the worker must complete a CPO-approved refresher to stay current. The refresher keeps the certification active, and there is no way around the three-year clock: an expired certificate means the worker is no longer authorized to do work that requires fall protection until they refresh.
Because records are tracked centrally, it's worth knowing how registration works. Workers register with a personal email address, and their records are stored in the MLITSD Client Management System. That personal email matters, because the record follows the worker, not the employer, which makes it easier to confirm certification status when workers move between projects or companies.
What changed in April 2024
In April 2024, the CPO updated the Working at Heights training standard. Two changes are worth flagging:
- Smaller classes: The maximum class size was reduced to 12 participants, so instructors can give each worker more hands-on attention.
- New content: The standard added material on ladders, skylights, and damaged equipment, reflecting the real hazards workers encounter on site.
Programs delivered to the current standard reflect these updates. If your crew was trained before April 2024, their certification remains valid for its full three years, but their eventual refresher will bring them onto the newer content.
Your obligations don't end at the CPO course
The CPO-approved course is the legal baseline, not the finish line. Ontario employers carry two additional obligations that the classroom program does not, by itself, satisfy.
Site-specific fall-protection training: Employers must provide training on the actual equipment and hazards present on their project. The general CPO course teaches the principles; site-specific training connects those principles to the specific anchors, systems, and conditions a worker will face on your job.
A suspended-worker rescue plan: Before anyone uses a fall-arrest system, the employer must develop written procedures for rescuing a worker whose fall has been arrested and who is now suspended in their harness. Those procedures must be posted at the project. A fall-arrest system stops a fall, but a suspended worker still needs to be brought down quickly and safely, and that plan has to exist before the equipment is ever used.
Frequently asked questions
How often do I need to refresh Working at Heights training? Every three years. Certification is valid for three years, after which a CPO-approved refresher is required to keep it current.
Does the general CPO course cover the fall-protection gear on my site? No. The CPO course is the legal baseline. Employers must also provide site-specific fall-protection training for the actual equipment and hazards on the project.
Do I need a rescue plan if we use fall-arrest systems? Yes. Employers must develop written procedures to rescue a suspended worker before anyone uses a fall-arrest system, and those procedures must be posted at the project.
What kinds of work require this training? Triggers include work above 3 metres (10 feet), swing stages, boatswains' chairs, scaffolding, roofing rope systems, and MEWPs, wherever a worker may use a fall-protection system.
Get your crew certified and compliant
Meeting Ontario's requirements takes two things: current CPO-approved certification and the employer-side pieces that surround it. Siren Safety & Rescue delivers the current Working at Heights program to the April 2024 standard, and can help you build the written procedures you need through our Rescue Planning service.
Book Working at Heights training · Call 705-806-SAFE