When it comes to working at heights, the health and safety training needs of construction trades are as different as they are similar. The Workers Health and Safety Centre (WHSC) recognizes and respects each trade has their own unique set of concerns.
 
“Our members need a sound understanding of the interplay between the many factors that can affect their safety,” explains Thomas Williams, business manager, Brick and Allied Craft Union of Canada (BACU Canada), Local 2. “This includes fall protection equipment and systems and work platforms that can change daily. Others issues relate to weight and load on the actual platforms.” 
 
“WHSC was receptive to our needs and did a phenomenal job showing us how their working at heights program and training philosophy can best serve our members. Considering the risk to life and health posed by working at heights, our members deserve top caliber training. The Workers Centre can help us deliver this.”
 
Falls from heights are a leading cause of traumatic deaths and critical injuries in the construction sector.
 
To help put a stop to this unacceptable situation, new regulatory changes in Ontario require employers to ensure untrained or inadequately trained construction workers complete a Ministry of Labour-approved, working at heights training program before they can work at heights and use fall protection equipment and systems. This requirement came into force April 1, 2015.
 
WHSC Working at Heights training program was one of the first to receive MOL approval. The WHSC workers training workers delivery model was also approved.
 
Fortunately, Local 2 can draw on the expertise of a number of members who have become WHSC-qualified instructors. Like many in the trades the Local’s members also benefit from their own training facility.
 
“This gives us the flexibility we need in terms of scheduling training around the busy and dynamic work schedules of our members,” says Williams. 
 
“Equally important, our member-instructors are skilled craftsmen from this sector. They have an intimate understanding of the platforms, scaffolds and other equipment used when working at heights. As instructors, they lead conversations in a language understood by their fellow members. This helps to ensure learning.” 
 
On the strength of this experience, Williams says his union will be looking to the WHSC to help qualify additional instructors in the near future. This way all 700 of their members from Toronto, Barrie, Oshawa and surrounding community will be trained in a timely manner.
 
In addition to this and other in-house training the WHSC is supporting, we are running scheduled Working at Heights programs in communities across Ontario. We continue to add programs to this schedule almost daily.
 
Register now for any one of our scheduled courses.

With enough participants and an appropriate training venue we are also able to partner with other industry unions and employers to bring training to you.

To learn more:
Visit www.whsc.on.ca  or
Call 1-888-869-7950 and ask to speak to a training services representative.
 
Download and share: WHSC Working at Heights Training product sheet

Please note: Scheduled courses are offered in English. Should you require training in another language, please contact a WHSC training services representative (see above).