Ontario Working at Heights Study Guide 2026

Who needs working at heights training

Ontario requires working at heights training for workers on construction projects who must use fall protection under O. Reg. 213/91 (Construction Projects). The training rule itself is in O. Reg. 297/13.

Fall protection here means a travel restraint system, a fall restricting system, a fall arrest system, a safety net, a work belt or a safety belt. If your workplace is not covered by O. Reg. 213/91, this training rule does not apply, but your employer must still train and protect you.

• The program must be approved by the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) and taught by a CPO-approved provider.
• You must finish it before you use fall protection.
• It is valid for 3 years from successful completion.
• You also need training on the specific system you use, with oral and written instructions from a competent person (s. 26.2 of O. Reg. 213/91).
• Valid training goes with you if you change employers.

Proof and records

Your employer can check your training in one of three ways: accept a proof of completion from the CPO or an approved provider, look it up in the ministry's certification management system with your consent, or contact the ministry with your consent. The employer must also check that the provider was approved when you took the course.

Employers keep either a copy of your proof of completion, or a record of your name, the provider, the program name and the completion date. A ministry inspector can ask to see it. You can get a digital copy of your own record through a free account.

How the approved program works

Every approved program follows the Working at Heights Training Program Standard. It has two modules, taken in order.

• Basic Theory must be completed before Practical.
• There can be no more than 12 learners per instructor in face-to-face training.
• The written test has a 75% pass mark. After you pass, the evaluator reviews your wrong answers with you.
• Learners with language, literacy or accommodation needs can be evaluated another way, if the method is documented.

The four practical demonstrations

1. Calculate the total fall distance and the fall clearance.
2. Inspect equipment for problems.
3. Put on (don) and take off (doff) a harness and lanyard.
4. Keep tie-off while changing anchor points.

Refresher training

The refresher is the Practical module. You can take it only if you passed both modules before. Passing it makes your training valid for another 3 years from the refresher date. The ministry has an online eligibility checker.

Roles, rights and duties

Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) gives every workplace party a role. Basic Theory covers the employer, constructor, supplier, supervisor and worker.

Your three rights

• The right to know about hazards.
• The right to participate in solving safety problems.
• The right to refuse work you believe is likely to endanger you or another worker.

If you see a missing guardrail or a damaged lanyard, report it to your supervisor or employer right away. If a guardrail must come down for a short time, workers must be protected another way and warning signs must be posted.

Recognizing fall hazards

Falls are the top cause of critical injuries and deaths of workers at Ontario construction sites. O. Reg. 213/91 says when protection is needed. Fall height is measured as vertical distance.

Watch for skylights and fragile surfaces. A skylight is treated as an opening unless engineering documents show it can hold a worker's weight. Work over water, near machinery or near electrical equipment also needs extra care.

Hierarchy of controls, guardrails and warnings

The hierarchy of controls ranks ways to deal with a hazard from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and, last, personal protective equipment (PPE). Doing work at ground level instead of at height is elimination. PPE is last because it only works if it is chosen, worn and used correctly every time.

The ranking in O. Reg. 213/91

1. A guardrail system, wherever it is practicable (s. 26.1(1)).
2. If not, the highest ranked practicable method, starting with travel restraint.
3. Then fall restricting and fall arrest systems.
4. A safety net is ranked lowest.

• Cost does not override worker safety when deciding if guardrails are practicable.
• A stud wall is not a guardrail.
• During built-up roofing, a bump line must be at least 2 m from the roof edge.
• A warning method, such as a bump line, only warns. A guardrail physically stops a worker.

Travel restraint, fall restricting and fall arrest

Fall arrest rules

• Use a full body harness.
• Use a shock-absorbing lanyard, unless the extra stretch could let the worker hit the ground or an object below.
• Attach to an independent fixed support that meets s. 26.7.
• Peak fall arrest force on the worker must be no more than 8 kN.
• A competent worker inspects the system before each use.

Self-retracting lifelines usually connect to the back (dorsal) D-ring. Use them on a horizontal surface only if the manufacturer permits it. On a mobile elevating work platform, a shock-absorbing lanyard may be used if it is short enough to stop the worker from being thrown out.

Anchors, clearance and equipment checks

An anchor is the fixed point your fall protection connects to. The program standard names three basic types:

• Designed fixed supports.
• Temporary fixed supports, including portable or mobile anchor systems.
• Existing structural features checked by a professional engineer or competent person.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions and engineering approvals. Ask for information before you use a new anchor.

Swing and clearance

Put the anchor directly above the work where you can. An anchor off to the side causes swing, called the pendulum effect, and a swinging worker can hit objects. Fall clearance is the distance needed below you so you do not hit the ground or an object. If there is not enough clearance, you bottom out: you hit the lower level before the fall stops.

Inspect before use

Check harnesses, lanyards, lifelines, fall arresters, carabiners and self-retracting lifelines before each use. Look for cuts, wear, burns, damaged stitching, bent hooks and missing labels. Remove damaged gear from service.

Ladders and work platforms

Ladders cause many falls. Basic Theory covers at least three types of portable ladders, their limits, inspection, storage and safe use.

• Set a straight or extension ladder at a slope of 1 out for every 4 up.
• Keep three points of contact: two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand.
• Face the ladder and do not carry items in your hands while climbing.
• Keep the centre of your chest within the side rails. Do not overreach.
• Never stand higher than the highest step the manufacturer allows.
• Inspect the ladder before each use.
• If you use a ladder as a work station more than 3 m up, you need independent fall arrest.

Missing the last step and overreaching are common causes of ladder falls. The Practical module also covers powered elevating work platforms, scaffolds, suspended access equipment and boatswain's chairs.

Rescue planning

A fall arrest system stops a fall, but the worker is then left hanging. Hanging in a harness can harm the body, so rescue must be quick.

• Before anyone uses fall arrest or a safety net, the employer must have written rescue procedures (s. 26.1(4) of O. Reg. 213/91).
• Every project where workers rely on fall arrest or safety nets needs a site-specific rescue plan.
• Relying on a cell phone call is not an acceptable rescue plan.
• Working alone with fall arrest is generally not allowed unless a self-rescue system is in place.

The plan should say who does the rescue, what equipment is used, how they reach the worker and how first aid is given. Employers, supervisors and workers each have a role.

Study tips

• Learn the ranking: guardrail first, travel restraint next, safety net last.
• Know the key numbers: 3 m, 1.2 m, 2.4 m, 0.6 m, 8 kN, 2 m, 75% and 3 years.
• Practise explaining fall clearance and the pendulum effect in your own words.
• Know your three rights and your duty to report defective equipment.