1. Why Opt For a Working At Height Training Program?
The economy worldwide is growing at a steady pace. And so is the need to have bigger houses,
taller buildings, higher offices and grand entertainment platforms as well. At the crux of all this
are steel workers working on the steel framework, scaffolders, roofers, demolition workers,
welders, pipe fitters and painters. These brave souls toil day and night to meet the deadlines
and leave an indelible impact through their work. But these are also the people who are most
exposed to working at heights.
Although, many people think this work requires no special training and that anyone who has
working limbs can perform this task, it is imperative to receive basic working at height training
from a recognized source.
Here, we enlist the reasons why a proper training is needed to prepare one to work at heights.
1. It is mandatory according to law.
The Ontario Regulation 297/13 pertains to "occupational health and safety awareness and
training." It states that an employer shall ensure that a worker who performs work for the
employer completes a basic occupational health and safety awareness training program that
meets the requirements as soon as practicable. According to this regulation, a basic
occupational health and safety awareness training program for workers must include
instruction on the following:
 The duties and rights of workers under the Act.
 The duties of employers and supervisors under the Act.
 The roles of health and safety representatives and joint health and safety committees
under the Act.
 The roles of the Ministry, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and entities
designated under section 22.5 of the Act with respect to occupational health and safety.
 Common workplace hazards.
 The requirements set out in Regulation 860 (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information
System (WHMIS)) with respect to information and instruction on controlled products.
 Occupational illness, including latency.
These guidelines are not just for workers but for supervisors as well. Thus, to ensure a hassle
free work environment, the basic working at heights training program is indispensable.
2. To safeguard oneself from the hazards of working at heights.

2. Working at heights accounts for maximum fatalities in the construction business. Therefore,
one needs to be aware of the challenges posed by this occupation.
The conditions that are hazardous to a worker working at height are:
 Fall from height.
This is the most common cause of injuries and fatalities while working at heights. The fall can
occur due to poor knowledge of safety equipments, absence of safety equipments, loss of
balance, unprotected edges etc. Depending upon the mechanism of fall, the possible injuries a
worker may get are injuries to the spinal cord, fracture of skull, upper and lower limb fractures.
Injuries to spinal cord and skull can prove to be fatal.
 On-head collision with a falling object.
Deterioration of the construction material can lead to this possibility. Here, the vertical distance
and the weight of the object are the deciding factors of the extent of injury mostly. If the
worker is not wearing protective headgear, it can lead to spinal crush injuries and skull fractures
which can cause paralysis and even death.
 A fragile roof unable to withstand the weight of a person.
Roofing materials such as cement, asbestos, glass, reinforces plastics and light tongued and
grooved wood covered with roofing felt are most likely to collapse under the weight of a
worker. Therefore, cautionary measures are to be taken while working on such roofs. Heed to
the warning sign that warns against the fragile material of the roof. The use of roof ladders and
fall arrest equipment reduces the risk to a great extent.
 Sloped roofs with a pitch greater than 10 degrees.
Falls from the edges of sloping roofs with a pitch greater than 10 degrees can cause serious
injuries. When a worker slips down the ridge, the slope accelerates his motion and thus the
magnitude of the injury increases. The following of safety measures becomes mandatory in
this case as well.
 Weather conditions.
The harsh weather conditions pose certain difficulties to the work. Rain or snow can increase
the chances of slipping off the edge whereas extreme cold decreases the manual proficiency.
Also, high winds can make the access equipment unstable. All these factors contribute to the
hazards of working at heights.

3. Hence, a working at height program prepares you to tackle such issues head-on with proper
training to use the access equipments and safety equipments such as safety harness etc.
3. To safeguard others during the rescue operations.
In case of collapse of the structure, you might be faced with the challenge to not only save
yourself but also a co-worker from the debris. This situation can also occur in case of a fire
accident on site, roof collapse or failure of equipment. Therefore, you must be well equipped
with thorough training to be able to act in such situations.
All the above points prove that the working at heights training program is of vital importance
to everyone working at construction sites, performing arena, stadium, theater & stage
production rigging, lighting, sound & video set-up, roof work, painting, pressure or window
washing, pest control, beam walking, structural climbing, SPRAT testing, civil engineering,
facade & structural surveys, inspection and maintenance of buildings, chimneys, tanks, boilers,
dams, cranes, ships, masts and offshore oil rigs.
If you are already working in one of the above mentioned spheres or intend to work in one, but
have not yet received the basic working at heights training yet, enroll yourself in this program
at once. This saying by the Spartan warriors is quite applicable in this context which says," The
soldier who sweats more in practice, bleeds less in war."