FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2011  

ST. JOHN’S – The Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (the Commission) reminds employers and workers that commencing January 1, 2012, workers working at heights, above three meters are required to use fall protection equipment and have completed training with an approved fall protection training provider.  

A one-year transition period has been put in place for those who received training between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011 based on curriculum not certified by the Commission. These workers must complete new fall protection certification training from an approved provider by December 31, 2012. The new training is valid for three years from the date of completion. 

Approved training is now available through a number of providers approved by the Commission. For a complete list of approved training providers and courses, please consult the Commission’s website at http://www.whscc.nl.ca/PREV_FallProtection.whscc or call 709-778-1552.

Protect your training investment: ensure all fall protection training is supplied by an approved provider. The Newfoundland and Labrador Occupational Health and Safety Branch of Service NL has the authority to issue stop work orders at any job site where training requirements have not been met.  

“Seven workers in Newfoundland and Labrador have died as a result of falls from heights since 2004,” said Commission CEO Leslie Galway.  “Employers and workers must understand the risks associated with working at heights.  They have a right to know the hazards, the training required to control the hazard and the right to refuse unsafe work.  This new training requirement will help ensure these types of tragedies are not replayed across the province.”   

Under Newfoundland and Labrador Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, fall protection equipment is required where a worker is at risk of falling three meters or more or is working above hazardous or dangerous areas.  

The use of fall protection equipment is required in all industries in Newfoundland and Labrador.  These include, but are not limited to, general construction, residential construction, road construction, roofing, utilities, oil, mining, fishing and municipalities.   

Serving over 17,500 employers and approximately 12,000 injured workers, the Commission is an employer-funded, no fault insurance system that promotes safe and healthy workplaces, provides return-to-work programs and offers fair compensation to injured workers and their dependants.   

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Chris Flanagan, Director of Communications
Telephone: 709-778-1590 or 709-728-7869