ST. JOHN’S – The Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (the Commission) advises employers and workers that commencing January 1, 2012, workers who use fall protection equipment must have completed training from a training provider approved by the Commission. 

Workers who have not completed an approved training program will not be permitted to work from heights, or to work with fall protection equipment in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Under Newfoundland and Labrador Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) 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.

“Seven workers in Newfoundland and Labrador have died as a result of falls from heights since 2004,” said Commission CEO Leslie Galway.  “All workplace accidents are preventable and this new training requirement will help ensure these types of tragedies are not replayed across the province.”  

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

The Commission recently developed the Fall Protection Certification Training Standard, establishing criteria for fall protection training providers and trainers.  Training providers wishing to deliver fall protection certification training should develop and submit their training curriculum to the Commission for approval.  

Fall Protection Certification Training by an approved provider is valid for three years.  

Training is available through a number of providers approved by the Commission. For a complete list of approved training providers and courses, please consult the Commission website at: http://www.whscc.nl.ca/PREV_FallProtection.whscc.

Serving over 16,000 employers and approximately 11,000 injured workers, the Commission is an employer-funded, no fault insurance system that promotes safe and healthy workplaces, provides return-to-work programs and fair compensation to injured workers and their dependants.

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Chris Flanagan, MBA
Director of Communications
Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission
tel (709) 778-1590
mobile (709) 728-7869
fax (709) 778-1117 
146-148 Forest Road
St. John's, NL
A1A 3B8
www.whscc.nl.ca