b'OP-EDPREVENTION PERSPECTIVESBY RON KELUSKYO ur vision at the Ministry ofWORKING AT HEIGHTS This training is not only important in the Labours Prevention Office is thatOntarios occupational health andconstruction sector, where falls are a key every worker in Ontario arrivessafety system has had a significantconcern, but also in other sectors where home safe and healthy at the end of each day,focus in recent years on improvingworking at heights occurs. A Ministry now and in the future. To make this happen,working at heights (WAH) safety,partner, the Institute for Work & Health, we all must work together. Health and safetyincluding the standardization ofis currently examining the effectiveness in the workplace is everyones responsibilitymandatory working at heightsof the mandatory training standard andfrom the Ministry and our systemtraining in 2015. To complywhat can be learned from the experience of partners, to workers and employers. I knowwith working at heights trainingitsimplementation.that the Scaffolding Industry Association ofrequirements, employers must ensureIn addition to the working at heights Canada values the importance of health andtheir workers refresh WAH trainingtraining, in May 2017, Ontario released safety and can help us achieve this vision. every three years following theirthe Construction Health and Safety Action The Prevention Office and its health andinitial training. The refresher trainingPlan. This included 16 recommendations safety system partners have been workingreinforces key learning outcomesto improve health and safety in this sector, on a number of initiatives to address theand will also keep learners up tomany of which have already been acted highest risk hazards, including workingdate on any legislative, regulatory orupon. For example, a web tool and mobile at heights. We are also working to addressequipment (technological) changes.application were developed to help small- other important workplace health and safety2018 was the first year that learnersand medium-sized construction employers issues such as workplace mental health,needed to complete the workingand their workers understand legislative occupational disease andimpairment.from heights refresher training.and regulatory requirements. 16THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SCAFFOLD INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF CANADA'