When was the last time you checked to see when your employees (or your own), safety training certifications expired? Likely not since before Covid lockdowns almost 2 years ago...Fall protection training is one certification in particular you do not want to let lapse. Did you know that slips, trips and falls are typically the number one cause of lost time injuries? For this reason, companies whose employees perform work at heights often put fall protection training at the top of their priority list. Fall arrest training is essential and required in Saskatchewan for any employee working at heights (above 3 meters). Companies can incur hefty OH&S fines in Saskatchewan for employees that don't have up to date fall arrest training certification. 

Our Trainers are often asked, "How long does my fall arrest certification last in Saskatchewan?" This is a good question with a somewhat ambiguous answer. The answer is, "Depends on who you were trained by?". In Saskatchewan, there is no legislation that dictates the length of time a fall arrest certification is valid for. The company providing the training determines the length of time your fall arrest training certificate is valid. At Northern Strands, our training certification for our fall arrest course is valid for three years. 

Why train with Northern Strands and not the, "other guys" you usually book with?

• We will train groups on site at your workplace. No need to send your people here, we will come to you!
• Our training is hands on, practical and most importantly...in person. Do you want your employees performing potentially dangerous work with training that is online- only and with no practical component?
• We book on short notice and are flexible with scheduling. Need training for your people ASAP? Contact us and we will try our best to make it work.
• Our trainers make it fun! Do your employees resist training because they can't stay awake?! Our trainers have designed courses in a format that makes them engaging, interesting, and collaborative. 

Northern Strands Safety Training Courses Include:

• Fall Arrest Training
• Below the Hook Rigging Training 
• Crosby Rigging Training
• Air Winch Training
• Suspended Access Training
• Overhead Traveling Crane Competent Operator (40 hour)

It goes without saying that any training is (generally) better than no training whatsoever, but does online fall arrest training really count as far as the Regulations are concerned?

 Interestingly enough, the Regulations go so far as to define the term ‘train’ which means  “…to give information and explanation to a worker with respect to a particular subject-matter and require a practical demonstration that the worker has acquired knowledge or skill related to the subject-matter…”

\

Another issue users face is deciding whether they should be completing “Fall Arrest Training” or “Fall Protection Training?”  Unfortunately there is no crystal-clear answer to this question, but the deciding factor will ultimately be based on the individual requirements of different company policies. 

As you may already know, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should always be considered the last line of defense against workplace hazards, and should the hazards happen to involve falling, there are many other ways to better protect yourself than using a Personal Fall Arrest System.  Northern Strands Fall Arrest Training (despite its name) explains the regulatory requirements of the other, better forms of fall protection so that users are more suitably informed on how to protect themselves from falling.

If you’re considering online training and your employees will be working in the province of Saskatchewan contact us, to make sure that the training will meet the requirements of the provincial regulations. We also do on-site training so we can make it more convenient for those times when it isn’t actually practical to send an entire crew to Saskatoon to take part in one of our regularly scheduled courses.