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…”
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Requiring a “practical demonstration” is where online training tends to actually not technically meet OH&S requirements here in Saskatchewan. With courses like fall protection/fall arrest it is critical that users are shown how to properly put on and inspect a harness and then practically demonstrate the knowledge or skills acquired by physically inspecting and donning a harness during the training. Each person attending a Northern Strands Fall Arrest Training course is not only required to inspect and don a harness as part of achieving certification, but they are also given the opportunity to perform another practical exercise where they can transfer their body weight onto their harness to verify whether or not they have it properly adjusted.
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.
Training Centre: 802 57th Street East, Saskatoon, SK.