WAH FULL CERTIFICATION VS REFRESHER: WHICH COURSE DO YOU NEED?

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If you work at heights in Ontario's construction sector, you need Working at Heights (WAH) training. That much is clear. What is less clear for many workers and employers is whether they need the full certification course or the shorter refresher. Getting it wrong means either wasting time on a course you do not need or, worse, working with an invalid certificate and putting yourself and your employer at legal risk.

This guide breaks down exactly what each course covers, who needs which one, and what the regulations actually require.

What Ontario Law Requires

Ontario Regulation 297/13 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) made Working at Heights training mandatory for all construction workers who may use specific fall protection systems. Its Working at Heights requirements took effect on April 1, 2015, and apply to workers who may use any of the following: travel restraint systems, fall restricting systems, fall arrest systems, safety nets, work belts or safety belts.

The training must be delivered by a Chief Prevention Officer (CPO)-approved training provider, and the program itself must be approved by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD). Only training from an approved provider counts. A certificate from a non-approved provider is worthless under the regulation.

Certificates are valid for three years from the date of completion. After three years, you must retrain.

The Full Certification Course

The WAH full certification course is a minimum of 6.5 hours of instruction. It is designed as a comprehensive introduction to working at heights safely and covers both theory and hands-on practical training.

You need the full course if any of the following apply:

• First-time certification: You have never completed an MLITSD-approved Working at Heights program before.
• Non-approved previous training: You completed fall protection training through a provider that was not CPO-approved. That training does not count under Reg. 297/13.

The full course covers the following topics in detail:

• Regulatory framework: Ontario's OHSA, Reg. 213/91 (Construction Projects), and Reg. 297/13. You will learn what the law requires of workers, supervisors, and employers.
• Hazard identification: How to recognize fall hazards on construction sites, including edges, openings, fragile surfaces, and unstable ground.
• Hierarchy of fall protection: Elimination, passive protection (guardrails), travel restraint, fall arrest — understanding when each method is appropriate.
• Equipment knowledge: Full-body harnesses (CSA Z259.10), lanyards, self-retracting devices (SRDs), anchors, lifelines, and connectors. You will learn how each component works and how they work together as a system.
• Hands-on practical: Approximately 3.5 hours of the full course is practical. You will put on and adjust a harness, inspect equipment, select anchor points, connect to a lifeline, and practice controlled descent and rescue procedures.
• Rescue planning: How to develop a written rescue plan and why suspension trauma makes rapid rescue essential.

Book your refresher before your certificate expires — not after. The day your 3-year WAH certificate lapses, you cannot use fall protection on a construction project until the refresher is done.

The Refresher Course

The WAH refresher course is a minimum of 3.5 hours. It is the Practical Module of the full course, taken again by workers who have already completed both modules of an approved WAH program and need to renew.

You are eligible for the refresher only if:

• You have completed both modules of an approved WAH program (the theory and the practical) with a CPO-approved training provider. Ontario's program standard sets this as the eligibility rule for the refresher.
• You completed either a full course or a previous refresher through an approved provider.

Under the program standard, the refresher is the Practical Module. It covers:

• Regulatory updates: Any changes to Ontario regulations or standards since your last training.
• Hazard review: Refreshing your knowledge of fall hazard identification and risk assessment.
• Equipment inspection: Hands-on review of harness inspection, proper fit, and equipment selection.
• Practical exercises: Donning and adjusting harnesses, connecting to anchor points, and rescue procedures. The practical module has the same minimum of 3.5 hours as in the full course.

What Happens if Your Certificate Expires

This is where many workers and employers get caught. Once your WAH certificate passes the three-year mark without a refresher, your training is no longer valid and you cannot use fall protection on a construction project. Ontario's program standard lets anyone who has completed both modules of an approved program take the refresher, so an expired card does not by itself mean starting over, but you are off any work at heights until the refresher is complete.

There is no grace period for working. The day your certificate hits three years and one day, the worker is off any task that needs fall protection until the refresher is done. An employer who allows a worker with an expired certificate to use fall protection equipment on a construction project is in violation of Reg. 297/13 and can face fines, stop-work orders, and prosecution.

The penalties are significant. Under the OHSA, an individual convicted of an offence faces fines of up to $500,000 and/or up to 12 months in prison, and a director or officer of the company up to $1,500,000. For a corporation, fines can reach $2,000,000 per offence.

How to Check Your Certificate Status

Your WAH certificate should include the date of completion and the name of the approved training provider. The three-year expiry is calculated from that completion date. If you completed training on March 15, 2024, your certificate is valid until March 15, 2027.

Keep your certificate accessible. Many employers maintain training records, but you should always have your own copy — either the physical wallet card or a digital photo on your phone. If you have lost your certificate, contact the training provider who delivered your course. Approved providers are required to maintain training records and can issue replacement documentation.

Employer Responsibilities

Employers have a legal duty under the OHSA to ensure their workers are properly trained before they perform any task. For working at heights, this means:

• Verifying certificates: Employers must confirm that each worker has a valid WAH certificate from an approved provider before allowing them to use fall protection on a construction project.
• Tracking expiry dates: It is the employer's responsibility to know when certificates expire and arrange retraining before they lapse.
• Paying for training time: Under the Employment Standards Act, time an employee spends in training that is required by the employer or by law counts as work time. Workers should not have to pay out of pocket for WAH certification that their employer requires.
• Maintaining records: Employers should keep copies of all WAH certificates on file and have them available for inspection by MLITSD inspectors.

Cost Comparison

The full WAH certification course typically costs between $140 and $200 per person across the GTA, depending on the provider. At 4 Your Safety Solutions, the full course is $150 plus HST. The refresher is $125 plus HST: a shorter course, with the same instructor, equipment, and certification requirements.

On-site group training often provides better value for employers with five or more workers who need certification. Instead of sending workers to a training facility individually, an approved instructor comes to your site with all the necessary equipment. This eliminates travel time and keeps your crew together.

Quick Decision Guide

• Never been certified? Full course.
• Certificate expired? Refresher, and no work at heights until it is done.
• Previous training was not from an approved provider? Full course.
• Certificate is still valid (within 3 years)? Refresher.
• Not sure if your provider was approved? Check the MLITSD list of approved providers or contact the ministry directly. If your provider was not approved at the time you trained, you need the full course.

Do not wait until the last week before your certificate expires to book a refresher. Training dates fill up, especially in the spring when construction season ramps up. Book at least a month ahead to make sure you stay current without any gap in your certification.